The Complete Guide to 1080 x 1350 (4:5) Aspect Ratio for Instagram, Ads, and Design

This guide explains the 1080 x 1350 (4:5) aspect ratio, why it’s favored across social platforms, and how to design, export, and deploy assets that look consistent everywhere. You’ll find platform specifics, safe-area guidance, export recipes, and workflows for both images and video. If you create for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or the web, these best practices will help you avoid cropping mishaps and quality loss.

The Complete Guide to the 1080 x 1350 (4:5) Aspect Ratio for Instagram, Ads, and Design

The 1080 x 1350 aspect ratio, also known as 4:5, has become a sweet spot for social feeds. If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so common, how platforms crop it, and how to design and export it cleanly, this guide has you covered.

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What 1080 x 1350 Really Means

• Pixels vs ratio
• 1080 x 1350 describes a pixel resolution: 1080 px wide by 1350 px tall.
• The aspect ratio is width:height. Reduce 1080:1350 by dividing both by 270 to get 4:5.
• Why 4:5 matters
• It’s the tallest portrait ratio Instagram’s feed accepts without cropping.
• It maximizes on-screen real estate in feeds, boosting visibility and potentially engagement.
• Where it’s used most
• Instagram feed single images and carousels.
• Facebook feed posts and ads (Meta recommends 1:1 or 4:5).
• LinkedIn feed images (commonly 1200 x 1500 for 4:5).
• Pinterest accepts multiple ratios, but 4:5 is often safe for cross-posting.

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Platform Specifics and Safe Areas

• Instagram feed
• Portrait posts max at 4:5; taller uploads are auto-cropped to 4:5.
• Grid thumbnails are 1:1 center-cropped from your 4:5—avoid placing key elements near the top and bottom extremes.
• Captions live below the media, not over it, but usernames and icons may slightly overlap in some views.
• Instagram carousels
• Carousels require a consistent aspect ratio. The first asset sets the ratio; plan your set at 4:5 if that’s your goal.
• Reels and previews
• Reels are 9:16, but previews in the main feed are auto-cropped to 4:5. Keep critical text within the center 4:5 region if you intend to share to the feed.
• Ads on Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
• Feed placements widely support 4:5.
• Stories and Reels placements require 9:16; 4:5 will be letterboxed or cropped.
• CTA overlays in ads can sit near the bottom; keep text/logos out of the bottom ~120–160 px to be safe.
• LinkedIn
• 4:5 is supported in feed posts; common export is 1200 x 1500.
• Minimal overlays, but leave breathing room at edges for rounded corners and UI.

Safe-area quick tips for 1080 x 1350

• Keep important text and logos within:
• ~90 px from left/right edges.
• ~120 px from top/bottom edges.
• For ads, increase bottom safe margin to ~160 px to avoid CTA overlaps across variants.

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Designing for 4:5: Composition, Text, and CTAs

• Vertical storytelling and hierarchy
• Use the rule of thirds to anchor your focal point slightly above center.
• Stack content top-to-bottom with a clear visual entry point, mid-detail, and CTA.
• Text size and legibility
• Aim for a minimum of 38–44 px for body text at 1080 width.
• Use high contrast and simple backgrounds; add subtle shadow/outline for busy imagery.
• Margin and bleed guidance
• Maintain the safe-area margins above; extend background imagery full-bleed.
• If your design must fill to the edge, ensure redundant space in case of minor platform crops.
• Logo and CTA placement
• Prefer top-left or top-center for logos, just inside the safe area.
• Place CTAs above the bottom safe zone to avoid buttons/overlays.

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Export Best Practices for 1080 x 1350

• Formats
• Photos or general graphics: JPEG (quality 80–90) is a good balance for uploads to social.
• Flat graphics, sharp edges, or text: PNG can preserve detail but yields larger files.
• WebP for websites; most social apps will recompress regardless.
• Color
• Convert to and embed sRGB IEC61966-2.1 to avoid color shifts on mobile and web.
• Avoid display-P3 unless you control the entire surface; social apps may normalize to sRGB.
• Compression and file size
• Target 200–900 KB for JPEGs where possible to minimize heavy platform recompression.
• Avoid double-compressing; export once from the source file.
• Metadata
• Strip nonessential metadata for smaller files; keep ICC profile embedded.

Example export settings (Photoshop-like)

• Format: JPEG, Quality: 82
• Color: sRGB, Embed ICC profile
• Sharpen for Screen: Low
• Progressive: On

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Cropping and Resizing Workflows

Converting other ratios to 4:5 without losing key content:

• From 9:16 (1080 x 1920)
• Center crop to 1080 x 1350 for feed previews while keeping subtitles within the 4:5 window.
• If content spills outside, extend background with blur or solid color bands.
• From 3:4 (e.g., 1080 x 1440)
• Crop 45 px top and bottom, or smart scale to 1350 while protecting faces/subjects.
• From 1:1 (1080 x 1080)
• Extend canvas to 1080 x 1350 and add background extension or gradient; avoid awkward headroom.
• Smart scaling
• Use “Preserve Details 2.0” (Photoshop) or similar for small upscales.
• Consider AI upscalers for low-res assets, then crop to 1080 x 1350.
• Content-aware padding
• Duplicate the photo layer, gaussian blur, and scale to fill the taller canvas behind the main subject.
• Batch production
• Use actions or scripts in Photoshop, or ImageMagick for bulk transforms.

ImageMagick example to center-crop to 1080 x 1350

magick input/*.jpg -gravity center -resize "1080^x1350^" -extent 1080x1350 output/%03d.jpg

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Video at 1080 x 1350

• When to use 4:5
• Feed videos and feed ads on Instagram/Facebook often perform well at 4:5 due to larger feed footprint.
• Subtitles and safe zones
• Put captions inside the central 4:5 safe area with ~90 px side padding and ~160 px bottom padding.
• Use high-contrast text or a semi-opaque background strip.
• Reels/TikTok previews
• Design 9:16 masters with a “safe” overlay for 4:5 center region so previews don’t crop off text.
• Bitrate and codecs
• Codec: H.264 (High profile, Level 4.2) for broad compatibility.
• Bitrate: 6–10 Mbps for 1080 x 1350 at 24–30 fps; 10–14 Mbps if heavy detail/motion.
• Audio: AAC 128–192 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz.
• Container: MP4 (mov acceptable, but mp4 is safer for social).

FFmpeg example

ffmpeg -i input.mov -vf "scale=1080:1350:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1080:1350,format=yuv420p" \
-c:v libx264 -profile:v high -level 4.2 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -b:v 8M -maxrate 10M -bufsize 16M \
-c:a aac -b:a 160k -movflags +faststart output_1080x1350.mp4

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Responsive Web Usage

• CSS aspect ratio and object-fit
• Use aspect-ratio: 4 / 5 to preserve layout while images load.
• object-fit: cover ensures the subject fills the frame without distortion.

Example CSS

.card-media {
  aspect-ratio: 4 / 5;
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 540px; /* optional */
  object-fit: cover;
  display: block;
  border-radius: 12px;
}

• Retina-ready exports
• Provide a 2x asset: 2160 x 2700 for high-density screens.
• Srcset strategy
• Supply multiple widths for responsive loading.

Example HTML

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Choosing Among Common Sizes

Cross-posting and repurposing strategies

• Start from a master 9:16 and plan safe regions for 4:5 and 1:1 crops.
• Build templates with guides for 1:1 (center square), 4:5 (center 1080 x 1350), and 9:16.
• For copy-heavy designs, create dedicated 4:5 variants to maintain legibility.

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Troubleshooting Checklist

Prevent blur and banding

• Avoid heavy upscaling; start from larger sources when possible.
• Add subtle noise (0.5–1%) to large gradients to reduce banding.
• Export at high quality once; don’t re-save JPEGs repeatedly.

Handle platform auto-cropping

• Keep key content in safe zones and test crops in-app before posting.
• For grids, remember the 1:1 center crop for thumbnails.

Color consistency

• Convert to sRGB and embed the profile.
• Avoid device-specific color spaces; soft-proof if you design on wide-gamut displays.

Accessibility

• Provide descriptive alt text when platforms support it.
• Ensure sufficient contrast for text overlays (WCAG AA minimum).
• Use readable font sizes and adequate line spacing.

Pre-post QA steps

• Preview on a physical phone at 100% zoom.
• Check dark mode and light mode backgrounds (especially PNGs with transparency).
• Verify that logos and CTAs aren’t covered by UI or CTA overlays.
• Confirm file size and format meet platform limits.

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Quick Reference: 1080 x 1350 Aspect Ratio Essentials

• Ratio: 4:5 (portrait)
• Best for: Instagram and Facebook feed posts/ads, LinkedIn feed
• Safe margins: ~90 px sides, ~120 px top/bottom (increase bottom to ~160 px for ads)
• Exports: JPEG Q80–90, sRGB, 200–900 KB target
• Video: H.264, 6–10 Mbps at 1080 x 1350, AAC 128–192 kbps
• Web: Use aspect-ratio CSS, object-fit: cover, and provide 2x (2160 x 2700) in srcset

Summary

Designing with the 1080 x 1350 aspect ratio gives you powerful, feed-first visibility without sacrificing quality. With thoughtful composition, careful exports, and a robust workflow, your posts, ads, and web images will look crisp and consistent everywhere they appear. Plan safe areas, pick the right formats, and test across platforms to ensure reliable results from creation to publication.