How to Crop an Image for Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn

Why cropping matters for social media

Social media platforms display images in specific aspect ratios. If your image does not match the expected ratio, the platform will crop it automatically, potentially cutting off important parts of the image. By cropping to the correct ratio before uploading, you control what is visible and ensure your image looks intentional and professional.

Cropping is different from resizing. Resizing changes the dimensions while maintaining the aspect ratio. Cropping changes the aspect ratio by removing parts of the image. For social media, you typically need to crop to a specific ratio and then resize to the recommended dimensions.

Instagram image dimensions

Instagram supports several aspect ratios. The classic square post is 1:1 (1080 x 1080 pixels). The portrait post is 4:5 (1080 x 1350 pixels), which takes up more screen space and is popular for feed posts. The landscape post is 1.91:1 (1080 x 566 pixels), though this is less common.

Instagram Stories and Reels use a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels). This vertical format fills the entire phone screen. When cropping for Stories, keep important content in the center to avoid it being cut off by the interface elements at the top and bottom.

YouTube thumbnail dimensions

YouTube thumbnails use a 16:9 aspect ratio (1280 x 720 pixels). This is the standard widescreen ratio. When cropping for YouTube, make sure the subject of the thumbnail is centered and large enough to be visible at small sizes, since thumbnails are often viewed at small dimensions in search results and recommendation lists.

YouTube also uses custom thumbnails for Shorts, which use a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels), matching the vertical video format.

LinkedIn image dimensions

LinkedIn post images use a 1.91:1 aspect ratio (1200 x 627 pixels) for link previews and shared images. LinkedIn article cover images use a 16:9 ratio (1280 x 720 pixels). LinkedIn profile photos are square (400 x 400 pixels), and cover images are 1584 x 396 pixels.

For LinkedIn carousel posts, each image should be 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1). Consistent dimensions across carousel slides create a clean, professional appearance.

Step-by-step: cropping for social media

1. Open a browser-based image editor like Pixbench at pixbench.explorme.com.

2. Upload the image you want to crop.

3. Select the crop tool and choose the aspect ratio for your target platform (for example, 1:1 for Instagram or 16:9 for YouTube).

4. Position the crop frame to include the most important content. Keep the subject centered and away from the edges.

5. Apply the crop. The image is now in the correct aspect ratio.

6. If needed, resize the cropped image to the recommended pixel dimensions for the platform.

7. Download the image and upload it to your social media account.

Maintaining quality after cropping

Cropping removes pixels, which means the remaining pixels may need to be enlarged to reach the target dimensions. To maintain quality, start with the highest resolution original available. A large original gives you room to crop without needing to upscale the result.

After cropping, save the image in an appropriate format. For photographs, use JPG or WebP with a high quality setting. For images with text or sharp edges, use PNG. For web use, WebP offers the best compression.