4:5 Resolution Explained: Pixel Sizes, Use Cases, and How to Export Perfect 4:5 Images

4:5 Resolution Explained: Pixel Sizes, Use Cases, and How to Export Perfect 4:5 Images

If you create for Instagram, design mobile-first layouts, or print classic 8×10 portraits, you run into the 4:5 resolution a lot. But “4:5” is not a fixed pixel size—it’s an aspect ratio. This guide demystifies 4:5 with practical math, export settings, and composition tips so your images look razor-sharp everywhere.

What 4:5 Really Means

Aspect ratio vs. pixel dimensions:

• Aspect ratio describes shape, not size. 4:5 means width:height = 4:5.
• Any pixel dimensions that reduce to 4:5—like 1080×1350 or 4000×5000—are valid 4:5.
• Portrait orientation: 4:5 is taller than it is wide, ideal for vertical content without being as tall as 9:16.

How 4:5 compares to other common ratios:

• 1:1 (square): Stable in grids but less vertical space on mobile.
• 3:2 (full-frame DSLR native): Wider; needs cropping for portrait feeds and certain print sizes.
• 4:3 (micro four-thirds, many phones): A bit taller than 3:2 but still wider than 4:5.
• 9:16 (stories, reels): Full-screen vertical; much taller than 4:5.

Why Choose 4:5

Best use cases:

• Instagram portrait posts and ads: 4:5 maximizes on-screen real estate without clipping.
• Mobile-first design modules: Cards, product features, and UI blocks where you want prominence but not a towering 9:16.
• Photography cropping: Clean, classic portrait look; suits headshots and editorial fashion.
• Editorial layouts: 8×10 print equivalence simplifies page planning and gallery prints.

Benefits:

• Strong feed presence without feeling cramped like 1:1 or exaggerated like 9:16.
• Easy print-to-digital harmony (8×10, 16×20, 24×30 inches are all 4:5).

Common 4:5 Pixel Sizes Cheat Sheet

When to pick each:

• For IG-only workflows: Export at 1080×1350 or 2160×2700 then downscale to 1080×1350 to improve detail.
• For mixed platforms: 2048×2560 is a solid “one-size-fits-most” master.
• For print and digital: 2400×3000 balances both worlds.

Print Equivalence and DPI

4:5 maps directly to classic print sizes:

• 8×10 in (4:5)
• 16×20 in (4:5)
• 24×30 in (4:5)

How to compute pixels from inches:

• Pixels = inches × PPI (often called DPI in print contexts).
• 300 PPI for high-quality prints; 150 PPI for large posters viewed at distance.

Tip: Design once at the largest print size you need (e.g., 7200×9000), then downsample for smaller prints and web.

Math Made Simple

Conversions you’ll actually use:

• height = width × 5/4
• width = height × 4/5

Avoid fractional pixels:

• Choose widths divisible by 4 to get whole-number heights.
• Choose heights divisible by 5 to get whole-number widths.
• Round to the nearest even number when you must round to preserve sampling symmetry.

Reduce to simplest ratio:

• Divide both sides by their greatest common divisor (GCD). For example, 3200×4000 → divide by 800 → 4×5.

Safe-area considerations:

• Keep critical content within a central 90% rectangle (5% margin on each edge).
• For IG captions and UI overlays, add a slightly larger bottom margin (e.g., 7–10%) to avoid edge collisions.

Quick calculator snippets:

// Convert a width to 4:5 height (rounded to nearest even integer)
function heightFromWidth(w) {
  return Math.round((w * 5 / 4) / 2) * 2;
}

// Convert a height to 4:5 width (rounded to nearest even integer)
function widthFromHeight(h) {
  return Math.round((h * 4 / 5) / 2) * 2;
}

/* Maintain 4:5 block in modern browsers */
.figure-4x5 {
  aspect-ratio: 4 / 5;
  width: 100%;
  object-fit: cover; /* for images */
}

Workflow Tips in Popular Tools

Photoshop

• Crop: Select Crop Tool → Ratio → enter 4 and 5 (unlinked from pixels).
• Export for Web:
• File → Export → Export As → JPEG (photos) or PNG (graphics).
• Resize to 1080×1350 (IG) or your target.
• Convert to sRGB, Embed Color Profile.
• Quality 75–85 for balance; Bicubic Sharper for reduction.

Lightroom Classic / Lightroom

• Crop: Develop Module → Crop Overlay → Aspect → 4×5/8×10.
• Export:
• Resize to Fit: Long Edge = 1350 px for IG portrait, or width/height exact values.
• Sharpen For: Screen → Standard.
• File Settings: JPEG, Quality 80, Color Space sRGB.

Canva

• Create a design → Custom size → 1080×1350 px.
• Export:
• JPEG (photos) with Quality ~80–90, or PNG (logos/UI).
• “Compress file” optional for uploads; keep under a few MB.

Figma

• Frame: 1080×1350 for 1×; duplicate and export @2x (2160×2700) when needed.
• Export:
• JPG at 80% for photos, PNG for flat graphics or transparency.
• Use an sRGB-safe palette; Figma exports sRGB by default.

Mobile Editors (Lightroom Mobile, Snapseed, VSCO)

• Crop to 4:5 aspect.
• Export at exact pixels when possible (e.g., 1080×1350).
• Enable “Sharpen” lightly after resizing to counter platform compression.

Maintaining sharpness with resampling:

• Downscale once, not in multiple steps.
• Use high-quality algorithms (Bicubic Sharper, Lanczos).
• Add subtle output sharpening after downsizing (amount 0.3–0.5 radius in PS as a starting point).

Instagram-Specific Guidance

• Aspect ratio: Portrait posts at 4:5 (width:height).
• Recommended size: 1080×1350 px displayed in feed.
• Upload strategy:
• Export exactly 1080×1350 to avoid unpredictable server resampling, or export 2× (2160×2700) and let Instagram downsample—test which looks cleaner for your content.
• Avoid unintended cropping:
• Set the crop correctly before upload; don’t rely on IG’s in-app crop for precision.
• Keep important text away from edges; IG’s UI can overlay corners.
• Compression:
• Save JPEG at 76–85 quality; avoid heavy noise or banding-prone gradients.
• Slight output sharpening helps retain detail after IG recompression.
• Color management:
• Convert to sRGB and embed the profile.
• Avoid CMYK or wide-gamut exports (Display P3, Adobe RGB) for IG.
• File formats:
• JPEG for photographs.
• PNG for graphics/text, but watch file size; IG may convert/compress.
• File size ceiling:
• Keep under ~8–10 MB to speed upload; IG re-encodes regardless.

Composition and Design Best Practices for 4:5

• Embrace vertical storylines: Use leading lines that guide the eye top-to-bottom.
• Portrait framing: 4:5 flatters head-and-shoulders shots; leave breathing room above the head and below the chin.
• Text-safe zones: Keep titles and key CTAs within the central 80–90% area; add extra bottom padding for captions/UI.
• Margin strategy:
• Balanced margins feel premium; test 4–6% inner padding for graphics.
• For carousels, align elements to consistent margins across slides.
• Avoid edge cuts:
• Don’t place faces or logos within 24–40 px of the edges at 1080×1350 scale.
• Check how the post previews in grid and full view.

Troubleshooting and Pitfalls

Letterboxing vs. true 4:5:

• Don’t slap black/white bars onto other ratios to “fake” 4:5; you lose real estate and can trigger extra compression.
• Properly crop or extend the canvas with content-aware fill or subtle background extension.

Stretching artifacts:

• Never non-uniformly scale to force an image into 4:5; it distorts faces and shapes. Crop instead.

Upscaling quality limits:

• If the source is smaller than your target, upscaling can blur detail.
• Use high-quality upscaling (e.g., Preserve Details 2.0 in PS) and apply modest sharpening; avoid >2× upscales when possible.

Retina/2× exports for UI:

• For UI or web modules, export both 1× and 2×:
• 1×: 600×750
• 2×: 1200×1500
• In CSS, serve appropriate sizes via srcset to reduce blur on HiDPI screens.

Handling mixed-ratio grids:

• Keep a consistent baseline: decide whether the grid supports 4:5, 1:1, or mixed—but avoid random switching.
• For IG carousels, keep all slides the same ratio; mixing 4:5 and 1:1 can crop unpredictably.

Bandwidth and performance:

• For web, compress images with modern codecs when supported (e.g., WebP, AVIF) while preserving 4:5.
• Provide fallbacks (JPEG) and use responsive sizes (srcset, sizes) to avoid overserving.

Quick Reference: Turn Anything Into 4:5

• Know which side is fixed:
• If width is set, compute height = width × 1.25.
• If height is set, compute width = height × 0.8.
• Choose friendly numbers:
• Multiples of 4 for widths, multiples of 5 for heights.
• Save master files bigger than your final need (e.g., 2400×3000) to allow safe downscaling.

Final Take

4:5 isn’t a single resolution—it’s a flexible, portrait-friendly shape that shines on mobile screens and translates perfectly to classic print sizes. Pick a pixel size suited to your destination, export in sRGB with careful resampling, and design with generous safe areas. Do that, and your 4:5 images will look clean, consistent, and compelling everywhere.