Instagram post size
A square Instagram post is 1080 × 1080 pixels, a 1:1 ratio. That is the width Instagram serves at full resolution on a phone, so it is the size to design at — anything smaller gets upscaled and goes soft, anything larger just gets compressed back down.
- Dimensions
- 1080 × 1080 px
- Aspect ratio
- 1:1 (square)
- Minimum width
- 600 px — below this the feed upscales it
- File type
- PNG for flat colour and text, JPEG for photos
- Colour space
- sRGB
Composition
Keep the crop in mind on profile grids
A square post shows in full in the feed, but the profile grid has historically cropped and re-cropped as Instagram changes its layout. Keep anything that must survive — a logo, a face, the punchline of the headline — away from the outer edge rather than bleeding it to the border.
Leave a real margin
Roughly 60–80 px of clear space on each side keeps text off the edge and stops the design reading as cramped when it renders at thumbnail size. Modo's square canvas is 1080 px, so that is about 6–7% per side.
Design for the thumbnail first
Most people meet your post at a fraction of its real size, in a scrolling feed. If the headline is unreadable at 150 px wide, the design is not finished — shrink the preview and check before you export.
Common mistakes
Exporting at screen resolution
Screenshotting a design or exporting at 500 px and letting Instagram scale it up is the single most common cause of a blurry post. Export at 1080 px and let the platform scale down.
Using JPEG for flat graphics
JPEG compression puts visible fringing around hard edges — exactly what a headline on a solid background is made of. Use PNG when the design is type and flat colour; JPEG only when it is mostly photographic.
Designing at a different ratio and cropping later
Cropping a 16:9 image into a square almost always cuts the composition badly. Start on a square canvas so the layout is built for the frame it will live in.
Frequently asked
What size is an Instagram post in 2026?
1080 × 1080 px for a square post, at a 1:1 ratio. Instagram also accepts portrait (4:5) and landscape (1.91:1) images, but square remains the safest default — it renders predictably in the feed and in the profile grid.
Is 1080×1080 still the right size?
Yes. 1080 px is the width Instagram serves at full quality on a phone. Designing larger does not increase the quality that gets displayed; designing smaller means the platform upscales your image and it goes soft.
PNG or JPEG for an Instagram post?
PNG if the design is type, flat colour or sharp edges — it stays crisp. JPEG if the design is mostly a photograph, where the file size saving is worth it and the compression is far less visible.
Can I make a 1080×1080 post for free in Modo?
Yes. The square canvas is a preset on every plan, and exports are full-resolution with no watermark — including on the free plan.