Tumblr size guide: how to create beautiful Tumblr headers and icons

Tumblr is one of the first iterations of a social media platform, though not in the traditional sense. It evolved from the blogging phenomenon in the early 2000s and quickly became a massive community of microbloggers, full of unique and varied subcultures.

Created in 2007, today there are over 200 million blogs publishing over 80 million posts each day. That’s a lot of content! Tumblr’s content is organized in #tags, which are essentially just hashtags that create topic clusters.

On Tumblr, users can share almost any type of content they can dream up, including articles, text posts, photos, videos, audio files, and animated GIFs. The primary way users interact with each other is through comments on each other’s posts and ‘reblogging’ content to their own blog, similar to the retweet functionality on Twitter.

Images are the most popular post type on Tumblr, so if you can curate top-notch graphics for your page, it’s likely these posts will be reblogged, and your following will grow!

Funny text posts like the one below are also very popular.

Image via sweatpantsandcofee

Have you been considering starting your own Tumblr blog? Or maybe your existing page needs some updating? Well, there are a few things you can do to customize your home page, and we’ve got some easy-to-use templates to get you started.

You’ll also want to consider your design and branding and brainstorm how you can synchronize your style and color scheme across different social media platforms. Tumblr offers some great customization options, one of the best compared to other social media platforms.

So, where should you start if you want to get into blogging on Tumblr? Or if you just want to revamp your page? Look no further!

In this guide, we’ll cover the recommended size for each type of image that you will need to update your Tumblr profile, including sizes for profile images, header images, ads, and posts. Check out our Tumblr Image size cheat sheet below.

Tumblr icon size

Your Tumblr profile icon is a square image. Ideally, you should upload it as a .JPG or .PNG file, and the optimal size is 128 x 128 pixels.

This image will display at the top of your profile feed when someone clicks on your username and appear next to all of your posts as a thumbnail icon.

As with any social media icon, it’s important to make sure the image is a good representation of your brand and is distinct enough for your followers to recognize you by. With our design tools and this guide, it'll be easy to stand out.

It’s common to use bold, artsy imagery for your Tumblr icon. And, of course, it’s important to note the pixels and proper dimensions when selecting your image as well.

eep in mind that your icon will display differently on a desktop compared to a mobile device. Here’s an example of what your Icon will look like on the desktop dashboard. Notice that the profile image is to the left of the post templates.

Image courtesy of PCMag

How to create your own Tumblr icon

Whether you're trying to become a Tumblr blogger and promote your blog through social media marketing or just lurk around other people's blogs, you'll need an icon image to customize your profile.

Instead of just uploading a random photo, why not try to make your own unique image with custom graphic design elements? It's easy to do in Linearity Curve, where photo customization is as easy as just a few taps with an Apple Pencil!

Our auto-trace feature and other design tools allow you to resize and change your favorite images easily. Adding graphic design elements to an existing image can be a great way to make a unique design without creating it from scratch.

And our integration with Unsplash means that beautiful royalty-free images are right at your fingertips within the app itself! Unsplash all their free images with unlimited download!

Tumblr header size

On a desktop, your banner will display at 3000 x 1055 pixels, but on mobile, it will display at a lower resolution of 640 x 360 pixels.

Be sure to upload an image that is at least 3000 x 1055 pixels so that your picture appears at the quality that you desire. Also, be sure to watch your header image height, maximum size, and resolution to make sure your image does not compress or appear grainy.

Your Tumblr header image is a great space to showcase your style and draw more followers to your blog. Since it’s part of a responsive page, your banner will stretch and be displayed at different sizes depending on the device that is being used to view it.

How to create your own Tumblr banner

Now that we’ve covered the correct header size for your Tumblr banner, you’re ready to make your own! It's easy to do in Linearity Curve.

Ideally, your banner image should reflect some characteristic of your profile photo so that you create continuity between the assets on your page. These images should flow well together.

Here's a glimpse into what your Tumblr avatar, banner, and blog title will look like when displayed on your profile.

Image courtesy of Pixelied

You can do this by importing the avatar photo into a new document, where you can alter it, or just use it as a reference for your new document.

Just make sure you set the photo dimensions correctly, as mentioned above!

Once you've created your image in Linearity Curve, export it in whichever format you wish. Remember to keep an eye on the file size - you don't want your image to be too big or too small; instead, strike a happy medium between quality and file size.

You can balance your designs by customizing your Tumblr’s colors, fonts, and layout. With Vectornator, you can extract colors from an image and use it for your design color palette. This color can then be used for your blog’s background color!

Get this template free

Get this template free

Tumblr posts

Tumblr’s dashboard images have a minimum size of 500 x 750 pixels, a maximum expanded size of 2048 x 3072 pixels, and a recommended size of 1280 x 1920 pixels for a 2:3 aspect ratio.

Tumblr’s accepted image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP with a maximum file size of 20MB.

Each post will look different when displayed on mobile compared to desktop or iPad. Here’s an example of the slight differences.

Image courtesy of Instapage

Tumblr image posts can be made as a singular photo or as a photo set of images. If you’re posting 1 image at a time, it will be displayed at 500 pixels wide. If you’re posting 2 images, they will each be displayed at 245 pixels wide, and for three images, each will be displayed at 160 pixels wide.

How to create your own Tumblr posts

Tumblr's basic post templates can be great for a beginner or a quick share, but you might want to consider using their “text” option for a bit more customization. Their template image posts will only allow for posting one image with a caption and tags.

And what if you’re a business looking to get into blogging? Tumblr welcomes businesses and brands to create content and makes it easy for people to discover and share that content.

Tumblr’s niche content and #tags allow you to find your audience and curate content directly for them. The ideal business image size is the same as any other Tumblr image, 1280 x 1920 pixels.

Tumblr is an underrated asset for businesses and brands!

If you’re considering posting ads for your business on Tumblr, the recommended size for graphics is 1280 x 1920 pixels. As always, make sure your ads are eye-catching and bold to try and convert casual viewers into consumers.

Another element of Tumblr design to keep in mind is how your Tumblr images, posts, and layout will look in dark mode compared to light mode. Here’s an example of what a dark mode Tumblr post looks like.

Image courtesy of Reddit

Tumblr has changed over the years, but one thing that has never changed is their emphasis on customization. While platforms like Twitter and Facebook only allow you to change small aspects of your page like your profile image and header picture, Tumblr gives you complete control over the appearance of your page.

They have both free and paid options available. Once you choose your theme, Tumblr allows you to test the look out before you select it and make a permanent change to your page.

There are countless themes on Tumblr, grid themes, wide image themes, and more. You’ll have plenty of options to pick from and endless opportunities to make your page stand out from the rest.

Here’s an excellent example of what a theme on Tumblr looks like. This one is relatively minimalistic, and you can see they opted for a wide image theme rather than a grid style.

Image courtesy of Precrafted

Once your theme is set up, you’ll need to get started on making or redoing your current graphics to complete your Tumblr transformation. That’s where we come in!

Our pre-made templates make designing graphics for Tumblr a breeze, without having to stress about your image format and size. This size guide is essential for your Tumblr toolkit.