What happens if I upload an image that's too large?

Most platforms will either auto-resize it (sometimes cropping unpredictably) or reject the upload outright if it exceeds a file size limit.

Should I resize before or after compressing an image?

Resize first, then compress — shrinking the dimensions first means there's less image data for the compressor to work on, usually resulting in a smaller final file.

Does resizing reduce image quality?

Shrinking an image is generally safe for quality. Enlarging an image beyond its original resolution can make it look soft, since new pixels have to be estimated rather than captured.

The Right Image Size for Every Platform

Every platform seems to want a slightly different image size, and uploading the wrong one usually doesn't fail loudly — it just gets cropped, stretched, or squeezed in a way that quietly looks off.

Rough guidelines by use case

Website hero banner: 1600–1920px wide is a common safe range for full-width headers.
Blog post featured image: around 1200px wide works well for most content management systems.
Instagram square post: 1080×1080px is the standard recommendation.
Instagram/Facebook story: 1080×1920px (vertical, 9:16 ratio).
LinkedIn post image: 1200×627px tends to display cleanly in the feed.
Email header image: keep it under about 600px wide, since most email templates are narrow and large images slow down load time in inboxes.
Profile photo / avatar: a square image, at least 400×400px, since most platforms crop avatars into a circle regardless of the original shape.

Resize to the exact dimensions

Set precise pixels or scale by percentage, with aspect ratio lock.

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Why the wrong size actually matters

An oversized image doesn't just look fine-but-big — it slows down page load (which affects both user experience and search ranking) and often gets auto-cropped by the platform in a way that cuts off exactly the part of the image you cared about. An undersized image gets stretched to fit, turning it soft or pixelated.

Aspect ratio matters more than exact pixels

If you can't hit an exact recommended size, matching the aspect ratio (the width-to-height proportion) is usually more important than the precise pixel count — a correctly-proportioned image scaled slightly differently still displays cleanly, while a wrong-ratio image gets cropped unpredictably.

Keep proportions intact

Lock the aspect ratio and resize without distortion, free.

Resize an Image

The bottom line

When in doubt, match the aspect ratio for the platform first, then get as close to the recommended pixel dimensions as reasonable — that combination avoids almost all of the common cropping and stretching problems.