9:16 in Pixels: Exact Dimensions, Conversion Tips, and Social Media Best Practices

Whether you’re designing vertical video or repurposing horizontal footage for mobile, knowing the exact pixel dimensions behind the 9:16 aspect ratio saves time and prevents quality loss. This guide explains what 9:16 means in pixels, how to convert cleanly, and how to export for the best results on major social platforms. You’ll also find safe-area references, compression tips, and practical settings that keep your content sharp and legible on phones.

9:16 in Pixels: Exact Dimensions, Conversion Tips, and Social Media Best Practices

If you create vertical content, you’ve bumped into the question: what is 9:16 in pixels? The short answer is that 9:16 describes a vertical aspect ratio (width:height) where the height is almost twice the width. It’s the mobile-first orientation that dominates TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

9:16 vs 16:9 (landscape)

• 9:16 is portrait (tall), optimized for phones held upright.
• 16:9 is landscape (wide), standard for TVs, laptop screens, and most traditional video.
• A 9:16 frame rotated 90° becomes 16:9 and vice versa.

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Popular 9:16 Pixel Dimensions

These are the most common 9:16 resolutions used today, from bandwidth-friendly to ultra-sharp. All are exact 9:16 in pixels.

Why 1080×1920 is the go-to:

• Universally accepted by major social apps.
• Sharp enough on most modern phones.
• Reasonable file sizes and upload times.
• Easy to edit on consumer hardware.

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Converting to 9:16: Formulas and Rounding

Aspect ratio describes proportional width to height. For 9:16:

• Given width (W), height H = W × 16/9
• Given height (H), width W = H × 9/16

Always round to even integers to keep clean pixel grids and avoid compression artifacts. Multiples of 2 or 4 are friendly to modern encoders.

Example calculations:

• Width 1080 → Height = 1080 × 16/9 = 1920 (already even)
• Height 2560 → Width = 2560 × 9/16 = 1440

Quick helper in Python:

def round_even(x):
    r = int(round(x))
    return r if r % 2 == 0 else r + 1

def h_from_w(width):
    return round_even(width * 16/9)

def w_from_h(height):
    return round_even(height * 9/16)

print(h_from_w(1080))  # 1920
print(w_from_h(2560))  # 1440

Tip: If your source isn’t 9:16 (e.g., 16:9 or 4:5), decide whether to crop, scale, or smart-reframe; don’t stretch.

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Platform-Specific Guidance (9:16 Defaults)

Bottom line: 1080×1920 is the most compatible baseline for 9:16 in pixels across social apps.

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Safe Areas and UI Overlays

App UI controls, captions, and buttons can obscure the edges of your frame. Preserve clear space so text and logos don’t get covered.

General guidance:

• Top and bottom safety: keep critical content away from the outer 10–15% of the height.
• Side safety: keep text/logos 5% from each side.
• Center faces and key actions in the middle third.

At 1080×1920:

• 10% of height ≈ 192 px; 15% ≈ 288 px. Keep titles/logos above 192–288 px from bottom and below the top by the same amount.
• 5% of width ≈ 54 px margin on left and right.

Reference safe margins at common sizes:

Also consider feed previews:

• Instagram grid previews may crop to 4:5 or 1:1. Keep a centered composition so the preview still makes sense.

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Export Settings That Preserve Quality

Recommended containers and codecs:

• Video:
• Container: MP4 (widely supported), MOV (editing), MKV (mastering)
• Codecs: H.264/AVC (best compatibility), HEVC/H.265 (smaller files, newer devices), VP9/AV1 (web-first, platform-dependent)
• Images:
• JPEG for photos (quality 80–90)
• PNG for graphics/line art (lossless)
• WebP for web delivery (great compression/quality balance)

Bitrate guidelines for 1080×1920 vertical video:

• H.264: 8–12 Mbps for general content; 12–16 Mbps for high motion
• HEVC: 5–10 Mbps typically matches H.264 quality at lower bitrates
• Audio: AAC 128–192 kbps stereo, 44.1 or 48 kHz

Color profile tips:

• Work in sRGB/Rec.709, gamma ~2.2, 8-bit 4:2:0 for broad compatibility.
• Avoid HDR unless the platform and audience devices are HDR-capable; SDR is the safe default.
• Ensure pixel format yuv420p for widest playback support.

Example FFmpeg exports:

H.264, 1080×1920, keep aspect and pad if needed:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=1080:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,\
pad=1080:1920:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2:black" \
  -r 30 -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow -profile:v high -level 4.1 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 192k output_1080x1920.mp4

HEVC smaller files:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=1080:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,\
pad=1080:1920:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2:black" \
  -r 30 -c:v libx265 -crf 22 -preset slow -tag:v hvc1 \
  -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 160k output_1080x1920_hevc.mp4

Note: Platforms will recompress; upload the highest clean master you can.

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Editing and Resizing Without Black Bars

Set your project to 9:16 from the start:

• Sequence/timeline size: 1080×1920 (or your chosen 9:16 resolution)
• Frame rate: match source (24/25/30/60)

To adapt horizontal footage:

• Scale and crop: Fill the frame by scaling up and cropping excess width. Keep subjects centered.
• Intelligent reframing: Use Auto Reframe (Premiere Pro), Smart Reframe (Final Cut), or Smart Reframe/Sizing (DaVinci Resolve) to track subjects and recompose.
• Avoid letterboxing/pillarboxing: If you see black bars, your timeline or export is not set to 9:16 or you’re padding unnecessarily.
• For overlays and captions, use safe guides and test with platform overlays.

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Pixels vs. DPI/PPI: What Actually Matters

• Aspect ratio (9:16) is independent of DPI/PPI. DPI/PPI affects print or display density, not the pixel dimensions you upload.
• On phones, perceived sharpness depends on device pixel density (e.g., 400–500+ ppi screens). You can’t control this per viewer—supply clean pixels.
• Choose resolution based on platform and performance:
• 1080×1920: best all-around
• 720×1280: low bandwidth, stories with simple graphics
• 1440×2560 or 2160×3840: mastering/future-proofing; will often be downscaled in-app

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Design and Accessibility Tips for Vertical Content

Readable typography:

• Use large, mobile-first text sizes. As a rule of thumb: 36–60 px for headings, 28–36 px for body on 1080×1920.
• Limit line length to ~30–40 characters for captions.

Contrast and color:

• Maintain strong contrast (aim for WCAG-friendly palettes).
• Avoid neon-on-white or low-contrast thin strokes.

Captions and audio:

• Add burned-in captions or proper subtitle tracks; many viewers watch muted.
• Use consistent placement within safe areas.

Brand-safe margins:

• Keep logos clear of edges (see safe-area table).
• Use consistent spacing scales (e.g., 8 px increments) to stay grid-aligned.

Compression strategy:

• For H.264, aim CRF 16–20 (visually lossless to high quality).
• For images, test JPEG quality between 80–90 and consider WebP for web embeds.
• Avoid double-compressing: export one clean master, then let the platform transcode.

Test on real devices:

• Preview on a couple of phones with different screen sizes and brightness.
• Check for UI conflicts: captions, buttons, and progress bars.

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Quick Recap

• 9:16 in pixels simply means width:height where height is 16/9 of the width (e.g., 1080×1920).
• Use 1080×1920 as a reliable baseline; 720×1280 for lightweight, 1440×2560 or 2160×3840 for mastering.
• Convert with H = W × 16/9 or W = H × 9/16 and round to even integers.
• Keep content within safe areas to avoid platform UI overlays.
• Export as MP4 with H.264 (or HEVC), appropriate bitrates, and Rec.709/sRGB color.
• Set your timeline to 9:16, use intelligent reframing, and avoid black bars.
• DPI/PPI doesn’t change the aspect ratio; choose resolution based on delivery and performance.
• Prioritize legibility, contrast, captions, and smart compression for the best mobile experience.

Summary

9:16 is the vertical standard for mobile-first video, with 1080×1920 as the most compatible resolution across platforms. Use clean 9:16 timelines, round conversions to even integers, respect safe areas, and export with widely supported codecs to preserve sharpness and readability on phones. Following these practical settings and checks ensures your vertical content looks polished everywhere it’s published.