Instagram’s Help Center recommends a 420 × 654 px Reel cover photo (1:1.55), checked October 20, 2026 (UTC).
This editor exports 1080 × 1920, a site-chosen 9:16 canvas that shows the 420 × 654 cover ratio as a reference; it is not an Instagram recommended size.
Pick one of four cover layouts, add your own image and title, and download a PNG at that size. Everything runs in your browser; your images are never uploaded.
Both small previews use the 1080 × 1920 design. The left one can show the official 420 × 654 cover-ratio reference; it is a drawing model, not a live Instagram preview. Scroll a small preview if it does not fit your screen.
Preparing preview…
Only when a PNG exceeds this tool’s 2,000,000-byte comparison line does the JPG alternative appear, at quality 0.9 and the same pixels. This line is a product choice, not an Instagram upload limit. Each download reports the encoded file’s actual pixels and bytes.
The size page says an upload can use a video aspect-ratio range, needs a “minimum resolution of 720 pixels”, and that the “recommended size for cover photos is 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)”. It also says you “can’t edit your cover photo after you’ve uploaded it”. It does not state a 1080 × 1920 recommendation; 1080 × 1920 is this editor’s chosen 9:16 output.
We also measured three different signed-out official Instagram embeds from @instagram: DeroUGDhF2D, DeewiSPpCrm and DecLR_vvrW6. Each media container rendered at 1280 × 1600 CSS px in a 1280 × 800 window and 375 × 468.75 CSS px in a 375 × 812 window, both 4:5. The desktop container extended below the viewport. These are embed display containers, not video pixels or a cover recommendation.
The profile Reels grid opened behind a sign-up/login dialog in the fresh signed-out sessions, so no unobstructed grid sample was counted.
Sample date: October 20, 2026 (UTC). Sample: three official embeds from @instagram in a fresh signed-out Chrome profile with en-US language at two viewports; grid samples: zero. Not covered: the consumer Reel player, profile-grid crop, apps, TV, logged-in feeds, other accounts, other countries and the video pixels behind each embed. US egress was not independently verified; locale and timezone are not proof of location. The 4:5 result describes the embed display container, not every Instagram surface. The 420 × 654 cover recommendation, the video aspect-ratio range and the 4:5 embed reading are kept separate.
Measured on October 21, 2026 (UTC) in Chrome on macOS with the longest admitted text fixtures, the 1080 × 1920 render returned these bounds: Layout 1: placed boxes end at or before x 981 and y 798 on the 1080 x 1920 canvas.Layout 2: placed boxes end at or before x 978 and y 1600 on the 1080 x 1920 canvas.Layout 3: placed boxes end at or before x 1080 and y 1445 on the 1080 x 1920 canvas.Layout 4: placed boxes end at or before x 981 and y 1258 on the 1080 x 1920 canvas. Bounds include the outline and depend on the fonts installed on the device; shorter text ends earlier. Every placed box is checked against the canvas and the official cover-ratio reference band before export.
How to set an Instagram Reel cover
The steps below are from the official Help Center pages read on October 20, 2026 (UTC).
Computer
Click Create on the left, then Post.
Click Select from computer and choose the video.
Click Next in the top right.
Under Cover photo, use the slider to choose a frame, or click Select from computer to choose an image on your device.
Click Next, then Share.
iPhone
From your Feed, tap Create, then REEL.
Record a clip or choose a video from your camera roll, then tap Next.
Tap Edit cover to select a new cover photo or add one from your device.
Tap Share.
In this tool
Pick one of the four layouts.
Add your own image and, when shown, an optional person or object image.
Add the title, comparison labels or number, then choose color, font, outline and frame.
Check the small 9:16 preview and the official cover-ratio reference band, then download PNG.
Use the official cover step above to choose the downloaded image, and use Add to profile grid if you want the Reel on your profile’s main grid.
The official Manage reels page lists Add to profile grid but does not state a grid crop ratio or an Adjust preview step. This tool therefore does not draw a grid-crop rule. The size page also says you cannot edit the cover after upload, so check the chosen image before sharing.
How to use
Choose Big title top, Face + short line, Before and after or Number list.
Add your image and text. A transparent second image defaults to As is; an opaque one defaults to Rounded.
Download the 1080 × 1920 PNG and read back its pixels and bytes. The small previews are not part of the exported file.
Layouts that read at small sizes
Big title top keeps a short title in the upper design area. Face + short line places a heading above a framed subject. Before and after splits the canvas into two picture areas with one label each. Number list pairs a large number and label with a title below. Short wording stays larger when the cover is shown small.
Instagram reel dimension and aspect ratio
If you are checking an ig reel dimension, the official page gives a video aspect-ratio range from 1.91:1 through 9:16, with a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. For ig reels aspect ratio, the official page allows that range; this editor uses a 9:16 canvas as its site choice. The phrase instagram reel dimensions can describe the uploaded video, while the official cover recommendation is a separate 420 × 654 image. The exported 1080 × 1920 PNG is a tool choice and is not presented as an official recommendation.
Reel cover and grid crop
The current size page recommends a 420 × 654 cover (1:1.55). The Manage reels page says a Reel can be added to the profile grid but does not publish a grid crop ratio or crop-adjustment steps. Our three signed-out embed samples rendered a 4:5 media container; that is an embed container observation, not a profile-grid rule. The page keeps these readings separate: the official 420 × 654 cover recommendation, the video aspect-ratio range, and the measured 4:5 embed container.
No. Decode, drawing and export run locally, without uploading your image.
Is it free?
Yes. No account, payment or usage limit is required.
What size should an Instagram Reel be?
The current Help Center gives a video aspect-ratio range with a minimum resolution of 720 pixels and separately recommends a 420 × 654 px cover photo (1:1.55), checked October 20, 2026 (UTC). This editor’s 1080 × 1920 PNG is a site choice, not an Instagram recommended size.
Can it remove the background from a photo?
No. Use a frame or your own image with existing transparency.
Is there a template library?
No. Four layouts are edited here with your own images and words.
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