How to Resize a Photo for Facebook

Getting your photos to look perfect on Facebook can feel like a guessing game, but it doesn't have to be. Uploading an image with the wrong dimensions can lead to weird cropping, blurry results, and a post that just doesn't hit the mark. This guide walks you through the exact sizes you need for every type of Facebook post and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to resize your photos perfectly using free and easy tools.

Why Sizing Your Facebook Photos Correctly Matters

You might think Facebook is smart enough to just figure it out, and to some extent, it is. But letting the platform handle your resizing is like letting a robot style your hair - it might get the job done, but you probably won't love the results. When you upload a photo that's too large or has the wrong aspect ratio, Facebook’s automated system compresses and crops it to fit its predetermined slots. This is where things go wrong.

This automated process is the culprit behind:

• Awkward Cropping: Important parts of your photo get cut off, like the headline on a graphic or the top of someone’s head.
• Pixelation and Blurriness: Aggressive compression can turn your crisp, beautiful photo into a soft, blurry mess. This loss of quality makes your brand look less professional.
• Stretched or Skewed Images: In some cases, Facebook will stretch an image to fit, leading to a distorted look that screams "I didn't prepare this."

By taking control and resizing your photos before you upload, you dictate exactly how your content appears. It’s a small step that has a big impact on your brand's professionalism and the overall effectiveness of your social media marketing.

The Ultimate Facebook Photo Sizes Cheat Sheet

Facebook uses different dimensions across its platform. Sticking to these recommendations will give you the best results and prevent the platform from making its own creative (and often poor) choices about your visuals. Here are the most current dimensions you need to know.

Facebook Profile Picture

• Recommended Dimensions: Upload at 1080 x 1080 pixels.
• Displays as: 170 x 170 pixels on desktop, crops to a circular shape in most places.

Pro Tip: Even though it displays as a smaller square, always upload a larger, higher-quality file (like 1080x1080). This ensures your profile picture remains sharp even when zoomed in. Remember that the corners will be cropped into a circle, so keep the most important part of your image, like your face or logo, centered.

Facebook Cover Photo

• Desktop Dimensions: 820 x 312 pixels.
• Mobile Dimensions: 640 x 360 pixels.

Pro Tip: This is a tricky one because the visible area changes dramatically between desktop and mobile. A photo that looks perfect on a computer might have the sides cut off on a phone. The solution is to create a design at 820 x 360 pixels and keep all your text and critical elements within a central "safe zone." This ensures nothing important gets axed, no matter what device someone is viewing it on.

Shared Image (Feed Posts)

You have a few options for standard feed posts. The one you choose can dramatically affect how much screen real estate your post occupies, especially on mobile.

• Square (1:1 Aspect Ratio): 1080 x 1080 pixels. Often the best choice for stand-alone images. It offers a great balance of visibility on both mobile and desktop feeds.
• Portrait / Vertical (4:5 Aspect Ratio): 1080 x 1350 pixels. This is the king of mobile visibility. It takes up the most vertical space on a phone screen, grabbing more attention as users scroll. If your audience is primarily on mobile, this is your go-to size.
• Landscape (1.91:1 Aspect Ratio): 1200 x 630 pixels. The classic horizontal format. It's best used for scenic photos or group shots where a wide frame is necessary. It’s also the standard dimension for link-sharing images.

Facebook Story Photo

• Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 pixels (a 9:16 aspect ratio).

Pro Tip: This is a full-on vertical canvas that takes up the entire phone screen. Keep in mind that Facebook overlays your profile icon, text prompts, and buttons at the top and bottom of the screen. Leave a "safe zone" of around 250 pixels free of text or key elements at the top and bottom of your Story image to prevent them from being covered up.

Facebook Event Cover Photo

• Dimensions: 1920 x 1005 pixels.

This is wider than a personal or page cover photo, designed to be more cinematic. Get this one right to make your event look polished and appealing from the get-go.

How to Resize a Photo for Facebook: Step-by-Step Guides

You don't need expensive software like Photoshop to get this done. There are plenty of fantastic, free online tools that make resizing a breeze. Here are tutorials for a few of the most popular options.

Method 1: Using Canva (The Go-To for Most Creators)

Canva is a powerhouse for social media managers for a good reason. It has pre-made templates for almost everything, making resizing practically foolproof.

1. Start Your Design: Go to Canva.com. In the top right corner, click "Create a design."
2. Find a Template or Set a Custom Size: You can either type "Facebook Post" into the search bar to pull up perfectly sized templates (like "Facebook Post [Square]" or "Facebook Post [Portrait]"), or you can click "Custom size" at the bottom and enter your exact dimensions manually (e.g., width: 1080, height: 1350).
3. Upload and Place Your Photo: On the left-hand menu, click "Uploads" to add your photo. Once it's uploaded, simply drag it onto your blank canvas.
4. Reposition and Crop: If you drag the photo until it "snaps" to the background, you can double-click it to reposition it within the frame. You can also use the corner handles to resize it. This gives you complete control over your final composition.
5. Download Your Image: Click the "Share" button in the top right, then select "Download." Choose your file type (see the pro tips below) and hit the download button. You're ready to post!

Method 2: Using Adobe Express (A Powerful Free Alternative)

Adobe Express offers a clean, straightforward image resizing tool that's perfect for quick adjustments without getting lost in multiple menus.

1. Access the Tool: Search for "Adobe Express Resize Image" online or navigate directly to that page on their site.
2. Upload Your Photo: Drag and drop your image file or browse your computer to upload it.
3. Select the Right Size: On the right side of the screen, Adobe Express gives you a massive list of preset options organized by category. Open the "Social Media" dropdown, find "Facebook," and select the exact format you need, like "Facebook profile cover" or "Facebook post (portrait)."
4. Fine-Tune If Needed: The tool automatically resizes your image. You can use the "Image Scale" slider to zoom in, or click and drag the image itself to adjust its position inside the new frame.
5. Download: Once it looks perfect, click the "Download" button.

Pro Tips for Crystal-Clear Facebook Photos

Resizing is just one piece of the puzzle. To make sure your photos always look their best, follow these best practices for optimizing them before you upload.

Start with a High-Resolution Photo

This is probably the most important rule. You can always make a large, high-quality image smaller without losing much detail. However, you can't magically add pixels to a small, low-resolution photo. If you try to stretch a small image to fit a larger frame, you'll end up with a pixelated mess. Always start with the largest, highest-quality version of your image that you have.

File Format Matters (JPG vs. PNG)

Knowing which file format to use can make a big difference in image quality.

• Use JPG for Photos: For most standard photographs (landscapes, portraits, lifestyle shots), JPG is the best option. It provides a great balance between quality and file size, helping your images load quickly.
• Use PNG for Graphics and Text: If your image contains text, logos, or sharp graphic elements, save it as a PNG. PNG files don't suffer the same kind of compression artifacts as JPGs, which means sharp lines and text will stay crisp and clear without any blurriness around the edges.

Pay Attention to File Size

While high visual quality is the goal, an enormous file size can work against you. Facebook's own compression algorithm can be triggered by large files. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep your final images under 500 KB. For JPEGs, this can often be set with the quality level during export (aim for 70-80%). For PNGs, you can use a free tool like TinyPNG to compress the file size without any visible loss in quality.

Think About Your Brand's Visual Consistency

Knowing how to resize is a technical skill, but applying it is strategic. Consider making a brand decision about your post sizes. For example, will all your Instagram and Facebook feed posts be 1080 x 1080 squares for a clean, consistent grid? Or will you lean into the 1080 x 1350 vertical format to maximize your presence in mobile feeds? Sticking to a consistent set of dimensions can make your overall content strategy feel more intentional and polished.

Final Thoughts

Properly sizing your Facebook photos isn't just about avoiding ugly cropping, it's about taking control of your brand's visual identity. By using the right dimensions and the simple tools available, you can make sure every post you share looks professional, engages your audience, and contributes positively to your content strategy.

Once your images are perfectly sized and ready to go, the next step is getting them in front of your audience reliably and consistently. At Postbase, we built our tool because we were tired of wrestling with social media platforms where simple things felt overwhelmingly complex. Our visual calendar lets you see your entire content plan at a glance, so you can drag and drop your perfectly resized posts, schedule them with confidence, and move on with your day.