How to Post Original Size Photos on Instagram

Nothing sinks that I got the shot feeling faster than watching Instagram awkwardly crop your masterpiece. You frame the perfect horizontal landscape or a dynamic vertical portrait, but when you upload it, Instagram forces it into a box, chopping off details you considered essential. The good news is you can post your full-size photos without this happening. This guide will walk you through exactly how Instagram's cropping works and give you clear, step-by-step methods to prepare your photos so they show up exactly as you intended, every single time.

First, Why Does Instagram Crop Photos?

Before you get ready to fight the algorithm, it helps to understand why Instagram crops images in the first place. The entire platform is built around a consistent, scrollable user experience. To keep the feed clean and visually predictable, Instagram presets the shapes and sizes of the content allowed. If your photo doesn't fit into one of their accepted shapes, the app automatically makes a crop for you, and its guesses are… not always great.

The "original size" you're looking to post isn't about the file size in megabytes or the massive pixel count from your professional camera. Instead, it’s all about the shape of your photo, also known as its aspect ratio.

If you upload a photo with an aspect ratio that Instagram supports, it won't be cropped. You get to control what your audience sees. If you upload something outside those dimensions, Instagram takes over. So, the secret isn't a secret upload button, it's about preparing your photo to the right dimensions before you post.

Instagram’s Approved Aspect Ratios and Resolutions

To outsmart the crop, you need to know the rules. Instagram officially supports images within a range of aspect ratios from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 4:5 (portrait). Think of these as the pre-approved containers for your content.

• Square (1:1): The classic Instagram look. Dimensions: 1080px by 1080px.
• Portrait (4:5): The best option for visibility. Dimensions: 1080px by 1350px.
• Landscape (1.91:1): Best for wide shots, but takes up the least screen space. Dimensions: 1080px by 566px.

Pay special attention to the width: 1080 pixels. For the best quality, always make sure the shortest side of your image is at least 1080 pixels. If you upload something smaller, Instagram will stretch it, causing pixelation. If you upload something significantly larger, Instagram will compress it, which can also reduce quality. Sizing your photos to a 1080px width is the sweet spot for sharpness.

The Best Aspect Ratio for Each Type of Instagram Post

Knowing which ratio to use for what type of content gives you a huge advantage in controlling your brand's look and feel. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Feed Posts (Photos & Videos)

For a standard image post on your feed, you have three choices, but one is clearly the winner for engagement: Portrait (4:5). Why? It takes up the most vertical space on a phone screen, holding a user's attention for a fraction longer as they scroll. This is valuable real estate. Square (1:1) is a classic, safe choice, but a 4:5 portrait post is more impactful. Landscape (1.91:1) should be used thoughtfully, as it gives your content the smallest footprint in the feed.

Stories & Reels

This one is simple: 9:16. Full-screen, vertical content is the native language of Stories and Reels. You can post a horizontal image or video here, but Instagram will awkwardly fit it in the middle with large, distracting pillar-boxes (the empty space above and below). For a professional and immersive experience, always use 9:16 content (1080px by 1920px) for your Stories and Reels.

Carousel Posts

Carousels are a little tricky. Instagram forces all slides in a carousel post to conform to the aspect ratio of the first image you select. For example, if your first image is a 1:1 square, every subsequent portrait and landscape photo will be automatically cropped to a 1:1 square. To avoid this, it's best to pre-crop all the images in your carousel to the same aspect ratio before creating the post. Square (1:1) or Portrait (4:5) work great.

How to Actually Post a Full-Size Photo: Three Methods

Okay, let's get into the step-by-step. There are three primary ways to do this, ranging from the quick-and-easy to the professional method that gives you complete creative control.

Method 1: The In-App "Fit" Tool (The Easy Way)

This is the fastest method and it happens right inside the Instagram app. It’s perfect when you're in a hurry and just want to get your photo up without major crops.

Here’s how it works:

1. Open Instagram and tap the "+" icon to create a new post.
2. From your gallery, select the photo you want to upload. By default, Instagram will likely show it cropped to a square.
3. Look for the small expand icon (it looks like two corners) in the bottom left of the photo preview. Tap it.
4. This will automatically fit your photo into the frame, either as a portrait (4:5) or a landscape (1.91:1), whichever is closer to your photo's original dimensions. You can also pinch with two fingers to zoom in and out to toggle this view.

The Downside: This method is fast, but it’s not perfect. If your photo's aspect ratio isn't *exactly* 4:5 or 1.91:1, Instagram will add borders (usually white or black) to make it fit. You don’t get to control the color of these borders or the final composition, which is why a little prep work goes a long way.

Method 2: Pre-Cropping with an Editing App (The Pro Way)

This is the method that social media managers and professional creators use because it gives you 100% control over the final result. By cropping your photo to a perfect Instagram-friendly aspect ratio *before* you even open the app, you guarantee there will be no surprise crops or unwanted borders.

Many fantastic free apps can do this, including your phone’s built-in Photos app, Snapseed, or Adobe Lightroom Mobile. Here’s a quick tutorial using Snapseed:

1. Download and open Snapseed, then tap anywhere to open your photo.
2. Select "Tools" from the bottom menu, then choose "Crop."
3. In the crop menu, tap the aspect ratio icon (it looks like a rectangle). A list will appear.
4. Select the ratio you want. For maximum impact in the feed, choose 4:5. For a classic look, pick 1:1 Square.
5. Drag the corners and move the image within the crop box to frame it perfectly. Once you're happy, tap the checkmark to confirm.
6. Export your photo. Now, when you upload this newly saved image to Instagram, it will fit perfectly with zero cropping.

Method 3: Handling Special Cases (Panoramas and Ultra-Tall Photos)

What if your photo is too wide or too tall for even a 4:5 ratio? You have a couple of creative options.

For Wide Panoramas

If you don’t want to post a tiny landscape-oriented photo, turn your wide panorama into an immersive carousel swipe. This technique splits your wide image into a series of seamless 1:1 or 4:5 panels that users swipe through.

• Download an app like PanoramaCrop or Swipeable Panorama.
• Upload your panoramic photo into the app.
• The app will show you how it will slice the photo into multiple posts.
• Export the series of images it creates. They will be numbered in the correct order.
• Upload them to Instagram as a carousel post. The result is a stunning, interactive panorama that encourages engagement.

For Exceptionally Tall Photos

What if your photo is taller than the 4:5 ratio limit? Instagram will be forced to crop the top or bottom. The solution is to introduce your own borders to make it fit within the 4:5 container. This is called 'padding'.

Here’s how you can do it with Snapseed:

1. First, crop your tall photo using the 4:5 aspect ratio to determine exactly where Instagram *would* crop it. Remember this framing, but then cancel the crop.
2. Next, open the "Expand" tool in Snapseed. This tool lets you add new canvas around your image.
3. Select a color for your border - white and black are common choices.
4. Use your fingers to expand the sides of the canvas (the left and right) until the entire photo fits within a 4:5 frame. You’re essentially turning your tall photo into a 4:5 image that contains whitespace on the sides.
5. Export and upload. Your full, tall image will now be visible, neatly padded to fit Instagram’s rules.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to posting on Instagram, the power to avoid the dreaded crop is entirely in your hands. The "secret" is proactive preparation. By knowing the platform's supported aspect ratios and taking a moment to crop your images to fit them *before* posting, you can dictate exactly how your audience sees your work, preserving the quality and composition of every single photo.

Perfecting individual posts is a huge step, but building an incredible Instagram feed is about consistency over time. Having to edit and resize photos one by one right before posting can be incredibly disruptive. This is one of the reasons we designed the visual content calendar inside Postbase. We realized that getting a bird's-eye view of your entire content plan across all your platforms is game-changing. By planning what gets posted and when, you can make sure every piece of content - from its dimensions to its caption - aligns with your brand, and our platform makes scheduling it all feel effortless.