Pinterest recommends 1000×1500 pixels (2:3 ratio) for standard pins. Taller images occupy more vertical space in Pinterest's masonry grid — more space means more visibility as users scroll. Pinterest caps feed display at a 1:2.8 ratio; anything taller gets cut off. Profile photos display at 165×165px as a circle.
| Image type | Recommended size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Standard pin | 1000 × 1500 px | 2:3 |
| Square pin | 1000 × 1000 px | 1:1 |
| Infographic pin (max) | 1000 × 2800 px | 1:2.8 (cap) |
| Story pin (Idea Pin) | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Profile photo | 165 × 165 px | 1:1 |
| Board cover | 600 × 600 px | 1:1 |
Why 2:3 portrait ratio outperforms square on Pinterest
Pinterest's feed is a masonry grid — multiple columns of pins, each at a fixed width with variable height. Every pin displays at the same column width (around 236px on desktop). The height varies based on the image's aspect ratio.
A square pin at 236px wide is 236px tall. A 2:3 portrait pin at 236px wide is 354px tall — 50% more vertical screen space. That additional height means more time in view as a user scrolls, which Pinterest's algorithm uses as an engagement signal. More feed space and more dwell time directly correlate with more repins and clicks.
The practical result: for the same content, a 2:3 pin typically outperforms a square pin on Pinterest. If you're repurposing content from Instagram (where square or 4:5 is optimal), reformat to 2:3 specifically for Pinterest rather than using the same image.
The 1:2.8 cap and why very tall pins get cut off
Pinterest displays pins in the feed up to a maximum ratio of 1:2.8 (width to height). A 1000×2800 pixel image is the tallest that will display fully in the feed without being cut off. Anything taller — common with long infographics — gets a "see more" clip in the feed and only shows fully when clicked.
This isn't necessarily bad. A very tall infographic that gets clipped with a "see more" prompt can drive curiosity clicks. But if you need the full image visible without interaction, cap your pin height at 2800px (at 1000px width) or keep the ratio within 1:2.8.
Text on Pinterest pins: PNG vs JPEG
Pinterest compresses images on upload. For pins that are primarily photographic, JPEG at 85%+ quality works well — photographic content compresses efficiently and the results look clean after Pinterest's processing.
For pins with significant text overlays — inspirational quotes, recipe instructions, product feature callouts — PNG produces sharper results. Pinterest's JPEG compression tends to soften the high-contrast edges of text, creating a subtle fuzz around letterforms that's most noticeable at smaller display sizes. The file will be larger, but the text will remain crisp.
If you want to keep file sizes manageable while using text-heavy designs, compress your PNG to under 500KB before uploading. Pinterest accepts images up to 20MB, but smaller files upload faster and give the platform less to recompress aggressively.
Idea Pins (Story Pins) and the 9:16 format
Pinterest's Idea Pins (previously Story Pins) use a 9:16 vertical format at 1080×1920px — the same as Instagram Stories and TikTok. These are multi-page, immersive pins that display full-screen. Unlike standard pins, Idea Pins don't include an outbound link — they're designed for engagement on Pinterest itself.
For Idea Pins, keep text and important design elements in the central safe zone (roughly 1080×1420px), as the top and bottom ~250px may be covered by the Pinterest UI. The same safe zone principle that applies to Instagram Stories applies here.
Preparing Pinterest images for upload
The optimal preparation workflow:
- Create at 1000×1500px (2:3) for standard pins
- Export as JPEG for photographic pins, PNG for text-heavy designs
- Compress to under 500KB — Pinterest accepts up to 20MB but smaller files produce better compression output from Pinterest's servers
- Include keyword-rich text in the pin title and description — Pinterest is a visual search engine and text metadata significantly affects discoverability