When you create or rebrand an Instagram account, changing the profile picture isn't the end of it. You need images in several different ratios: feed posts, the profile grid, Stories and carousels, which can feel overwhelming at first. This guide groups our individual guides into the order you'd actually set up an account. Exact numbers and which ones are official or unofficial (checked October 4, 2026) are in each guide.
The whole process at a glance
- Profile picture: a square image shown as a circle
- Feed posts: 1080px wide, between 1.91:1 and 3:4 (typically 4:5, 1080×1350)
- Grid split: one image cut into tiles so your profile grid forms a bigger picture
- Stories: full-screen 9:16 vertical images
- Carousels: multi-slide posts people swipe through
Step 1. Make your profile picture
Create a square (1:1) image with the Profile Picture Maker. Instagram's help pages don't give an exact pixel size, but since the picture is shown as a circle, keep your face or logo inside the central 70–80%. To make one picture that works across platforms, see Profile Picture Sizes and How to Make a Good One.
Step 2. Create feed posts
Pick a 1:1 or 4:5 canvas in the Instagram Post Maker. According to the official help, feed photos are 1080px wide and can range from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 3:4 (portrait). Outside that range, Instagram crops the image automatically. The full ratio table and when to use each is in the Instagram image size guide.
Step 3. Design your profile grid with a split
To make your posts line up as one big picture on your profile, use the Instagram Grid Splitter to cut one image into a 3×3 grid or similar. Your newest post appears at the top left of your profile, so post the tiles starting from the bottom right to rebuild the original image. The posting order and pitfalls are explained in How to post an Instagram grid split.
Step 4. Design Stories
Use a 9:16 canvas (unofficial recommendation 1080×1920) in the Story Maker. The top and bottom of the screen can be covered by your profile picture and buttons, so keep key text inside the central 70% safe area. Safe areas and the difference from Reels covers are covered in the Instagram Story size guide.
Step 5. Share information with carousels
For introductions, events or tips that need several slides, build a series of 4:5 (1080×1350) slides in the Carousel Post Maker. How to structure it from cover to final slide is in Instagram carousel size and how to build one.
Tie all five together with one look
Use the main color and font from your profile picture across feed posts, Stories and carousels, and your whole account will feel like one brand. Multi-image content like carousels and grid splits looks messy when the colors keep changing, so we recommend limiting yourself to one or two main colors and one accent color.
Checklist
- Is your profile picture square with the key element in the center?
- Are your feed posts 1080px wide and between 1.91:1 and 3:4?
- Are you ready not to post anything else while you upload a grid split?
- Is the key text in your Stories inside the central safe area?
- Are all your carousel slides consistently 4:5?
- Do all five types of images share the same main color and font?
Common mistakes
- Trying a grid split on an account that already has lots of posts, so the tiles mix with older photos and the picture breaks.
- Posting a 9:16 Story image straight to the feed, so the top and bottom get heavily cropped.
- Using a different background color on each carousel slide, so swiping through feels disjointed.
- Polishing only the profile picture and making feed posts and Stories in a different style every time, so the account looks scattered.
FAQ
Do feed photos have to be 1080×1350?
No. According to the official help, you can post anything from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 3:4 (portrait). 1080×1350 (4:5) is popular because it takes up more of the screen in the feed, but 1080×1080 (1:1) is also widely used.
Do I have to do a grid split when I first set up my profile?
No. But if you already have many posts, the split tiles easily get mixed in and the picture breaks. It lines up most cleanly when the account is new or has few posts.
Can Stories and carousels be the same size?
They use different ratios. Stories and Reels covers usually use 9:16 (1080×1920, an unofficial recommendation), while carousels go in the feed and usually use 4:5 (1080×1350). To use the same content in both places, recreate it in each ratio.
Do I need all five?
No. A profile picture and feed posts are enough to get started. Add grid splits, Stories and carousels one at a time when you want the account to stand out more.