Guide 01
Best Image Sizes and Aspect Ratios for X Posts
For a single photo on X, use a shape between 2:1 (wide) and 3:4 (tall), and the timeline will show it in full. In practice that means 16:9 at 1200 × 675 pixels for landscape shots, 1:1 at 1080 × 1080 for squares, or 4:5 at 1080 × 1350 for portraits. Headers should be 1500 × 500 and profile photos 400 × 400. Photos can be up to 5 MB, in JPG, PNG or GIF.
The rest of this guide explains where those numbers come from and what happens when you ignore them.
Single photos: the 2:1 to 3:4 rule
X's help center says a single photo with a standard aspect ratio, which it defines as between 2:1 and 3:4, is shown in full in the timeline. Outside that range, the preview gets cropped, and people only see the full image after they tap it.
That range covers most of what you'll shoot:
| Shape | Example size | How it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 2:1 | 1200 × 600 | In full; the widest shape that is |
| 16:9 | 1200 × 675 | In full; the usual landscape choice |
| 3:2 | 1200 × 800 | In full; the native shape of many cameras |
| 4:3 | 1200 × 900 | In full; the native shape of most phones |
| 1:1 | 1080 × 1080 | In full |
| 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 | In full; takes the most room on a phone screen |
| 3:4 | 1080 × 1440 | In full; the tallest shape that is |
| 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | Cropped in the preview |
Tall shapes take up more of the feed on phones, which is why many people favor 4:5 for photos of people, food or products. A full-screen 9:16 phone screenshot is the one common shape that falls outside the range, so if you post screenshots often, crop them to 3:4 or shorter first.
The pixel sizes are recommendations, not rules. X resizes images for display, so a 4:5 photo at 2160 × 2700 will look fine as long as it's under the file size limit. The shape matters more than the exact dimensions.
Posts with two to four photos
A post can hold up to four photos. With more than one, X arranges them in a grid and crops each one to fit its tile in the timeline. Two photos sit side by side as tall rectangles, three are split into one large tile and two small ones, and four become a two-by-two grid.
The exact crop depends on the layout and the screen, and X doesn't publish fixed tile sizes. So the practical advice is about composition:
- Keep the subject near the center of each photo, away from the edges.
- Use the same shape for every photo in the post, so the crops are predictable.
- Don't put text near the edges of images in a multi-photo post. It's the first thing to get cut.
If one image matters much more than the others, consider posting it on its own.
Header images
The header (or banner) is the wide image at the top of your profile. The recommended size is 1500 × 500 pixels, a 3:1 shape.
The header is shown at different heights on different screens, so the top and bottom edges can get trimmed. On most layouts your profile photo also overlaps the lower left of the header. Keep logos, faces and text in the middle band, and treat the edges and the lower-left corner as decoration only. The TwitPickr tool shades those areas when you pick the header preset.
Profile photos
Profile photos are uploaded square and displayed as a circle for most accounts. Use 400 × 400 pixels; the file can be up to 2 MB. Because of the circle, the corners of your square image will never be seen. Center your face or logo and leave a little space around it.
Profile photos appear tiny in replies and lists, often well under 50 pixels across. Fine detail and small text disappear at that size. A simple, high-contrast image works best.
File size and formats
X accepts photos in JPG, PNG and GIF format, up to 5 MB each. Animated GIFs can be up to 5 MB on mobile and 15 MB on the web, and a post can only contain one GIF. Formats like BMP and TIFF aren't accepted.
Whatever you upload, X recompresses images for display. A few habits help them survive that:
- Export JPGs at a quality around 80 to 90. Higher settings mostly add file size, and lower ones can show blocky artifacts after X's own compression.
- Use PNG for screenshots, charts and graphics with sharp edges and flat colors, where JPG compression smears text.
- Don't upscale small images. Enlarging a 600-pixel photo to 1200 adds softness without adding detail.
- Convert phone photos from HEIC to JPG before uploading if your phone or browser doesn't do it automatically.
The TwitPickr tool shows the exported file size as you move the quality slider, and warns you if you go over the limit for the shape you picked.
A quick checklist
Before you post a photo, it's worth a five-second check: Is the shape between 2:1 and 3:4? Is the subject away from the edges if you're posting several images? Is the file under 5 MB? And have you added a description for people who can't see it? Our guide to writing good alt text covers that last step.
TwitPickr is not affiliated with X Corp. X adjusts its layouts from time to time; the figures here follow X's help center and are worth rechecking if something looks different.
Quick answers
What is the best size for a single photo on X?
1200 x 675 pixels (16:9) is the safe default for landscape images. For square images use 1080 x 1080, and for portrait images 1080 x 1350 (4:5). All three show in full in the timeline.
Does X still crop photos in the timeline?
A single photo with an aspect ratio between 2:1 and 3:4 is shown in full. Taller or wider photos, and photos in posts with two to four images, are cropped in the timeline preview. Tapping a photo opens it uncropped.