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You are here: Home / Facebook Tips / How to Optimize Photos for Facebook to Look Their Best

How to Optimize Photos for Facebook to Look Their Best

July 1, 2019 by Louise Myers 26 Comments

How to Optimize Photos for Facebook banner

Want to learn how to optimize photos for Facebook?

Are you getting fuzzy text or choppy gradients in your Facebook images?

Here’s the scoop on the photo file types and compression to use when uploading photos to your Facebook Page.

Use these tips to get clear photos and sharp text on Facebook images!

Why does Facebook ruin image quality?

It’s all about Facebook image compression.

Facebook hosts an incredible number of photos: over 250 billion. And users upload over 350 million (350,000,000) new photos every day! source

Facebook generates 4 new petabytes of data per day.

Friends, that’s a lot of bandwidth!

There’s simply no option – Facebook will compress images.

Here’s how to keep yours from looking like crud.

Facebook y u no optimize photo meme

How to optimize Facebook post images

Your first step is to make sure you’re using the best size for Facebook photos.

There are probably 100 different Facebook photo sizes! This section will go into detail on the Facebook post size. More photo types and sizes farther down in the article.

For optimal display, Facebook recommends that you resize your images before uploading to one of these widths they support:

  • 720 px
  • 960 px
  • 2048 px

If you upload 2048 px photos, be sure to choose the High Quality option.

For higher quality, check the High Quality box when you create an album.

If you’re using the the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, you can choose to always upload photos in HD from your account settings. source

For best quality, I recommend uploading from a computer. I’ve found that uploading from a mobile device results in more compression applied and worse image quality.

The Facebook recommended image size for posts is 720, 960, or 2048 pixels. Facebook says:

We automatically resize and format your photos when you upload them to Facebook. To help make sure your photos appear in the highest possible quality, try these tips:

Resize your photo to one of the following supported sizes: 720px, 960px or 2048px wide source

Note that Photos you’ve uploaded will appear in the Photo Viewer, or lightbox, at the maximum resolution possible, depending on the size you uploaded them and the viewer’s display device.

The maximum Facebook photo size for upload and download is 2048 px square. If you upload a larger image, Facebook will reduce it so the longest side is 2048 px.

Now, I never take anything Facebook says about images at face value, so let’s dig a little deeper.

What if you don’t upload an image at Facebook recommended size?

Say you use another highly recommended image size of 1200 pixels wide.

According to Facebook, they will resize your image from 1200 pixels down to 960 to fit their standard settings, adding to your compression woes.

However, this is actually NOT TRUE!

Any image uploaded at less than 2048 pixels on the longest size will NOT be reduced in size.

So don’t drive yourself crazy resizing images. Reduce large ones to 2048 max and you’re good to go.

Facebook high resolution photo warning

Remember that photos can be downloaded at the full size you’ve uploaded, up to 2048 px.

Facebook photos can be downloaded by anyone you’ve allowed to view them in your permissions (and Fan Page posts are always public).

Any images might be downloaded and reused, even though that would be copyright infringement (unless you give permission). How to Report Claims of Intellectual Property Infringement.

You’ve also allowed Facebook to distribute your images according to their Terms of Service:

For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

I recommend you NOT upload your professional images at high resolution unless you have a specific reason to do so (for example, you want fans to download printable images of an event).

Also note that, even though Facebook won’t resize images at the 2048 size, they will be resized in the user’s browser. Very few people have a monitor or device that can display an image that large.

So 960 may be a better size for photographers to use.

I also suggest you watermark your images.

Facebook file formats

Facebook accepts uploads of .jpg, .gif, and .png file types.

JPG is generally used for images with blended tones, like photos, and GIF and PNG are better for images of flat tones, like logos, text, and graphics.

Facebook recommends: Save your image as a JPEG with an sRGB color profile.

If you choose to go with JPG, save photos for Facebook as sRGB JPGs at the least compression, or maximum file size.

Facebook will apply another round of compression to your photos, so saving them as large files assures best results. Facebook’s compression will be more than adequate to assure fast-loading photos on the web.

In Photoshop, choose 12 – Maximum Quality.

Check Baseline Optimized.

Other than Facebook’s full photo custom tabs (which are limited to 400kb), I haven’t run into any file size restrictions. I uploaded a profile picture as a 2200px square, 3.1 MB file, and it worked fine.

Below is a brilliant tutorial on how to avoid ugly artifacts when saving JPG files for Facebook.

How to Get Sharp Text on Facebook Images

But what about those tough images with text or logos – should you save them as JPGs?

It used to be that Facebook compressed ALL images you upload to JPGs. Now there’s a workaround for those fuzzy text graphics, like quote pictures or tips graphics. 

Save them as PNG files!

It appears that Facebook maintains the PNG format when you upload one. PNG images I’ve uploaded look virtually the same on Facebook as on my computer monitor, with the same, or even larger, file size.

If you use advanced photo editing software like Photoshop, you know there are different kinds of PNG files.

PNG8 is perfect for flat expanses of color with text, like the image shown below. PNG8 only supports a maximum of 256 colors, so it’s not suitable for photos, or graphics with gradient tones or glow effects.

PNG24: If you have a photo with text or a logo that’s coming out fuzzy or with artifacts, try saving it as a PNG24. This format can have up to 16 million colors.

Use PNG24 only as needed, as the file sizes can be large, causing slower load times on slow internet connections.

Color note: Red tones are notorious for looking horrible on Facebook. Bright red, magenta, or red-purple are not good choices for Facebook images.

GIF: There’s no reason to save as a GIF file for Facebook, but if you have one you want to use, Facebook will accept GIFs. PNG is a better choice when saving new images, as PNGs have better color and compression than GIFs.

Unfortunately, you can’t upload animated GIFs from your computer or device to Facebook.

LEARN MORE: Image File Types: How to Win at JPG, GIF & PNG

Should you sharpen photos for Facebook?

I’m not a photographer, I only play one on Instagram 🙂 So I’ll leave this for you to test and decide.

Below is a great tutorial about sharpening photos for Facebook, from a pro photographer.

How to optimize Facebook Cover Photos

There are at least 3 aspects to optimizing Cover Photos:

  • Correct size and shape for specific use (Page, profile, group or event).
  • Different cropping of Cover Photos on desktop vs. mobile.
  • File type and size.

Cover Photos are unique among Facebook images in that they won’t be compressed further IF your uploaded file size is 100kb or less.

If you want to put Facebook to the test on that, use the minimum required pixel size and compress it yourself to 100kb or less. The image quality may be better if you do the compression, rather than Facebook.

However, it is not true that a larger file size will be compressed by Facebook to less that 100kb. I uploaded a hi-rez PNG and it’s 1.1MB on Facebook – slightly larger even than the original file I uploaded.

Take a look at the Facebook file formats section above, as it also applies to Cover Photos!

As far as sizes, cover images larger than 2048 pixels on the longest side will be reduced to that dimension. No need to go larger than 2048 anyway.

Use just the right cover image size to look perfect on both desktop and mobile! Don’t miss these constantly updated cover photo templates for:

Facebook Page Cover Photo size

Facebook Group Cover Photo size

Facebook Event Cover Photo size

Facebook Personal Profile Cover Photo size

How to optimize Facebook link previews

Facebook link thumbnails, or preview images, are pulled from the web page they link to. So it’s likely you’re starting with an image you’ve compressed to load quickly on your site.

You do, however, want to ensure your image is of the proper size to get a large preview image.

If your blog post image isn’t big enough, then it will render as 154 x 154 or 90 x 90 px.

Facebook says:

Use images that are at least 1200 x 630 pixels for the best display on high resolution devices. At the minimum, you should use images that are 600 x 315 pixels to display link page posts with larger images. If your image is smaller than 600 x 315 px, it will still display in the link page post, but the size will be much smaller.

You can find all the details on the article below.

LEARN MORE: The Secret to Getting a Large Facebook Link Thumbnail

How to optimize Facebook profile pictures

Your profile picture will appear on Facebook at 160 pixels square, but the minimum size for uploading is 180 pixels square.

I suggest you crop your photo to a square, then size it down to 360 pixels square (double the minimum size) and save at the highest file size JPG.

Want more tips on profile pictures?

LEARN MORE: 5 Steps to the Best Profile Picture for Facebook

How to optimize Facebook photos: Conclusion

We’ve covered the top Facebook photo types here:

  • Facebook wall posts
  • Facebook Cover Photos
  • Facebook link previews
  • Facebook profile pictures

And I’ve linked to in-depth info for many!

There are so many more kinds of Facebook photos! Need more? I cover allll the Facebook sizes!

LEARN MORE: The Latest Facebook Image Dimensions 2019

Review the info above, and in the linked articles.

Still have questions? Ask in a comment!

Pin it to help others with how to optimize photos for Facebook!

How to Optimize Photos for Facebook image for Pinterest

Filed Under: Facebook Tips Tagged With: Facebook changes 2014, Facebook Fan Page Timeline, Facebook photos, optimize photos for facebook

About Louise Myers

Louise Myers is a graphic design expert whose designs have been featured by Disney, Macy's, WalMart and more. Her straightforward writing style empowers small business owners to make their own graphics for social media success!

Comments

  1. Tom Treanor says

    August 9, 2012 at 4:27 PM

    Louise,

    I’m a big fan of your blog (but you know that)! Keep the great content coming…

    Tom

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 9, 2012 at 4:55 PM

      Thank you Tom, and back atcha!

      Reply
  2. Alicia Arenas says

    August 9, 2012 at 6:41 PM

    Louise, I’m so grateful to have found your blog and your expertise. I’m looking forward to learning from you. Thanks for the post!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 9, 2012 at 7:35 PM

      Thanks so much Alicia! I feel the same about you, so I consider that a high compliment!

      Reply
  3. christybroccardo says

    August 10, 2012 at 8:36 AM

    Fun fact, my daughter’s friend (a high school student) created the app for memegenerator, and my daughter is the one who designed the graphics for the app. Made my day to see it mentioned here today!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 10, 2012 at 9:57 AM

      How totally awesome! Clever kids 😉

      Thanks for making me smile!

      Reply
  4. Dyane says

    August 16, 2012 at 10:44 AM

    Thank you so much for this enlightening article Louise! The image I use for my business is red. After the change to the FB Timeline, it looked orange. Now, I understand why. I will see if my graphics designer can fix it for me. I’m all thumbs when it comes to Photoshop. 🙂 Dyane

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 16, 2012 at 2:16 PM

      Thanks for visiting and commenting, Dyane! Best of luck with your page and the red image.

      Reply
  5. Deborah says

    March 16, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    I am so thankful for this Facebook information. As a designer getting back into the business after kids, a lot has changed. Thanks for putting this info in one handy place.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      March 16, 2013 at 4:00 PM

      Welcome Deborah, glad you enjoyed the post!

      Reply
  6. Alva says

    December 19, 2013 at 7:01 PM

    So helpful! Thank you very much
    Could you please try IMAGEmini Lite and give me some feedback? It is a image optimize application. You can find it in Mac App Store.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 20, 2013 at 11:18 AM

      Sounds interesting, Alva, good luck with it!

      Reply
  7. Din says

    August 26, 2014 at 6:18 AM

    Thank you! I spent the last 2 hours exporting, with horrible results sharing it afterwards in Facebook. Your PNG8 hint saved me! 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 26, 2014 at 9:01 AM

      So glad it helped!

      Reply
  8. Dominic says

    April 24, 2015 at 2:30 AM

    The png worked a treat. Who knew it could be that simple. Thanks Louise. Great content 😀

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      April 24, 2015 at 3:55 PM

      It is simple, isn’t it, Dominic? Glad you found it useful!

      Reply
  9. Djordje says

    October 12, 2015 at 12:59 PM

    How upload png images to facebook ?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      October 12, 2015 at 1:42 PM

      Hi,
      They work just the same as any images. For a new post, use the photo/video button. On a comment, click the camera icon.

      Reply
  10. x130 says

    March 20, 2016 at 11:45 PM

    Been searching EVERYWHERE for this simple solution (PNG8 compression).
    You’re a lifesaver!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      March 21, 2016 at 10:49 AM

      So glad it helped!

      Reply
  11. Mary says

    October 13, 2017 at 9:51 AM

    Hi Louise, thanks for posting this! Do you know if these workarounds and tips are still applicable?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      October 18, 2017 at 6:05 AM

      As far as I know!

      Reply
  12. anonymous says

    November 4, 2018 at 4:11 PM

    Louise, I read somewhere that the best dimensions for Facebook’s photo galleries are 960 px X 720 px. I post a lot of concert photos and it seems like Facebook compresses them arbitrarily. Oh, I also work in LightRoom more than in PhotoShop. What are your thoughts? Thanks for a great post.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 4, 2018 at 4:41 PM

      Facebook is extremely flexible when it comes to photo post size. But they do compress photos to death. Not sure if the PNG file trick still works. It’s also possible that compressing and uploading small file sizes will save them from being mangled. I really haven’t looked into this topic for so long. It’s definitely due for an update.

      Reply
  13. Louise Myers says

    July 3, 2014 at 3:09 PM

    You’re welcome!

    Reply

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