Uploading To Instagram Without Losing Paradigm Quality

Something I noticed when posting to Instagram from my desktop was that the image quality was significantly worse than the version I had uploaded, with the blurred paradigm inevitably getting less than favourable engagement. Afterward some thorough research though, I've managed to compile some reasons as to why Instagram might be reducing the prototype quality on your posts.

There are a few reasons why the image quality is reduced when uploading directly from your PC, ane of which is that you lot are not post-obit Instagram'due south max resolution guidelines, which is currently set at 1080 10 1350px. Any image that is greater than the said resolution will be made smaller past Instagram and thus may affect the quality of the epitome.

Secondly, it also depends on the format of the prototype that you are using. Instagram'south default format for images is JPEG (.jpg), pregnant that any image that is uploaded in PNG (.png), BITMAP (.bmp), or annihilation other than JPEG, volition exist converted to JPEG and as such loses some of the quality during the conversion.

  • READ: How I Gained Over 100,000 Followers On Instagram
  • READ: How To Employ The Right Hashtags For You lot
  • READ: The BIGGEST Error I See People Making On Instagram

When you consider the number of images that are beingness uploaded to Instagram every single day and the server power that is needed to run the platform, yous'll soon forgive Instagram for reducing file sizes where possible. Effort to keep your epitome file size to a minimum (without affecting image quality) to avoid having information technology be poorly compressed by Instagram.

Last but non least, Instagram is predominantly a mobile-based app, and as such prioritises uploads from mobile (or tablet) devices when it comes to quality. This means that images uploaded via your desktop, such as with the developer tools method, can sometimes see a reduction in paradigm quality when uploading to Instagram.

How to avert losing Image Quality on Instagram (with Photoshop)

For many people, who take pictures of themselves, their dog or the local beach, image quality doesn't really tend to matter. However, if yous're a creative like me who designs content for their business and wants to establish themselves equally a professional, then maintaining quality with your uploads is very important.

I like to create my Instagram content using Photoshop, only the same principles will apply to whichever photo editing software you are using. In Photoshop you will desire to fix a new file or artboard and set it to Instagram'due south maximum resolution (1080 x 1350px). One time you have created your design, you demand to go to File > Consign > Save For Spider web (Legacy)…

For those that don't know, saving in this way will allow you to modify the quality and file size of your final prototype. In the top right of the Save For Web window, under Preset, you will want to select JPEG as the file type. Below that, yous tin can change the overall quality of the image, starting from Low all the way upwards to Maximum.

Here is a screenshot of the Salve To Spider web window for my Bruce Lee mail service in Photoshop. I accept highlighted the areas you lot need to monitor in social club to reduce size and maintain paradigm quality, such as the quality setting and dimensions of the image.

Again, the reason for lowering the quality of the dropdown is to reduce the file size of the epitome and thus avoid Instagram taking the compression into their own easily. You can monitor the size of the image in the bottom left (above example: 837.8K).

A lot of the time, you volition actually find that the Very High or Loftier setting reduces the file size significantly; without really affecting the sharpness of the image itself. You volition want to choose the setting that achieves the best balance between the two.

Once you're happy with the image file size and quality, yous tin can hit the save button to salvage it to your computer. Post-obit that, y'all will desire to upload your new image to Google Drive where y'all will then download it to your mobile (or tablet) device. Yous tin then upload the image directly to Instagram from your mobile.

If you lot really desire to make the most of your post and get as much date every bit possible, then you lot'll desire to too cheque out this ultimate guide I wrote for using hashtags on Instagram.

Determination

Instagram can often reduce the quality of your images during uploads for a wide number of reasons, but if you're looking to maintain quality and then you lot should look to upload a loftier-quality, compressed JPEG file (max resolution: 1080 x 1350px) directly from your mobile or tablet to avoid any further pinch past Instagram.

You can follow me on Instagram hither!

Have whatever feedback or questions about this post? Permit me know in the comments below!

Something I noticed when posting to Instagram from my desktop was that the image quality was significantly worse than the version I had uploaded, with the blurred image inevitably getting less than favourable engagement. After some thorough research though, I've managed to compile some answers reasons as to why Instagram might be reducing the image quality on your posts.
Did you notice this postal service on improving the paradigm quality of your Instagram posts helpful? If so, I would be very grateful if you could pin this epitome to Pinterest!

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That Really Get Results... Guaranteed

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That ACTUALLY Get Results... Guaranteed

This Post Has 56 Comments

  1. Great postal service, I was request myself how much it shrink quality of photos when I send image to myself over messenger then post it on Instagram. And so I read this article and used the Google Drive. I must say there is a bit more depth and so sending over messenger. So yeah Google Drive works fine.

    1. Mike Walters 28 Sep 2020 Answer

      Hey Abraham, glad to encounter that it worked for you using Google Drive. That's what I currently employ! Posting directly from Creator Studio works well too of course.

  2. Lily Crocker 1 Oct 2020 Reply

    Hello! Is there a way to do to this from a mobile device? I do not have photoshop on my computer and am non looking to pay for information technology. Any tips?

    1. Mike Walters one Oct 2020 Answer

      Hello Lily, you should notice that uploading a photograph from your telephone should work well regardless of which editing software that you're using. Instagram is primarily a mobile-based app, so it's only natural for the mobile uploads to be of good quality. There will always be some level of pinch, given the sheer number of photos that Instagram's servers have to store, merely not enough to ruin a photograph. Promise this helps 🙂

    2. Wesley one Nov 2020 Reply

      I'd recommend using Google's Snapseed app or Adobe Photoshop Limited. Both of them are free and permit you customize the export settings of your photos to specific resolutions and quality.

      1. Mike Walters 1 Nov 2020 Reply

        Peachy suggestions Wesley 🙂

  3. Ollie xvi Oct 2020 Answer

    How-do-you-do, have you lot tried this method with other tools such as powerpoint? The basics seem to be the same. I've tried to set the same hight width simply when I export the image to jpeg and save, ship to phone and finally transfer to instagram, instagram comprasses the image afterwards a while. Any thoughts?

    1. Mike Walters 18 October 2020 Answer

      Hi Ollie, I haven't created carousels or posts using PowerPoint but the theory should be the same. At that place is always going to exist a small bit of compression by Instagram when uploading to their platform, withal, yous can minimize this but uploading the image through the mobile app or via Instagram [Facebook] Creator Studio. Try uploading through 1 of those platforms and come across how it goes

      1. Pavle Bogdanovic four Nov 2021 Reply

  4. Sophia 19 Oct 2020 Reply

    Hi! My friend took some photos using her iPhone seven plus and sent me the photos which I then I edited on my iPhone 11, and when I went to post the images to instagram, the photos came out blurry! What can I do to my photos to make certain they post at a better resolution because this photo was taken on an iPhone, not a DSLR and then i'k dislocated every bit to how information technology would be blurry. Thank you!

    1. Mike Walters 20 Oct 2020 Respond

      How-do-you-do Sophia, I guess it might depend on how your friend sent those photos to y'all. I know that in the past, I'd transferred some files over using Facebook Messenger and they lost some of the picture quality during that transfer. If you make sure to upload them to the Google Drive (or something similar) and then download them from there, you might notice that the movie quality is a lot better – depending on how you upload it of class. Upload the motion picture via your mobile or Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio. Let me know how information technology goes 🙂

  5. Antonia xx Oct 2020 Reply

    I use Canva to design my posts what would y'all suggest to salvage the quality?

    1. Mike Walters 20 Oct 2020 Respond

      Hi Antonia. Luckily for you, at that place are many corking content creators that utilize Canva to design their posts. I would propose saving as JPG and uploading either directly from the Instagram mobile app or via Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio

  6. Mike Walters 20 Oct 2020 Answer

    Haha! Well I can't imagine it'south cheap to host billions of photos/videos 😅

  7. Alfonso 4 Nov 2020 Reply

    Artwork
    Fine lines: go muddy and/or slightly moved.
    Thick lines: flattened.
    Colors: mixed, simplified, exagerated or all of them.

    This causes immature artists to expect worse than they are just because Instagram tin can't even requite a F***g guide on how to use their site other than "tap here to upload". How nigh giving a proper tutorial or artistic tips instead of creating 100 filters every month? I swear with social media…

    1. Mike Walters 6 Nov 2020 Reply

      Haha, I feel your pain Alfonso. It's true that some people'due south Instagram posts don't practice their work justice!

  8. This is actually helpful but i accept a question, i was familiar with this workflow of reducing the resolution of your epitome manually, but this helped me to meliorate that workflow, that existence said, after doing all that and make sure that my image looks correctly for web and hi-quality, when i mail it on Instagram in getting a terrible Banding especially in the sky area, i have remove all banding before as i said looks perfect in all web applications, and so seems that IG however compressing my file for some reason, do you take any idea about this? Thanks in Advanced

    1. Mike Walters 10 Nov 2020 Reply

      How-do-you-do Tony, thanks for reaching out. I too suffer from the same banding issues on Instagram. I believe that the platform just isn't suited to such loftier-level photography. Which is ironic, given the premise of the platform. I've since tried to avoid gradients where possible. I'1000 sorry I tin't assistance much further!

  9. Sofia xvi Nov 2020 Reply

    Hi! I use Canva on both my laptop and iPhone. After downloading images from the mobile app and uploading them to Instagram, they still experience lower quality and a slight alter in color. Do y'all have more tips on this? Thanks!

    1. Mike Walters 18 Nov 2020 Reply

      Hi Sofia, I tin't really say without seeing the images only there will ever exist some form of compression when uploading to Instagram – no matter what you practise. As for the colour difference, could information technology be that you're viewing the image from a different device? I know that the colours betwixt my iPhone, tablet and desktop all differ. Allow me know!

  10. Mike, thank you for this. It's incredibly helpful info. I've been using this workflow, more or less, in Photoshop for the last couple of years, just have always noticed a drop in quality once I put my files on Instagram. Farther, I've been interested in making stop motion videos and take noticed that, again, the drop in quality is axiomatic in the final production whenever I effort to upload to IG, with merely plenty blur showing that I oasis't yet posted any of these. I'yard going to adjust my workflow and try the videos again. Bookmarked this article for reference.
    – Laura

    1. Mike Walters 24 Nov 2020 Reply

      Hey Laura, never tried uploading stop motion videos to Instagram myself simply I look forrad to hearing your results!

  11. ER 27 Nov 2020 Respond

    What about bit depth? Doesn't Instagram limit images to 8 bit jpgs?

    1. Mike Walters two December 2020 Respond

      Unfortunately, I tin't find any confirmation from Instagram regarding the limitation of bit depths. I'm curious equally to how you constitute this information?

  12. Annabelle Mostert 1 Dec 2020 Reply

    Howdy,

    Mayhap this is a silly quetion, but i have created the file in photoshop to the size specification you set out above.
    How do i re-size my image ti fit instagram after making it (1080 ten 1350px). I sympathize how to save for spider web but non how to re-size it.
    Thanks

    1. Mike Walters 1 Dec 2020 Respond

      Hullo Annabelle, non a silly question at all. 1080x1350px is a great size for Instagram for portrait photos. If you are after a foursquare image then you would demand to change the Canvas Size in Photoshop before you Save For Web. You lot can change the Sheet size by going to Image > Canvas Size. At that place might be a link icon which is selected to lock the ratio (to 1080x1350px). You will demand to unselect this to change it to 1:i ratio.

  13. Eric seven Dec 2020 Reply

    What if you do all this and it's yet desaturated? I've exported in .jpg, sRGB colour infinite, aforementioned dimensions y'all describe, and it's all the same messed upwardly. But about every i of my pictures is from what I can tell. They look fine on my phone, on the reckoner, even in the screen on IG where I upload the picture. I make my posts alee of fourth dimension and save them, and even that little thumbnail looks fine. It's just when it gets uploaded, it goes all wrong.

    1. Mike Walters eight Dec 2020 Answer

      Hey Eric, that is a tough one and I empathize your frustration. I would have to approximate that it'south down to the size of the (epitome) file. Maybe effort compressing it as much as possible, without reducing the quality of the image, and run into how that fairs when uploaded to IG?

  14. Eric ix December 2020 Reply

    I'm not 100% but that might have worked. I posted 1 this morning that got desaturated again, tried exporting it from Lightroom with lower quality (I had it set to 100, now I'm effectually 75) and then posted that version. Information technology looked to be a piffling more than saturated than the previous i, so I retrieve you're on to something. Thank you!

    1. Mike Walters 9 Dec 2020 Reply

      I'chiliad glad that it helped a fleck! Thanks for getting back to me Eric

      1. Eric 29 December 2020 Reply

        Give thanks you for responding, that'south pretty rare anymore. Anyways they are still desaturating my pictures. I think what I did earlier might have helped a bit, but it'south however very noticeable. My consign settings from Lightroom are: .jpg, sRGB, quality at 76, resize to fit checked, width set to 1080, height left bare, resolution 72, acuminate for screen, standard, the default settings for metadata, and then a watermark which is just my name in the bottom correct corner, no epitome or anything like that. I don't become it. I edit in Lightroom initially, export at 300 ppi and in AdobeRGB, open that file in Photoshop, make edits there, salve a copy, import that into Lightroom so I can export with those settings. It'due south a little convoluted but it works for me I guess. Whatsoever thoughts?

        1. Mike Walters xi Jan 2021 Reply

          No problem, happy to exist ane of the rare ones! I'm really not sure to be honest, information technology sounds like you've washed a lot of things right. What are the sizes of the files that you're trying to upload?

          1. Eric 21 Jan 2021

            1 of the ones that got desaturated is 446Kb and is 1080×720. I'm at a loss lol Thanks for helping me try to effigy this out.

          2. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021

            Hmm, 446kb might exist a chip too much for Instagram. If you were using Photoshop then I assume that was at a Very High to Maximum quality setting. Perhaps lower the quality before uploading to Instagram to reduce file size

  15. Jalal Mustafa 10 December 2020 Answer

    I was exporting PNGs from corel describe for instagram uploads and quality was decreasing. now i will employ jpegs after seeing this article. too using 1200×1200 resolution. should i opt for 1080×1350.?

    1. Mike Walters 10 Dec 2020 Reply

      Hey Jalal, 1080×1080 is perfectly fine for Instagram. The 1350 resolution is but the recommended size for portrait images.

  16. Matt L i Feb 2021 Reply

    Before exporting a movie to post on IG, exercise you lot save/downsize the file to to IGs recommended aspect ratio/max resolution specs? Ie 1080, To avoid potential pinch loss?

    Or do you lot merely post what's most likely a much larger/higher resolution file and let it automatically go through the pinch algorithm to scale it downward/lower the image quality to fit the app?

    If you've experimented can you fifty-fifty tell much of a difference on a smartphone?

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Hey Matt, skilful question. I actually only go on all of my canvas sizes to the recommended 1080×1080 or 1080×1350, so I oasis't experimented with larger sizes. That beingness said, information technology's best to go on the file size equally low every bit possible to avoid unnecessary compression by Instagram's platform. All of my posts are created on desktop using Photoshop so I'one thousand not sure about smartphone files, but in the past I've noticed that photos taken on my iPhone tend not to exist ruined with compression. Let me know if you find anything useful when experimenting!

  17. Arash 7 Feb 2021 Reply

    Thanks Mike!

    And so…
    1080 x 1080
    1080 x 1350 just for portrait images

    300dpi or 72dpi? and how about ppi?
    is there whatever limit for Kb or Mb?

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Hey Arash, to be honest I'yard not certain on the exact ppi, kB or MB that Instagram volition accept but it's best do to keep it as low equally possible. I tin can confirm that those ratios are best for both square & portrait images.

  18. I don't have a question merely a thanks for your incredibly helpful article and responses.

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Thanks Elizabeth! Appreciate the feedback 🙂

  19. Laini 14 Apr 2021 Answer

    I have tried uploading a logo using all the correct dimensions for Instagram. Tired saving in all ways like JPEG and PNG. Looks great in monitor. Sizing correct and when I upload the logo information technology looks terrible. Any tricks with logos with text?

    1. Mike Walters twenty April 2021 Respond

      Howdy Laini, it ofttimes comes down to the size of the file. It may be best to lower the quality when saving the file, to ensure that the file size is as low every bit possible, so that Instagram doesn't shrink the image too much. Accept a play around with this and meet what works best for you.

  20. Alex 4 May 2021 Reply

    Hi, Mike! I think I have ii questions for you. 😀
    1. I am curious about your opinion on this: I mail service a regular portrait photo on feed, 1 of 1080 x 1350px, so I want to post the same picture on IG Story and IG automatically does a zoom-in on this picture so that it fits nice in the IG Story dimensions, i.e. 1080 x 1920px, but the image looks a little blurry after it is posted on IG Story. Is it better and like a best practice to have the pictures for the feed in 1080 x 1350px and those for stories in 1080 ten 1920px? I work in social media and I am going crazy with some pictures I post that are loosing quality when posted 🙁 It is tedious, only it may be improve if my pictures for feed would be in the recommended dimensions of 1080 x 1350px / 1080 x 1080px and for stories 1080 x 1920px? ii.Also, you lot're maxim that if I have my motion picture with my phone (I have a Samsung S21 Ultra) and I post it just like information technology was shot, there won't exist quality loss? The pictures taken with this telephone take, for eg. 4000 10 3000px ii.75 MB. Should I low resolution and maybe even the quality even on these pictures I take with the telephone? Maan, this is nuts! Detest IG for this😒
    Thanks in accelerate for your answer!

    1. Mike Walters 25 May 2021 Reply

      Hey Alex, sorry for the belatedly reply! Yes, you should create ii different versions of the same graphic if you desire to share them to your postal service & story respectively. Alternatively, you could upload your post and so "share it to your story" which may be easier, if that's the effect y'all were after. As for your Samsung, I'one thousand an iPhone guy simply I've only noticed that my images used to upload in adequately high quality when uploading straight from my phone. I'yard not sure why this is, as the file sizes (and dimensions) seem to be very high – as yous say. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

  21. FAHAD 16 Aug 2021 Reply

    I Want TO POST VIDEO IN 2K ON INSTGRAM FROM MOBILE I EXPORT Information technology IN 2K Just IT All the same COMPRESSES THE QUALITY Can Yous Help ME ?

    1. Mike Walters 17 Aug 2021 Answer

      How-do-you-do Fahad, I would assume that a 2K video is just too large to be uploaded to Instagram without being compressed. Yous volition want to shrink the video yourself earlier uploading to Instagram to avoid them doing so themselves.

  22. What are you lot mean 1350 ? I can upload 1080×1920 to my stories , and that is the maximum pixel than I know.

    1. Mike Walters 26 Sep 2021 Reply

      1350×1080 is the max for regular posts.

  23. Give thanks you lot! This has been driving me Basics!!! Any recommendations on consign and upload workflow for Facebook?

    1. Mike Walters 30 January 2022 Reply

      Hey Andrew, how do you mean exactly?

  24. Mike 17 January 2022 Reply

    Hello, this is a great post!
    I have a question though, when i resize my image to 1080×1350, it gets wider? I don't understand how to fix that, could you please aid.
    Thank you!

    1. Mike Walters 30 January 2022 Reply

      Hey Mike, no problem. Depending on which software yous're using, the solution could exist every bit uncomplicated as using the contrary dimensions instead, i.e. 1350×1080. That should ingather your prototype to exist taller than it is wide. Promise this helps!

  25. Suresh 4 Mar 2022 Reply

    Hullo,
    I would similar to know if the image needs to be cropped @ 4 x 5 ratio before proceeding to the Consign option.
    Thanks

    1. Mike Walters iv Mar 2022 Respond

      Hey Suresh! Yes, you would demand to ingather it accordingly Before exporting for web. You can resize it inside the export window merely I don't think you can adjust the ratio at this indicate

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Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That ACTUALLY Get Results... Guaranteed