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Why are Instagram Post Sizes Important?
When it comes to social media success, the details matter, especially the size and layout of your content. Instagram post sizes play a critical role in how your content appears across different views in the app, particularly in the grid view, feed, and explore page. Choosing the right size doesn’t just make your brand look polished, it ensures your message isn’t lost in a bad crop or awkward zoom.
A well-aligned, consistently formatted Instagram grid is more than just nice to look at; it’s a visual handshake with your audience. It helps your business make a strong first impression, increases trust, and supports overall engagement. If your content isn’t formatted correctly, it may get cut off, cropped strangely, or lose impact. This update to Instagram post sizes helps you make the most of every square inch (or pixel) of your posts.
What Changed and When?
Instagram quietly rolled out changes to how posts display in the grid view. These updates began surfacing in early 2024, and by mid-2025, they’ve mostly become the standard. The core change? A new, taller post size of 1080 x 1440 pixels is now the best choice for carousel and feed posts.
While the platform still supports the older 1080 x 1350 size (and will continue to), this updated format gives you a bit more vertical real estate in the feed—helping your content stand out without disrupting the grid. That said, there’s a catch. In the grid view, Instagram crops every post to a square, meaning important content near the top or bottom of a tall post could be lost.
To help mitigate that, we’ve identified two “safe zones” you should design within:
- 1080 x 1350 pixels (vertically centred).
- Grid crop safe zone: 1012 x 1012 pixels, centred both vertically and horizontally.
This double-safe zone structure ensures your posts look perfect whether someone is scrolling their feed or scanning your grid.
How does this Affect my Business?
Instagram is a powerful discovery platform, and a clean, professional-looking grid can be the difference between a new follower and a missed opportunity. For brands that rely on organic engagement—especially those in retail, hospitality, personal branding, or visual services—the visual consistency of your grid is critical.
By using the updated Instagram post sizes, you’re giving your business a competitive edge. Taller posts command more space in the feed, improving visibility and boosting the chance of engagement. At the same time, designing with the new safe zones ensures nothing important gets cropped out when viewed in grid format. It’s about balancing performance and presentation.
Whether you’re highlighting a product, announcing an event, or building brand recognition, consistency builds trust—and trust builds conversions. Making this small design change now can lead to stronger results long-term.
How do I use Canva to Create the Right Size?
Good news—creating the new post format in Canva is easy, especially if you start with our optimized template. Here’s how to set it up:
- Open Canva and select “Custom Size.” Enter 1080 (width) x 1440 (height) pixels.
- Use guides to set your first safe zone: add horizontal guides at 45px and 1395px to centre the 1080 x 1350 block.
- Then add a grid crop safe zone: 1012 x 1012 square, centred both vertically and horizontally. This is the area that will appear in your profile grid view.
- Design your content with all key elements (text, faces, calls to action) inside the grid crop safe zone. Extend background visuals or patterns to the full 1080 x 1440 canvas to keep the layout dynamic.
To save time and get it right every time, you can grab our free Canva and Adobe Illustrator templates! Click here to get them sent directly to your inbox! They include the blocks you need to keep your content sharp and consistent. Our social media templates are always free, just sign up and we’ll send them directly to your inbox.
Why we Chose 1080 x 1440
You might notice some templates floating around use 1012 x 1350 or similar ratios. We chose 1080 x 1440 for a few reasons: it offers a touch more vertical space in the feed, it scales beautifully across devices, and it keeps ratios clean and consistent with existing standards. It also aligns well with what we know about Instagram’s display behaviours from sources like Buffer and Your Social Team.
We’re sticking to 1080 x 1440 for all carousel and feed posts going forward—and we recommend you do too. It’s not about chasing trends—it’s about ensuring every post you make looks great, performs well, and enhances your brand identity.
Need help updating your content?
If you’re unsure where to start, or just want to make sure your grid stays sharp, Boom12 can help. Whether it’s a one-off batch of templates or a full content calendar, we’ll get your Instagram working harder for you. The right Instagram post sizes are just the beginning—smart strategy, great design, and consistency bring it all together.
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