How to Optimize Images for Instagram: Upload Sizes, Sharpening & More
I’ve never been happy with the way Instagram displayed my images. Compared to what was displayed on my desktop monitor in Photoshop, the images in Instagram seemed noisy and lacked punch and sharpness. Disappointed in what I saw, I decided to get to the bottom of the issue and learn the best way to optimize my images for Instagram, from image resolution to the best sharpening methods and more.
Instagram Aspect Ratios & Image Sizes
Several months ago, I posted an article about Instagram aspect ratios and image sizes. These ratios still hold, but in my opinion, the information provided by Instagram is not true. Instagram states that if users post images between 320 and 1080 pixels wide, they will not manipulate or resize the image. Assuming you want to post your images at the maximum Instagram width of 1080 pixels, below are the image sizes and aspect ratios you should use.

The problem, even when following these guidelines, is that images posted to Instagram will still be manipulated. I saw this clearly on my computer when viewing the exact file I uploaded to Instagram, next to the same image uploaded and displayed on the Instagram web interface.
When making a similar comparison looking at the image on my phone via the Instagram app, the difference is less noticeable. Obviously, a lot of this has to do with the image size and the display resolution of my phone. Regardless, I wanted to make sure Instagram displayed the best possible version of my images both in the app on my phone and for the web on my computer.
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