Resize Image for X (Twitter) Post

Why 1600 by 900 and not 1920 by 1080

In-feed images on X display at up to 1,600 by 900 in the timeline, which is a 16:9 shape. Exporting at that size means the platform shows every pixel you sent, with no rescaling in either direction. A larger image is accepted and cropped, and a smaller one is stretched, and both lose a little. The 16:9 ratio also matches the shape of a video post, so a photo and a video sit consistently in the same feed.

What the timeline does to an odd-shaped image

X does not letterbox. It crops, and it crops from the centre, which is usually sensible for a landscape photo and usually wrong for a portrait one. A tall image loses its top and bottom, a wide image loses its sides, and a face near the edge is the first thing to go. Getting the ratio right before uploading means the decision stays with you rather than with the platform.

• Match 16:9 and the image displays as uploaded.
• Keep faces and logos in the horizontal centre, where a crop is least likely to reach them.
• Leave space at the edges. A subtle gradient overlay appears on some images in the timeline.
• Avoid a tiny text block in a corner. If the image is cropped, that is the first part lost.

Fitting photos, screenshots, and graphics into 16:9

Almost nothing you want to post is natively 16:9. A phone photo is 3:2 or 4:3, a screenshot is often taller than the frame, and a chart or a meme can be any shape. Fill crops the top and bottom to reach the frame, which suits a landscape photo where the extra space is sky or ground. Fit keeps the whole image and pads the sides, which suits a screenshot or a document that must not lose its edges. Stretch distorts and is almost never correct.

• Fill crops vertically. Best for landscape photos and wide video stills.
• Fit pads the sides with a solid colour. Best for screenshots and diagrams.
• Match the padding colour to the design, or the bars look like a mistake.
• For a screenshot, crop it yourself with the image cropper so you control what is kept.

NoteIf your image is smaller than 1,600 by 900 it will be enlarged, and a warning appears. Enlarging cannot add detail that was not captured.

File size, alt text, and the accessibility that is often forgotten

Platforms re-encode what you upload, so an enormous file buys nothing. The post that matters is the one that loads quickly in a timeline people scroll on a phone. Beyond size, there is a step people skip: alt text. On X it is added when posting, and it is what a screen reader announces, so for an image carrying information rather than decoration, the text matters as much as the pixels.

• Keep the file under about 500 KB so the platform does not recompress it.
• If the upload is large, compress it to 500KB first.
• Write alt text that describes the content, not the file name.
• Keep the full resolution original, because a taller crop may be needed for a header image later.