How to post landscape and portrait Instagram: Mastering Instagram's Landscape and Portrait Formats

Posting both landscape and portrait images on Instagram can help showcase your visual content in its best format, whether you're sharing sweeping outdoor views or beautiful vertical shots. Instagram supports multiple aspect ratios, no longer restricting you to the traditional square crop. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure your landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) images look great in your feed and maintain high quality:

1. Select Your Image: Open Instagram and tap the "+" button to create a new post. Choose the photo you want from your gallery.
2. Adjust the Aspect Ratio: By default, Instagram shows your image as a square. Tap the Expand icon (two outward-facing arrows in the corner) to switch between square, landscape (1.91:1), or portrait (4:5) modes. This helps your image display in its original proportion, whether horizontal or vertical.
3. Multiple Images: If you’re uploading a carousel (multiple images in one post), remember that all images will conform to the aspect ratio of the first photo selected. Plan your image choices and cropping accordingly.
4. Edit and Enhance: Use Instagram’s editing tools to adjust brightness, contrast, filters, sharpness, and alignment. Proper editing ensures your content stands out, regardless of its orientation.
5. Consider Overall Feed Aesthetics: As a designer, I always think about how mixed orientation images will appear in your profile’s grid layout. Balancing landscapes and portraits can create a striking visual rhythm that enhances your personal or brand feed, much like composing the layout of a living space for visual flow. For more precise visual planning, leveraging a room planner can help you map out different “zones”—similarly, mapping your Instagram feed with varied formats keeps your visual storytelling fresh and engaging.
6. Post: Once you’re satisfied with your adjustments, add your caption, tags, and location, then share your post.

Tips 1:

Pay attention to the resolution of your images. Instagram’s optimal resolution for landscape is 1080 x 566 pixels, and for portrait is 1080 x 1350 pixels. Exporting your images at these dimensions keeps them crisp. If you’re a creative professional, using tools that preview or plan your feed layout (like moodboarding in interior design) can be valuable for maintaining a cohesive brand style online.

FAQ

Q: What’s the best aspect ratio for landscape photos on Instagram?

A: The best aspect ratio for landscape images is 1.91:1 (typically 1080 x 566 pixels) to maintain full width without cropping.

Q: How about portrait images?

A: Portrait images are best displayed at a 4:5 ratio (1080 x 1350 pixels) for maximum vertical impact.

Q: Can I mix landscape and portrait images in a single carousel post?

A: Instagram forces all images in a carousel to follow the aspect ratio of the first image, so plan accordingly.

Q: Will mixing landscape and portrait images ruin the look of my Instagram grid?

A: If you use a thoughtful posting strategy, alternating orientations can enhance your grid layout, much as varied furniture arrangements add character to a room.

Q: How can I preview my Instagram feed layout before posting?

A: Use third-party apps or plan externally—similar to using a designer’s floor plan—so you can visualize how your posts will appear together.