Facebook cover photos are the large header images that appear at the top of Facebook profiles and pages. When designing a Facebook cover photo, it’s important to understand the different size requirements to ensure the cover photo looks good across different devices and screen resolutions.
The size of a Facebook cover photo depends on the device it is being viewed on. Facebook provides recommended dimensions for desktop and mobile displays. However, cover photos are responsive, meaning the image will automatically resize and reposition itself as the screen size changes.
In this article, we’ll break down the optimal cover photo sizes and dimensions for desktop and mobile, as well as tips for creating a high-quality cover that works seamlessly across all devices.
Desktop Cover Photo Size
For desktop displays, Facebook recommends using an image that is 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall. This results in a cover photo with an aspect ratio of 2.63:1.
Here are the key desktop Facebook cover size requirements:
| Width | 820 pixels |
| Height | 312 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 2.63:1 |
Anything wider than 820 pixels will be automatically cropped, while images less than 820 pixels wide will be stretched to fit. The 312 pixel height cannot be exceeded or the image will be cut off.
It’s important to note that desktop news feed displays are more narrow, topping out at 640 pixels wide. So any essential elements in the cover photo should be designed to fit within a 640 pixel width.
Design Tips for Desktop
Here are some tips for designing your desktop cover photo:
– Use high resolution images, aiming for at least 720p or 1080p quality. This will ensure crisp image display across screens.
– Place any important text or focal points within the left 640 pixels to account for news feed cropping.
– Double check that the final cover is 820 x 312 pixels to avoid unwanted cropping or distortion.
– Add a minor color overlay to text or logos to increase visibility against varying background colors.
– Include minor transparency gradients on solid colors to improve blending with the user profile image.
Mobile Cover Photo Size
On mobile devices, Facebook displays a smaller version of the cover image. The mobile cover size is:
| Width | 640 pixels |
| Height | 360 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
The mobile cover photo will be centered and automatically cropped from the full desktop version. Any parts of the image outside 640 x 360 will not be visible on mobile.
Design Tips for Mobile
Here are some recommendations for optimizing the mobile cover photo:
– Place the most important visual elements close to the center of the overall desktop cover, within a 640 x 360 pixel area.
– Text and logos should be legible at 640 pixel width.
– Add minor transparency gradients on solid color backgrounds near the edges. This creates a fade to white effect as the image is cropped.
– Resize and crop the desktop cover image to 640 x 360 to preview how it will look.
– Double check that logos, text, and focal points are horizontally centered in the middle 640 pixel wide section.
Creating a Responsive Cover Photo
With the desktop and mobile sizes in mind, here are some best practices for creating a responsive Facebook cover that works across all screens:
– Design the desktop cover first at 820 x 312 pixels, with essential info within a 640 pixel width.
– Use the center 640 pixels for the most important visuals to focus on the mobile crop.
– Include minor transparency outside the center to aid the mobile blend to white.
– Make sure all text and logos are legible at 640 pixel width.
– Check the composition at mobile size by cropping the desktop photo to 640 x 360.
– Save the final cover image at high resolution – 720p or 1080p.
– Use JPG or PNG formats for best quality and compression.
– For pixel-perfect precision, design the cover in a vector editor like Illustrator before exporting to raster image formats.
Sizing Cover Photos for Common Device Resolutions
Beyond the standard desktop and mobile sizes, here are the ideal Facebook cover dimensions for some common device resolutions:
| Device | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Cover Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone X | 1125 x 2436 | 18.5:9 | 640 |
| Galaxy S9 | 1440 x 2960 | 18.5:9 | 640 |
| iPad | 2048 x 2732 | ~3:4 | 820 |
| Laptop (16:9) | 1920 x 1080 | 16:9 | 820 |
| Desktop (16:10) | 2560 x 1600 | 16:10 | 820 |
As you can see, the responsive cover photo will dynamically resize and re-center itself as needed to fit each screen, while maintaining the aspect ratio of the original uploaded image.
Cover Photo Specs for Facebook Ad Formats
If you plan to use your cover photo in Facebook ad formats, additional size requirements apply:
Facebook Feed Ads
| Width | 1200 pixels |
| Height | 628 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.91:1 |
Facebook feed ads have an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 and maximum width of 1200 pixels. Feed ads are more vertically oriented than cover photos.
Facebook Stories Ads
| Width | 1080 pixels |
| Height | 1920 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
Facebook Stories ads appear in a 9:16 vertical portrait format. Create a 1080 x 1920 pixel image for optimal display in Stories.
Right Column Ads
| Width | 300 pixels |
| Height | 250 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.2:1 |
For right column ads, use a small 300 x 250 pixel vertical image. This compact ad unit sits in the margin beside the main Facebook feed.
Tips for Ad Campaigns
Here are some additional tips for preparing cover photos for Facebook ad campaigns:
– Design the cover at 820 x 312 pixels first, then export cropped versions for each ad format needed.
– Place important text and logos within the safe center regions of the cover to allow for cropping.
– Include a minor amount of text with essential marketing messages. Too much text may be cropped out.
– Ensure critical visuals and text are large and clear enough to convey the key idea at small ad sizes.
– Use high resolution source images, then export compressed JPGs at 72 ppi for web use.
– Follow best practices for designing Facebook ad creative, and always A/B test different versions.
Conclusion
The optimal Facebook cover photo size depends on the device and screen resolution, but the maximum desktop width is 820 pixels. Mobile covers are displayed at 640 pixels wide and are cropped from the center of desktop covers.
When designing a Facebook cover photo:
– Create initial desktop cover at 820 x 312 pixels
– Design for mobile cropping at 640 x 360
– Position important elements within 640 pixel wide safe zone
– Use minor transparency gradients on solid backgrounds
– Export high resolution images (720p or 1080p)
– Resize cover for any Facebook ad campaign needs
By following these best practices for different sizes and devices, you can create a responsive, high-quality Facebook cover photo that looks great in any context. The cover serves as your brand’s hero image, so take the time to perfect it. With a polished, professional cover that represents your business, you can make a strong visual impact on any viewer who engages with your Facebook presence.