Instagram Portrait (4:5)
Vertical format that maximizes screen presence. Ideal for fashion, portraits, and products that benefit from a taller frame.
Instagram portrait posts (4:5 aspect ratio) offer a compelling middle ground between square and story formats. They occupy significantly more screen real estate than traditional square posts—approximately 30% more—making them harder to scroll past and more engaging for mobile users. This format is particularly effective for fashion brands, lifestyle content, and products with vertical orientation. While square posts remain the most versatile, portrait posts can give your feed a modern, editorial look and boost engagement metrics.
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Supports JPG, PNG
Technical Requirements
| Minimum Dimensions | 320 x 400 px |
|---|---|
| Recommended Size | 1080 x 1350 px |
| Aspect Ratio | 0.8:1 |
| Max File Size | 30 MB |
| File Type | jpeg, png |
| Background | No strict requirement |
Visual Guidelines
Do's
- Use 1080x1350px for optimal quality
- Perfect for fashion and full-body shots
- Takes up more screen space than square posts
- Ideal for products with vertical orientation
- Maintains consistency when mixed with square posts
- Great for showcasing height and scale
- Works well for lifestyle and action shots
- Ensures better mobile engagement
Don'ts
- Don't exceed 1080px width (will be downscaled)
- Avoid using extremely tall ratios (over 4:5)
- Don't place critical elements near top/bottom edges
- Avoid mixing too many aspect ratios in a grid
- Don't use horizontal images (will be cropped heavily)
- Avoid small text that gets lost on mobile
- Don't forget about thumbnail preview visibility
Best Practices
- 1Leverage the Extra Height: Use the additional vertical space to show full-body fashion, vertical product arrangements, or scale. Portrait format is perfect for storytelling that requires a taller canvas.
- 2Maintain 1080px Width: Always use 1080px width. Instagram will downscale anything larger. Set height to 1350px for the perfect 4:5 ratio without quality loss.
- 3Center Important Elements: While portrait posts have more room, keep text, logos, and key product features centered. Avoid placing critical content too close to the edges.
- 4Mix Strategically with Squares: Portrait posts can create visual interest in a grid of square posts. Plan your grid layout to ensure alternating sizes don't look messy.
- 5Optimize for Mobile First: Design for how the post appears in the mobile feed. The larger size means more impact—use high-quality images and compelling subjects.
- 6Use for Full-Body Fashion: Portrait format is ideal for showing head-to-toe outfits, fashion on models, or clothing hung vertically. It provides context that square crops might miss.
- 7Test Engagement: Run A/B tests comparing portrait vs. square posts. Many brands find portrait posts achieve higher engagement, but results vary by audience and industry.
Common Issues
Image looks cropped or has white bars
You're using the wrong aspect ratio. Ensure your image is exactly 4:5 (1080x1350px). Instagram will crop or add padding to images that don't match supported ratios.
Grid looks inconsistent or messy
Mixing portrait and square posts can create visual chaos. Plan your grid carefully—consider using every third post as portrait, or committing to all portrait posts for a cohesive look.
Subject appears too small in the frame
Portrait format has more space, but don't leave too much empty room. Ensure your subject fills at least 70% of the frame for impact at small sizes.
Quality loss after upload
Upload at exactly 1080x1350px with high JPEG quality (80-100%). Larger images will be downscaled and compressed, leading to quality degradation.
Low engagement compared to square posts
While portrait posts often perform well, they may not suit all content types. Test with your specific audience. Ensure images are high quality and subjects are centered and compelling.
Text hard to read in thumbnail view
Portrait posts appear smaller in grid thumbnails. Use larger text sizes and ensure high contrast. Test your post at small sizes to ensure readability.
Related Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.What's the ideal size for Instagram portrait posts?
The recommended size is 1080x1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio). This format takes up more screen real estate than square posts and is particularly effective for fashion, portraits, and vertical product photography.
Q.Why should I use portrait instead of square format?
Portrait posts (4:5) occupy approximately 30% more screen space than square posts on mobile devices. This larger presence can lead to higher engagement rates and better visibility in the feed.
Q.Can I use a different aspect ratio for portrait posts?
Instagram allows ratios between 1.91:1 (landscape) and 4:5 (portrait). The 4:5 ratio is the tallest recommended format. Taller images may be cropped or lose quality. Stick to 4:5 for best results.
Q.Will portrait posts look good in my Instagram grid?
Yes, 4:5 portrait posts mix well with square posts. However, for a perfectly uniform grid, consider using all square posts or all portrait posts. Mixed grids can work if planned carefully.
Q.What type of content works best in portrait format?
Fashion photography, full-body portraits, vertical products (like bottles, clothing on hangers), lifestyle shots, and any content where showing height or vertical detail is important.
Q.Do portrait posts perform better than square posts?
Many brands report 10-30% higher engagement on portrait posts due to their larger screen presence. However, this varies by industry and audience. Test both formats to see what works for your account.