Most people still think Instagram is all about the square (1:1) photo. They are wrong. The smartest creators use the 1080×1350 Portrait format.
Why? It comes down to screen real estate. A 1080×1350 image is significantly taller than a square, meaning it takes up roughly 30% more vertical space on a user’s phone. When your post is taller, it physically pushes your competitors’ content off the screen, holding the user’s attention longer.
The Official Specs
- Dimensions: 1080 pixels (width) by 1350 pixels (height).
- Aspect Ratio: 4:5 (Vertical).
- File Type: JPG or PNG.
The “Crop” Danger
There is one catch: While the 1080×1350 image looks amazing in the Home Feed, Instagram still crops it to a square in your Profile Grid.
Pro Tip: Ensure that the most important part of your image (like your face or the headline) is within the “Center Square.” If you put text at the very top or very bottom, it will be visible in the feed but chopped off when someone looks at your profile gallery.
Why 1080×1350?
It is simple math. More pixels on the screen equals more attention. If you are still posting 1080×1080 squares, you are voluntarily giving up valuable advertising space.