X post image size and timeline ratios
The short answer
A single image in an X post is best at 1600 × 900 (16:9) for landscape or 1200 × 1200 (1:1) for a square, under 5 MB — checked 31 July 2026.
Source: X Help — How to post pictures or GIFs · Last checked · CORROBORATED
16:9 at 1600 × 900 is the standard landscape working size for a single timeline image. X blocks automated reads of its help centre, so the 5 MB ceiling is corroborated rather than quoted.
Workbench
1600 × 900 · 16:9
Add your image
Drag a file here, paste from the clipboard, or choose one below. PNG, JPEG and WebP.
Nothing is uploaded. The file is read by this tab only.
Runs on your device. Your image is decoded, cropped and encoded by this browser tab. It is never uploaded, and there is no image-processing service behind this page.
Why this asset is awkward
X crops timeline images to fit its own card, and a photo with the wrong ratio gets its top and bottom trimmed in the feed even though the full version appears when tapped. That is fine for a holiday photo and fatal for a chart or a quote graphic, where the cropped part is the point.
Exporting at a ratio the timeline keeps avoids the problem entirely. This page offers the two that work — 16:9 landscape and 1:1 square — with a timeline preview so you can see the composition the way a scrolling reader will.
Exact specification
| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Formats | File limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X post image (landscape) | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 | png, jpeg | 5.00 MB |
| X post image (square) | 1200 × 1200 | 1:1 | png, jpeg | 5.00 MB |
This one page also answers: twitter image size, twitter aspect ratio, x post image dimensions. They describe the same asset, so they share a single URL rather than getting a thin page each.
What the overlays mean
The inset box is our own guideline. Timeline images are rendered with rounded corners at a modest width, so text pressed to the edge of the canvas is clipped by the corner radius and looks accidental. Keeping it inside the centre 88% is enough.
- Timeline legibility corekeep content herePost image 16:9
- Social Toolshed guideline: the timeline renders a single image narrow. Keep text inside the centre 88% so it clears the rounded corners.
- Timeline legibility corekeep content herePost image 1:1
- Social Toolshed guideline: keep text inside the centre 88%.
Three things that go wrong
- 01
Square holds more height in the feed
A 1:1 image occupies noticeably more vertical space in the timeline than 16:9 — useful when the image is the post.
- 02
Screenshots need padding, not cropping
A code or chart screenshot cropped to 16:9 loses its edges. Fit it inside the canvas with a solid background instead — the fit mode and background control on this page do it in one step.
- 03
PNG for text, JPEG for photos
JPEG artefacts cluster around hard edges, which is exactly what text and chart lines are. PNG at 1600 × 900 stays well under 5 MB for flat graphics.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best image size for an X post?
1600 × 900 for landscape, or 1200 × 1200 for square. Both are ratios the timeline renders without cropping. Under 5 MB keeps the upload comfortable on web.
Why does X crop my image in the timeline?
Because the source ratio does not match what the card renders, so X shows a centre crop and reveals the rest only on tap. Exporting at 16:9 or 1:1 avoids it.
Does X strip image metadata?
X re-encodes uploaded images, which typically removes EXIF metadata. That is not something this tool controls — but note that Social Toolshed also removes EXIF, because every export is redrawn on a canvas and only the pixels are encoded.
Is a 4:5 portrait image worth using on X?
The timeline treats tall images inconsistently, so this tool does not offer 4:5 for X. If you want vertical, the safest option that always renders in full is 1:1.
More X sizes
The same job on other platforms
Need several of these at once? The One Image to Social Pack takes a single focal point and exports every destination you choose as one ZIP with a manifest.