LinkedIn is the most prominent social media platform for building business connections. Even though your resume should speak for itself, your LinkedIn page is the starting point for potential new career opportunities.

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Why is LinkedIn important for designers and marketers? Over 900 million people use LinkedIn. LinkedIn attracts about 50% of the social media traffic to B2B blogs and websites.

In this guide, we'll share essential tips for creating professional LinkedIn profile images, posts, and more.

Like many social media networks, LinkedIn has a profile picture and background image as its main components. You can upload your favorites or be creative and customize from a template.

Using the correct image sizes will ensure image quality and visibility across devices. See our quick-reference LinkedIn image sizing chart below:

Updated LinkedIn image and video sizes guide

This table is a quick reference guide to help you and your team with all the necessary image specifications for LinkedIn pages, posts, and ads. ​

Image type Recommended size Aspect ratio Format File size
Profile photo 400 x 400px 1:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Background (cover) image 1584 x 396px 4:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Company logo 300 x 300px 1:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Company cover image 1128 x 191px 6:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Shared image or link 1200 x 627px 1.91:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 5MB
LinkedIn Stories (mobile only) 1080 x 1920px 9:16 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Video 4096 x 2304px 16:9 (recommended), 1:1 MP4, MOV, AVI, and more Up to 5GB
Single Image ads 1200 x 627px 1.91:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Sponsored Content image 1200 x 627px 1.91:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 5MB
Sponsored Content video 4096 x 2304px 16:9, 1:1, or 4:5 MP4, MOV, AVI, and more Up to 200MB
Sponsored InMail banner creative 300 x 250px 1.2:1 JPG, GIF, PNG 40KB
Group logo 300 x 300px 1:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Group cover photo 1536 x 768px 2:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Life Page background image 1128 x 376px 3:1 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Life Page custom modules 502 x 282px 16:9 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Life Page company photos 900 x 600px 3:2 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB
Document post 816 x 1056px 3:4 PDF, PPT, DOCX Up to 300 pages, 100MB
Product page images 900 x 600px 3:2 PNG, JPEG Up to 8MB per image
LinkedIn background image size

LinkedIn profile photo size

The LinkedIn personal profile image sizes appear much more prominent on mobile devices, so it's crucial to select quality images at the ideal image size range.

It's also a great idea to use a JPG file, as it's easy to upload across many social networks and will rarely exceed 8MB for photos due to good image compression quality.

When you upload the image, you'll see how the square image looks when cropped. Sometimes, your favorite portrait just doesn't look great when cropped to the circular image dimensions.

Also, be aware of LinkedIn's guidelines and conditions for profile photos to avoid having your image removed. LinkedIn personal profile images may not consist solely of the following:

  • Company logos
  • Emoji
  • A landscape
  • Animals
  • Words or phrases
  • Flags
  • Childhood or baby photos
  • Stock imagery, celebrities, depictions of fictional characters
  • Any other person's likeness

LinkedIn background image size

A LinkedIn background image, also called a cover or banner image, is the rectangular image at the top of your profile page behind your profile photo or company logo.

Pay attention to the type of image because it has a very wide aspect ratio. Keep in mind that this panoramic image will only include details in a horizontal strip.

The maximum size for your personal LinkedIn background image is 1584 x 396px. The file size for the image must be smaller than 8MB, and the file types may be JPG or PNG.

Digital marketing LinkedIn cover
Sale LinkedIn background template
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You can create personal profiles and company profiles on LinkedIn. Company profile pages represent brands or companies, and employees can add their companies when updating their Experience profile sections.

LinkedIn's default background image includes a blue gradient, dots, and lines reminiscent of its network platform. Here, a subtle color palette and transparency lend a feeling of depth, making the profile image seem to pop from the screen.

LinkedIn visually highlights the essential elements of its company branding, and you can follow suit for your own customized profile background.

LinkedIn default profile and background image
Image source: LinkedIn

Let's look at a few examples of great company profiles on LinkedIn.

3 examples of great LinkedIn company profiles

Linearity

Linearity LinkedIn
Image source: LinkedIn

On our company's profile, the Linearity logo is prominently displayed in the company profile picture. Our background image features our signature orange brand color and a few design elements.

Our tagline, "Design in motion," appears prominently at the center of our banner, followed by a slogan: "What's your next move?"

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Pro tip: As your LinkedIn background image is much larger than your profile photo, you can leverage it to bring across your brand message.

Tesla

Tesla LinkedIn
Image source: LinkedIn

Tesla leverages its LinkedIn account for various goals. In addition to engaging the company's 12+ million followers, Tesla's LinkedIn profile needs to be attractive to new business partners, customers, and prospective employees.

See how Tesla used its company logo on the brand's red color to make the profile photo stand out from the background image. The background image shows an engineering lab with two Tesla engineers in the foreground.

LinkedIn geometric cover template
LinkedIn future tech background template

Google

Google LinkedIn
Image source: LinkedIn

The primary colors associated with Google's brand are eye-catching and playful. Google uses colorful design elements combined with minimalistic layouts and focused images.

Unlike Tesla, Google often updates its LinkedIn background image to promote current events, such as the annual Google I/O developer conference.

You can take these examples into account when designing the perfect custom background image that appeals directly to your audience and helps them know who you are. Choose a professional, high-quality image.

linkedin profile image dimensions

LinkedIn profile design ideas

Unlike Facebook and other social media platforms, LinkedIn doesn't allow you to upload video content or a GIF to the background image. This doesn't mean that you can't be creative with your LinkedIn cover.

A few ideas to include videos and images in your profile and increase engagement:

  • Post videos to your LinkedIn Feed and feature them on your profile. Keep it to under 10 minutes long. The minimum size is 256 x 144px, while the maximum size is 4096 x 2304px.
  • Add Document posts. These posts allow you to upload a PDF or presentation as an interactive carousel on LinkedIn.
  • Author an article on LinkedIn. This special post type will make your profile stand out from the rest and encourage even more profile engagement. Both personal and company profiles can post LinkedIn articles.
  • Create and host an event. You can create an event from your LinkedIn profile or from a Page if you're an admin. LinkedIn Events are a great way to connect with business contacts on the platform.
  • Add a link to your website. You can add your Contact Info at the top of your LinkedIn profile. This will ensure profile visitors can find more information and content to help you grow your business network. This is also a great way to get more customers.

LinkedIn post image size

Since visual content such as videos and images usually takes more time to create, most LinkedIn posts are either plain text, a shared link to a website, or text accompanied by an image.

When you post LinkedIn images, you should remember that they'll display in different sizes on desktop and mobile.

On the desktop browser version, LinkedIn post dimensions should ideally be 1200 x 1200px. The LinkedIn post image dimensions on a smartphone should ideally be 1200 x 628px.

LinkedIn post design template
LinkedIn tech post design template

LinkedIn company cover photo image size

Another thing to keep in mind is that the ideal size of the cover image for your company profile differs from the LinkedIn background image on your personal profile.

We recommend using 1400 x 425px to get the best results.

linkedIn company cover Image dimenons

‍LinkedIn Life Tab background image size

The Life Tab on LinkedIn enables you to acquire new talents or other viewers by showing some of your company culture highlights. The recommended banner image size is 1128 x 376px.

linkedIn Life tab cover Image dimenons

LinkedIn ads

Are you thinking about running ads on LinkedIn? That is a great idea if your audience is active on this social media platform.

Unfortunately, LinkedIn ads are not as affordable as Facebook ads.

Let's look at the different types of ads you can create on LinkedIn and the best image and video sizes for each of them:

When you sponsor a post, you don't have to create anything from scratch. You can use the content you've already shared and promote it.

If you need to sponsor a post with an image, the recommended size for the display image is 1200 x 627px.

linkedin design template

This feature allows you to send messages to LinkedIn accounts you're not yet connected with. It's a helpful feature for growing your audience by sending personalized messages to your target audience.

If you also want to include a banner ad in your LinkedIn sponsored InMail, the recommended size for banner creatives is 300 x 250px. The allowed formats are JPG, GIF (non-animated), and PNG. The maximum file size is 40KB.

Video ads

Video ads are ideal for showcasing your products or brand dynamically across LinkedIn. While videos can range from 3 seconds to 30 minutes, it's recommended to keep them under 15 seconds for optimal engagement.

Shorter videos tend to perform better, as viewers are more likely to watch them from start to finish.

For desktop:

  • Horizontal:
    • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
    • Sizes: 1920 x 1080px or 1200 x 675px
  • Square:
    • Aspect Ratio: 1:1
    • Sizes: 360 x 360px or 1920 x 1920px

For mobile:

  • Vertical:
    • Aspect Ratio: 9:16
    • Size: 720 x 920px

File specifications:

  • File size: 75KB to 200MB
  • Frame rate: Less than 30fps

Keeping these specs in mind will help ensure your video ads are optimized for both desktop and mobile platforms, providing a better viewing experience and enhancing engagement.

 

Ready to take your LinkedIn profile to the next level?

LinkedIn is an excellent platform for jump-starting your career or finding the next job opportunity. It's also an ideal platform to promote your company and products or services.

Whatever you aim to achieve with your LinkedIn profile, paying close attention to your image quality is essential for creating a lasting impression.

To have the most significant visual impact, follow the guidelines provided in this post.

Linearity Curve has all the tools you need to create stunning social media visuals.

Want to turn your static designs into animations? No problem. Linearity Move's Auto Animate feature and intuitive animation controls put the power at your fingertips.

Our built-in image size template library makes setting up your LinkedIn designs a breeze. You can also fast-track your design process using our expanding library of customizable static and animated designs.

Ready to try innovative marketing design and animation software? Get started for free below, or check out our Pro and Org pricing for professionals and teams.

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Animate marketing assets in seconds with Linearity Move.

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Frequently asked questions

What types of posts do you get on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn supports various types of posts to engage with your network and promote content:

  1. Text Posts: Simple updates without any media. Ideal for sharing quick thoughts or announcements.
  2. Image Posts: Posts that include a single image or a gallery of images to visually engage your audience.
  3. Video Posts: Videos can be uploaded directly to LinkedIn to showcase content dynamically.
  4. Document Posts: Upload PDFs, presentations, or documents to share detailed information.
  5. Link Posts: Share links to external content, such as articles, blog posts, or company websites.
  6. Polls: Create polls to engage your audience and gather feedback or opinions.
  7. Events: Promote upcoming events, webinars, or workshops and invite your network to attend.
  8. Articles: Long-form content created using LinkedIn’s publishing platform, ideal for thought leadership and in-depth insights.

What's the difference between a LinkedIn cover and background image?

The difference between a LinkedIn cover photo and a background photo lies in their placement and purpose:

  • Cover photo: Used for LinkedIn articles. It appears at the top of the article, serving as a visual header to attract readers’ attention.
  • Background photo: Used for your personal profile. It serves as a backdrop behind your profile picture and headline, giving your profile a customized look and feel.

By differentiating these, you can optimize both your articles and your profile to make them visually appealing and engaging.

How do I create a LinkedIn post?

To create a LinkedIn post, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage.
  2. Click on the "Start a post" field at the top of the feed.
  3. Write your content in the text box. You can add images, videos, documents, or polls by clicking the respective icons.
  4. Choose the visibility settings for your post (e.g., Public, Connections only).
  5. Click "Post" to share it with your network.

How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile?

To optimize your LinkedIn profile:

  1. Use a professional profile picture.
  2. Add a compelling background photo.
  3. Write a strong headline and summary.
  4. Highlight your experience with detailed descriptions.
  5. Add skills and get endorsements.
  6. Request recommendations from colleagues.
  7. Include relevant keywords for better search visibility.

What software can I use to design LinkedIn posts and banners?

You can use vector design software like Linearity Curve or Adobe Illustrator to create profile photos, background image designs, and LinkedIn posts. For animated videos, try Linearity Move or Adobe Express.

The Linearity software suite is known for its intuitive yet advanced features for creating social media graphics and videos.

LinkedIn size guide [+ cover and post templates] | Linearity
LinkedIn size guide [+ cover and post templates] | Linearity