For I Know the Plans I Have for You Facebook Cover

Facebook is in the top three most visited sites in the globe, after YouTube and Google. 2.23 billion people log in every month to scroll through their feeds, catch up with one-time friends and check out their favorite brands.

It's estimated that 78% of Americans have discovered retail products using Facebook.

Information technology's no wonder so many businesses are setting up Facebook pages equally a primary sales and marketing tactic.

However, just having a Facebook page isn't enough. Information technology needs to exist visually engaging to grab people'due south attending when they commencement click on your page. It's your cover photograph – sometimes known every bit your Facebook banner- that will give gives them the first impression of your brand.

Getting the sizing right is one of the most important things. Not to the lowest degree because Facebook makes it so easy to go wrong.

And getting it wrong could exist costly. It could make your cover photo wait weird, and turn your audience off for good.

My ultimate guide to Facebook embrace photo sizing will show you why size matters, and how to get it right to give your audience the best impression of your brand from the get-go.

Read Facebook'due south guidelines earlier y'all start

Earlier yous fifty-fifty start on your embrace photograph, familiarize yourself with Facebook'due south guidelines. These will proceed you on the right side of Facebook's rules before you even begin so that yous don't run into whatsoever problems further downwards the line.

For example, a few issues Facebook raises are:

• Cover photos cannot be "deceptive misleading or infringe on anyone's copyright".
• Your cover photo "must not include a verified checkmark, and also must not include third-party products, brands or sponsors".
• Your encompass is public.
• You cannot encourage people to upload your cover image to their personal timelines.

The penalty for violating any of this points? Facebook could "take action". They don't exactly say what they'd practise, but it'south probable they'd at least take downwardly your Facebook Page.

The guidelines too provides a link to comprehend photo sizing and dimensions. Nosotros'll get to this a bit after.

Why Facebook cover photograph size matters

Your cover photograph size is important just because it'southward the first impression most people volition exist getting of your brand.

If you don't adhere to Facebook's image dimensions and your picture is too small, Facebook will stretch information technology to fit the infinite. Or, if your image is besides large, parts of information technology will exist cropped out.

It'll look weird, and will undo any good your page is trying to achieve.

To demonstrate how a encompass photo can look swell on i desktop but lose out on a mobile screen, here'due south an case of Adidas Women's Facebook cover photo.

The first instance is how it looks on a desktop. No sizing bug at all.

Just in the screenshot of how information technology looks on a smartphone, parts of the image has been cropped out.

No, information technology's non the end of the world. But in a globe where visuals are everything, information technology pays to become your embrace photo sizing right.

Know the correct Facebook cover photo size

Facebook cover photo size

Facebook stipulates that your cover prototype should:

• Display at 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels alpine on computers.
• Display at 640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall on smartphones.
• They must be at to the lowest degree 400 pixels wide and 150 tall (or they won't upload at all).
• They load fastest every bit a sRGB JPG file that's 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels alpine and less than 100 kilobytes.
• Cover photos that include a logo or text are best uploaded as a PNG file.

Clear as mud, huh?

What makes the Facebook cover photo size guidelines and so confusing is that it talks about pixels, whereas actually what it really cares about is the SHAPE of the image.

Then on a desktop, the image is displayed as a short and wide rectangle, whereas on a mobile screen it'south more like a square.

And what's more frustrating is that you lot can't upload a embrace image for desktop and then for mobile. Instead, you take to find an image size that will display well in both formats, beingness ready to forego parts of the whole paradigm depending on which device it's displayed.

And and then there's the jargon, so let's unpack that before we get any further:

Facebook embrace photo sizing jargon

What is a pixel?

A pixel – also known as a picture element – is the smallest unit of a digital prototype or graphic that can exist represented on a digital brandish device (laptop, desktop, mobile, Television set, billboard etc).

Pixels are combined to form a complete paradigm, video or text that appears on a figurer display.

What is an sRGB JPG file?

A JPG – or JPEG – file is an prototype file type. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, who were the people who invented the standard.

sRGB is the colour contour that pertains to the JPG file. So if you've created your image in Adobe PhotoShop or Lightroom using the RGB color profiles, then you'll demand to convert these to sRGB color profile so that its image quality is consequent for digital media.

What is a PNG file?

A PNG file is an image file type. PNG stands for "Portable Networks Graphic", and are oftentimes larger in size than other forms of image, like JPEGs or GIFS. They're practiced for logos, because they permit the image exist overlaid on any background.

Why does speed affair?

Facebook states that cover images load fastest when they're a sRGB JPG file that'south 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes.

This means that, it's pocket-sized enough a file size that it doesn't slow downward the page load speed, but big enough to appear in a expert resolution.

Displaying your cover photo on desktop vs mobile

Facebook states that your cover prototype must "display at 820 pixels broad past 312 pixels tall on your Page on desktops and 640 pixels broad by 360 pixels alpine on smartphones".

This means that, when you lot upload your cover image, Facebook will use it in ii ways:

1. A large rectangular format of 820 10 312 pixels which will appear on bigger screens like desktops and laptops.

ii. A smaller 640 x 360 pixels version for smartphone screens:

To go the best chance of beingness displayed well for both desktop and mobile, the size Facebook recommends is 851 10 315 pixels.

And because the ratios for desktop and mobile cover photograph sizes diverge, every photograph will display differently. On mobile, they display taller and narrower than on a desktop screen, at a 16:9 ratio.

Facebook won't stretch an image to meet the mobile or desktop dimensions though, so if you get your dimensions wrong then your photo won't get distorted. Instead, they'll crop a bigger desktop cover photo to fit the mobile dimension guidelines.

This all means that it's ever all-time to upload your cover photograph so that it's optimized for desktop rather than mobile, because it'southward less likely to be cropped unfavourably than if y'all uploaded information technology mobile-first.

The mobile prophylactic area

The dimensional ratio for desktop cover photos is 205:78, and for mobile it's xvi:ix. So, considering you're uploading your images with desktop dimension requirements in mind, you need to consider the mobile viewing area of these images.

More than specifically, if you upload a 820 x 312 pixel cover paradigm for desktop, then the equivalent mobile viewing area of this image is about 555 x 312 pixels:

Or you could cull to design your desktop cover image at the mobile ratio of 16:9, or 820 x 461 pixels. Nevertheless, taking this selection volition mean that Facebook will ingather the prototype to remove to and lesser sections to meet the desktop display requirements of 820 x 312 pixels:

The bottom line: the best size for your Facebook comprehend photo

To make sure your Facebook embrace photo is the right size, you lot should design it in the optimal encompass photograph dimensions that ensure information technology displays well both on desktop and mobile.

The best quality, highest resolution image for your Facebook encompass photograph is 820 ten 360 pixels. If your images is this specific size then information technology will brandish well on both desktop and mobile, so that when information technology's cropped, it won't lose any of import information.

How to resize your images

So now you know what your size your Facebook embrace photo should exist, here's how you accomplish that size.

Cull your tool

Choosing the right tool depends on your budget, simply as well how much creative control you want over your design.

Adobe Photoshop is the go-to tool for designers, merely for occasional utilize information technology'south probably not worth the investment at betwixt $160 and $785 per yr.

Pixlr is a skilful free alternative to Photoshop, with many of the same functionalities. It's an online tool, and then y'all don't need to download any software, apart from the Wink plugin. There is a Pro version, at $22 per month, which allows some extra features including more than templates and a large stock epitome library.

Resizing your paradigm using Pixlr

In the editor window, choose "Create a New Image":

Prepare your dimensions to 820 x 360 pixels and click "Ok". This will set your background to be the correct dimensions for your Facebook encompass image.

To upload your comprehend photo, become to the "Layer" tab at the top, and cull "Open image as a layer". Y'all can then upload an epitome from your device.

When you upload your paradigm, it volition probably be much larger than your groundwork layer.

To compress information technology to fit the infinite, choose the "Free transform" tool under the "Edit" tab and, belongings down the Shift key, manipulate the image to shrink it to fit the space.

Holding downwardly the shift central ensure information technology keeps the right attribute ratio and doesn't look stretched or warped.

When you're happy with the image as it appears in the 820 x 360 dimensions, click away from the epitome, where you'll then exist asked to save the paradigm.

Save your prototype as a PNG file.

If yous're happy to resize your images yourself and then that's nifty. Thankfully though, there are plenty of tools out there offering templates to work from. And virtually of them are costless.

Canva is convenient online tool, with a complimentary toll programme which gives almost not-designers enough functionality to work with.

It offers specific Facebook cover photo templates so you don't fifty-fifty need to worry about sizing your images. Only click on "Facebook Cover", and your template will be the correct size and dimensions before you even brainstorm.

Snappa is a like design tool, offering a large range of templates. Y'all can choose from upwardly to 150 (pretty stylish) Facebook cover photo templates on their gratis price program.

Creating your Facebook embrace photo with Snappa

On the Snappa homepage, click on Facebook Cover under Headers.

And then choose a template from which you lot desire to design your cover image:

At this betoken, yous'll be asked to annals an account. Or, if you already have an account, you'll demand to sign in.

You lot'll now exist at your editor page, where you'll exist able to see your template.

Helpfully, Snappa shows you lot which parts of your epitome volition be displayed on desktop and which on mobile. This way, y'all can ensure that the about important parts of your design are within the area that displays on both desktop and mobile.

First off, name your cover photo in the top left of the editor:

Next decide on your background. You lot can stick with the paradigm provided in the template, or use your own.

I'd recommend taking full control of your cover photo, and uploading your ain groundwork image. That said, they exercise offering a large library of images which is worth browsing through if you don't have images of your ain.

And, even if you're using a template you tin can still upload your own image, or choose swap the image to another epitome from Snappa'southward complimentary image library.

To do this, caput to "Background" in the left hand tab. and you tin can either choose from a number of templates or upload an image from your device:

You lot can now begin to add together layers of text, graphics furnishings and shapes to create the cover photo yous want. Simply drag and drop them across to your cover prototype, change the opacity to suit, and decide on which layer to place them.

When yous're happy with your embrace photo, click on "Download" on the top correct hand corner, and and so salve it to your computer.

Uploading and testing your Facebook cover photo

Starting time, go to your Facebook page:

Next, click on "Add a cover", and choose "Upload photograph/video", where y'all'll exist asked to choose a file from your computer.

Once you've uploaded your prototype, yous can elevate your image so that information technology fits well in the space using the repositioning tool.

Click "Salvage" and y'all're washed.

To make sure your encompass image sizing is correct, cheque in to your folio on a desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. You need to double check that no of import data has be cropped out of your epitome, or that your epitome has been stretched to fit the space.

More tips for achieving a killer Facebook cover photograph

Exist consistent with your brand

If someone arrives at your Facebook page and doesn't know what yous do right away, then yous've washed something wrong.

Your comprehend photo is the first thing people see, and should exist communicating what your brand does.

Brands who do best with their comprehend photos tend to keep their photos in keeping with their corporate colours. They'll also make sure their paradigm doesn't distract or confuse the audience, simply too has an impact.

Right align focal points to kickoff your logo

Because of how your cover photo appears on your Facebook page, your eye is drawn to your logo on the left of the folio. Offset this by weighting your encompass image'south content to the right mitt side.

Information technology's a minor design betoken, but it does create more residuum to the page.

Minimize text and stay visual

While your embrace photo should be communicating your make, information technology should be highly visual.

That said, some text is no bad thing. Just choose your wording carefully to ship the correct kind of message, whilst keeping information technology to a minimum.

LinkedIn's Facebook page encompass photo is highly visual, using four faces to course a connectedness with the audience. Its clever hashtag #InItTogether is the just text that's used, yet brilliantly communicates LinkedIn's mission.

Change image to highlight different letters and incorporate a CTA

Some brands determine to alter their encompass image to communicate dissimilar messages at dissimilar times. Say they have a new production launch coming up, they'd create a new cover epitome to emphasize that.

However, rather than going into detail about it, utilize the call-to-action button in your cover photo to encourage people to find out more.

Check out global NGO, CAFOD's recent Facebook cover photo. Here they're their latest emergency fundraising appeal in response to cyclone Idai in Southern Africa.

It's straightforward, visual yet informative, and leads logically towards the "Donate" button beneath the image.

Make the most of your cover photo description

Adding a description helps you lot to explicate a bit more about your CTA, if you lot've used i.

Adobe uses their cover photograph descriptions well, with this example showing them requite extra context around their cover video:

When you provide a cover photograph description, make sure you include the link to which your CTA is directed. This means that whenever someone sees your cover prototype directly, they'll exist able to access the link.

In summary

Your cover photograph is the first affair people encounter when they country on your Facebook folio.

If done well, information technology will have an impact, and will encourage people to have some kind of action, whether than be to follow your page, or even to click on your call-to-activeness to shop directly with you.

Merely getting the sizing wrong can severely damage its impact. If your paradigm isn't the correct dimensions and so it risks being blurry, or cropped, losing its integrity when it's displayed on screen.

As nosotros've seen, Facebook don't exactly brand their sizing regulations easy to understand. DImension requirements are different on desktop or mobile brandish.

But thankfully, that doesn't really matter, because there are so many bang-up tools out there that requite yous a Facebook cover template from which to piece of work. If yous don't take a pattern background, these tools have care of pixels, dimensions and ratios for you!

Having said that, for more proficient designers, using a design tool like Adobe Photoshop and Pixlr volition give you more than artistic control over your image.

Any process you lot follow, whatever tool you use, the bottom line is to test your Facebook cover photograph equally shortly as you go live.

Exam information technology on every bit many different devices as yous can become your hands on. Only as a bare minimum, because the overwhelming majority of Facebook users are on their smartphone, brand certain it'due south at least optimized for mobile.

Image source: Pixabay

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Source: https://www.business2community.com/facebook/facebook-cover-photo-size-02186906

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