IG Carousel Size: The 2025 Guide to Dimensions, Ratios, and Pixel-Perfect Posts

IG Carousel Size: The 2025 Guide to Dimensions, Ratios, and Pixel-Perfect Posts

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If you care about reach and retention on Instagram, mastering IG carousel size is one of the highest‑leverage skills you can build. In 2025, carousels still outperform single‑image posts on average because they earn extra swipes, extend dwell time, and give you more room to tell a story—without asking users to leave the feed.

Why IG carousel size matters

• Feed real estate: Taller posts (4:5 portrait) fill more of the screen, slowing the scroll and increasing attention.
• Swipe-through engagement: Each additional slide is another chance to hook, teach, or entertain—boosting completion and save rates.
• Perceived quality: Crisp text, clean edges, and consistent crops signal professionalism. Sloppy sizing gets punished by compression and awkward crops.
• Performance edge: Multiple “impressions” from the same user (returning to swipe later) can compound engagement.

The essential specs at a glance

As of 2025, Instagram carousels support 2–10 slides. The first slide’s aspect ratio locks the crop for the entire carousel—mixing ratios isn’t supported, so plan ahead.

Notes

• Uploading larger than 1080 px wide is accepted, but Instagram will downscale. Design at target resolution to control the result.
• Keep all slides at the same ratio as slide 1.

Picking the best ratio for your goal

• 4:5 portrait (1080×1350): Choose this for maximum screen coverage and attention in the main feed. Ideal for tutorials, step‑by‑steps, and storytelling where each swipe matters. In your profile grid, the top and bottom are cropped; ensure titles/logos sit within the central square.
• 1:1 square (1080×1080): The safest all‑purpose option. It renders identically in feed and grid, and your templates port easily to Stories/Reels cover crops. Great for brand tiles, quotes, and product features.
• 1.91:1 landscape (1080×566): Use for cinematic frames, wide charts, or multi‑slide panoramas. Be mindful: in the grid, the sides get cropped to a square, so keep subjects centered.

Pro tip: If your grid aesthetic is critical, design your first slide to read clearly as a square tile—this is your “cover” across feed and profile.

Photo and video specifics for carousels

Images

• Format: JPEG (quality 80–90) or PNG for flat graphics/line art.
• Color: sRGB IEC61966-2.1. Convert before export to avoid color shifts on upload.
• Sharpening: Light output sharpening tailored to screen; avoid halos. Consider a tiny dose of noise/dither to combat banding in gradients.

Videos

• Container/Codec: MP4 (H.264) video + AAC audio.
• Frame rate: 24–30 fps. Keep consistent across slides for smooth viewing.
• Resolution: Match the carousel ratio (e.g., 1080×1350 for 4:5).
• Bitrate (target):
• 4:5 1080×1350: ~8–12 Mbps
• 1:1 1080×1080: ~6–8 Mbps
• 1.91:1 1080×566: ~4–6 Mbps
• Audio: AAC 128–192 kbps, 44.1 or 48 kHz.
• Duration per slide: Commonly up to ~60 seconds per video card (may vary by account/region and can change). Keep all slides in the same aspect ratio.

Example ffmpeg command

Simple ffmpeg command to prepare a 4:5 video slide:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1080:-2,setsar=1" -r 30 \
-c:v libx264 -profile:v high -pix_fmt yuv420p -b:v 10M -maxrate 12M -bufsize 20M \
-c:a aac -b:a 160k -movflags +faststart output_1080x1350.mp4

Designing for safe areas and previews

Instagram shows different crops in different contexts. Protect your message with conservative margins.

• Grid-safe center: Regardless of ratio, the profile grid uses a 1:1 crop centered on your slide. For 4:5, keep titles, faces, and logos inside the central 1080×1080 square. For extra safety, constrain key text to a ~950×950 centered area.
• Feed UI overlays: Usernames, buttons, and captions can overlay top/bottom edges. Avoid placing crucial text within ~90–120 px of the top or bottom on a 1080×1350 canvas. Device UIs vary—test on both iOS and Android.
• Edge padding: Keep essential elements at least 40–60 px from left/right edges to reduce accidental crops and compression artifacts on sharp edges.
• Typographic resilience: Use a minimum text size equivalent to 34–40 px at 1080‑wide canvases for primary labels; add a subtle stroke or shadow to thin type.

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Creating seamless multi-slide panoramas

Panoramas are a swipe magnet when executed cleanly.

Plan your canvas

• Width = 1080 × number_of_slides
• Height =
• 1080 for 1:1
• 1350 for 4:5
• 566 for 1.91:1

Examples

• Three‑panel portrait panorama (4:5): 3240 × 1350
• Five‑panel square panorama (1:1): 5400 × 1080

Workflow

1. Design across a single master canvas with vertical guides every 1080 px.
2. Keep critical elements away from the “gutters” (the 1080‑px slice boundaries) unless you want a deliberate split.
3. Align horizon lines and shapes precisely across boundaries for a seamless swipe.
4. Slice/export each 1080‑px panel in order, naming them 01–10 to preserve sequence.
5. Test the swipe in a mockup or by creating a private draft before publishing.

Mixed-media carousels that look cohesive

• Match color grades: Apply the same LUT or grading preset across photos and videos.
• Unify framing: Keep subject scale consistent slide to slide; avoid jarring zoom jumps.
• Audio continuity: If multiple video slides contain audio, normalize loudness and avoid abrupt music cuts.
• Choose a square-friendly cover: Ensure slide 1 reads at a glance in the grid; consider a clean title, strong focal point, and ample padding.
• Typography consistency: One hierarchy (H1/H2/body), one or two typefaces, repeatable placements.

Pro export workflows in Figma, Canva, and Photoshop

Figma

• Create frames at 1080×1350 (4:5) and 1080×1080 (1:1). Use Auto Layout for consistent gutters.
• Build reusable components for headers, footers, and pagination counters.
• Export PNG or JPEG at 1×; convert to sRGB if you imported P3 assets.

Canva

• Start with a custom 1080×1350 or 1080×1080 canvas.
• Use brand kits for colors/type. Export JPEG quality ~80–90.
• Avoid overusing heavy textures; they can trigger compression artifacts.

Photoshop

• Work in sRGB. For vector shapes/text, keep them as smart objects until export.
• File > Export > Export As… JPEG quality 80–90; check “Convert to sRGB.”
• For gradients, add a 1–2% noise layer set to Overlay to reduce banding.

Important: DPI does not matter for screens. IG only cares about pixel dimensions and color profile (use sRGB).

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Mismatched ratios across slides: Fix by resizing/cropping assets to match slide 1’s ratio before export.
• Inconsistent resolutions: Ensure every slide is exactly 1080 px wide; mix‑and‑match sizes trigger resampling and softness.
• Heavy compression/banding: Export at higher quality, keep smooth gradients subtle, and add light dither/noise.
• Illegible thin text: Increase weight/size; add a 1–2 px stroke or shadow; raise contrast against the background.
• Forgetting grid-safe crops: Preview the centered 1:1 crop; move key elements into the center square.
• Neglecting alt text: Add descriptive alt text for accessibility and potential discoverability benefits.
• Overbusy first slide: Keep slide 1 clean with a clear promise; it dictates the crop and first impression.

Future-proofing in 2025

Instagram iterates frequently. Stay agile:

• Track updates: Recheck official help docs and creator updates quarterly for changes to length, codecs, or ratios.
• Test on devices: Preview on both iOS and Android, small and large screens. Share a draft with a teammate for sanity checks.
• Version your masters: Keep editable source files (Figma/PSD) with clear naming (Project_Carousel_2025‑04_v03.fig) for fast updates.
• Keep headroom: Don’t design to the absolute margins; allow padding for UI changes.

Pre‑publish checklist

• Ratio and size verified (e.g., 1080×1350 for all 4:5 slides).
• First slide cover reads as a square in the grid.
• Text and faces sit inside center‑safe zone; no critical content under UI overlays.
• Images exported sRGB; videos encoded H.264 + AAC, target bitrate set.
• File sizes reasonable for mobile upload; playback tested end‑to‑end.
• Alt text written for each slide; captions and hashtags finalized.

Summary

Dialing in IG carousel size is about consistency: pick one aspect ratio, design to safe areas, and export with screen-first settings. Follow the specs above for images and videos, keep your cover slide grid-friendly, and test before posting. Do this well, and your carousels will look sharper, read clearer, and earn more swipes.