Resize image for Instagram posts, stories and reels covers
A landscape photo gets its sides chopped off in the feed, a story crops the top of someone's head and text ends up behind the reply bar. This prompt has your todo.is agent resize and crop your images to each Instagram format, keep the important part in frame, and extend the background instead of cutting when a photo is too narrow.
The prompt
- Resize the [NUMBER] attached images for Instagram. Make these versions of each: [FORMATS]. Keep [KEEP IN FRAME] fully in the frame. If a photo does not fit a format, [FIT METHOD] rather than cutting off the subject. For stories, keep text and faces out of the top and bottom 250 px. Save as high-quality sRGB JPGs, named like the original plus the format, and list any photo where the crop lost something important.
What to change
- [NUMBER]: E.g. "6". Attach the original photos, not screenshots.
- [FORMATS]: E.g. "feed portrait 1080 x 1350, square 1080 x 1080, story 1080 x 1920". Or "all common Instagram sizes".
- [KEEP IN FRAME]: E.g. "the people and the product", "the whole cake", "the text on the poster".
- [FIT METHOD]: E.g. "extend the background naturally", "add a blurred version of the photo behind it", "add plain white bars".
Example result
- Instagram sizes: restaurant terrace photos
- 6 photos (mix of landscape and portrait) · feed portrait, square and story for each · keep the plates and the people in frame
- Files delivered (18)
- • beach_dinner_1080x1350.jpg, beach_dinner_1080x1080.jpg, beach_dinner_1080x1920.jpg and the same three for each of the other photos
- • All sRGB JPGs at high quality, which Instagram handles best
- What was done
- • Landscape photos cropped to 4:5 around the table, keeping both diners
- • Two photos were too wide for 9:16: the sky and terrace floor were extended above and below instead of cutting off the plates
- • Story versions keep faces and dishes between 250 px from the top and 250 px from the bottom, away from the profile bar and reply box
- • The tall dessert photo was already close to 4:5, so only a slight crop was needed
- Check these
- • terrace_wide_1080x1080.jpg: the waiter on the far right is cut in half in the square; use the 4:5 version for this one
- Instagram image sizes
- • Feed portrait (4:5): 1080 x 1350 px. Takes up the most space in the feed
- • Feed square (1:1): 1080 x 1080 px
- • Feed landscape (1.91:1): 1080 x 566 px. Shows smallest, use only when needed
- • Stories and reels (9:16): 1080 x 1920 px
- • Profile picture: shown as a small circle; upload at least 320 x 320 px with the face centred
- • The profile grid now previews posts taller than square, so keep the subject near the centre. Instagram changes its layouts, so check the current sizes in its help pages
- Upload tips
- • Upload the 1080 px files directly; Instagram recompresses anything bigger
- • For a carousel, use the same ratio for every slide, as Instagram crops all slides to the first one's shape
How to do it with todo.is
- Attach the original photos in todo.is (not screenshots or WhatsApp copies).
- Copy the prompt, choose the formats, what must stay in frame and how to fill gaps.
- Download the resized JPGs, named by format, and upload them to Instagram yourself.
- For a regular posting routine, ask your agent to resize every new batch you send it the same way.
Tips for a better result
- Use 4:5 portrait for feed posts. It fills more of the screen than square or landscape.
- A carousel is cropped to the shape of its first slide, so make every slide the same ratio.
- Extending the background looks better than white bars for photos; white bars suit artwork and quotes.
- Ask for a matching caption and hashtags in the same to-do if you want the post ready in one go.
resize image for Instagram: FAQ
- What is the best image size for Instagram? 1080 x 1350 px (4:5) for feed posts and 1080 x 1920 px (9:16) for stories and reels. Instagram updates layouts from time to time, so check its help pages.
- How do I post a full photo on Instagram without cropping? Fit the photo inside the 4:5 frame and fill the gaps with an extended or blurred background, or with plain bars.
- Why does Instagram make my photos blurry? It compresses large or unusual images. Uploading sRGB JPGs at exactly 1080 px wide keeps them sharper.
- Can it resize videos for Instagram too? Yes, with a separate to-do: attach the video and ask for 9:16 or 4:5, and it crops and converts it with ffmpeg.
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