Image aspect ratios explained: an aspect ratio is an image's width compared with its height, written width:height. 1:1 is square (1080×1080), 4:5 is slightly tall (1080×1350), 9:16 is full-screen vertical (1080×1920) and 16:9 is widescreen (1920×1080). The ratio sets the shape; the pixel count sets the sharpness.
Every platform you post to wants a different shape. Instagram prefers 4:5, Stories want 9:16, Pinterest likes 2:3, YouTube and website banners use 16:9, and stores lean on 1:1. Upload the wrong shape and the platform crops it for you, often through the middle of your product. This guide gives a reference table of every common ratio with pixel sizes, shows how to calculate any ratio in ten seconds, and explains how to convert a photo from one ratio to another without cutting the product off.
- Aspect ratio = width : height. 4:5 means 4 units wide for every 5 tall, e.g. 1080×1350.
- Same ratio, different sizes: 1080×1080 and 2048×2048 are both 1:1. Size changes sharpness, not shape.
- To calculate: height = width × (second number ÷ first number). For 4:5 at 1080 wide: 1080 × 5 ÷ 4 = 1350.
- To convert without cropping: pad the canvas or extend the background with AI. Never stretch.
- Most-used for sellers: 1:1 (stores), 4:5 (Instagram and Facebook feeds), 9:16 (Stories, Reels, TikTok), 2:3 (Pinterest), 16:9 (banners, YouTube).
What is an aspect ratio?
It's the proportional relationship between an image's width and height. A 1080×1350 image and a 2160×2700 image have the same 4:5 aspect ratio, because both are 4 parts wide to 5 parts tall. One just has more pixels. That's why you'll see a ratio and a pixel size listed separately in platform specs: the ratio controls whether the image gets cropped, and the pixel size controls whether it looks sharp.
The first number is always width. So 9:16 is tall (vertical video) and 16:9 is wide (TV). Mixing them up is the most common reason a story comes out sideways or squashed.
Common image aspect ratios and where they're used
Here are the ratios that cover almost every online placement, with typical pixel sizes:
| Ratio | Shape | Typical pixel size | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | Square | 1080×1080, 2000×2000, 2048×2048 | Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Walmart product images; Instagram square; catalog ads |
| 4:5 | Slightly tall | 1080×1350, 1440×1800 | Instagram feed (tallest allowed), Facebook feed ads |
| 3:4 | Tall | 1080×1440; phone photos 3024×4032 | Default iPhone/Android photo shape; Instagram profile grid preview |
| 2:3 | Tall | 1000×1500 | Pinterest pins; 4×6 prints |
| 9:16 | Full-screen vertical | 1080×1920 | Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts |
| 16:9 | Widescreen | 1920×1080, 1280×720 | YouTube videos and thumbnails, website hero banners, slides |
| 1.91:1 | Wide | 1200×628 | Facebook link ads, Open Graph link previews, some Google display ads |
| 5:4 | Slightly wide | 2000×1600, 2500×2000 | Etsy listing photos; 8×10 prints (as 4:5 when upright) |
| 4:3 | Wide | 1600×1200; phone photos held sideways | Landscape phone photos, older displays, some marketplace thumbnails |
| 3:2 | Wide | 6000×4000 | DSLR and mirrorless camera photos |
Platform aspect ratios and pixel sizes were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Platforms update these from time to time, and some accept a range rather than one ratio. Instagram feed posts, for example, can be anything from 1.91:1 to 4:5. Our platform guides cover each one in depth: Instagram without cropping, Pinterest pin size and Facebook ad image size.
What is the 4:5 aspect ratio?
4:5 is a portrait shape that is 4 units wide for every 5 tall, slightly taller than square. The standard size is 1080×1350 pixels. It's the tallest shape Instagram allows in the feed, and Meta recommends it for Facebook and Instagram feed ads, because it fills more of a phone screen than a square without being cropped. In decimal terms, 4:5 is 0.8 (width divided by height).
4:5 is also the shape of an upright 8×10 inch print, which is why many camera apps offer it. Its landscape twin, 5:4, is what Etsy uses for 2000×1600 listing photos.
How do you calculate an aspect ratio?
Divide the width and height by their greatest common divisor, or simply divide width by height and compare the decimal.
- Find the ratio of an image: take 1080×1350. Both divide by 270, giving 4 and 5. So it's 4:5.
- Find the height for a ratio: height = width × (H ÷ W). For 9:16 at 1080 wide: 1080 × 16 ÷ 9 = 1920.
- Find the width for a ratio: width = height × (W ÷ H). For 16:9 at 720 tall: 720 × 16 ÷ 9 = 1280.
- Compare quickly with decimals: width ÷ height. 1:1 = 1.0, 4:5 = 0.8, 2:3 = 0.67, 9:16 = 0.56, 16:9 = 1.78, 1.91:1 = 1.91.
| Ratio | Decimal (W÷H) | Height at 1080 wide | Height at 2000 wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1.00 | 1080 | 2000 |
| 4:5 | 0.80 | 1350 | 2500 |
| 3:4 | 0.75 | 1440 | 2667 |
| 2:3 | 0.67 | 1620 | 3000 |
| 9:16 | 0.56 | 1920 | 3556 |
| 5:4 | 1.25 | 864 | 1600 |
| 4:3 | 1.33 | 810 | 1500 |
| 16:9 | 1.78 | 608 | 1125 |
| 1.91:1 | 1.91 | 565 | 1047 |
Some numbers don't divide neatly. 1200×628 is about 1.91:1, not exact, and 1080×566 is close enough that platforms accept it. Rounding to the nearest pixel is fine.
How do I change an image's aspect ratio without cropping the product?
Change the canvas, not the photo: pad it, blur-fill it, or extend the background with AI. Typing new width and height numbers with the aspect lock off stretches the image, which distorts the product, and buyers notice a squashed bottle immediately.
| Method | Keeps whole photo? | Looks natural? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crop | No | Yes | Subjects with plenty of space around them |
| Pad with a solid color | Yes | On plain backgrounds | Marketplace images on white |
| Blurred fill | Yes | Fairly; looks edited | Social posts and Stories |
| AI extend (outpainting) | Yes | Usually | Lifestyle photos and ads |
| Stretch | Yes | No, distorts | Never |
For square, our free square image maker pads with white, a color or a blur. For any other preset, such as Etsy 5:4 or Instagram 4:5, the free marketplace image resizer pads or crops to the exact pixel size in your browser. Our guide on how to make an image square walks through each option.
A 1:1 product photo turned into a 9:16 story needs almost twice as much new space as there is photo. White bars look unfinished there, and cropping a square to 9:16 cuts nearly half of it away. This is where AI extending earns its keep.
Converting with AI
An AI image extender generates new background around the photo to reach the target ratio, so the product stays the same size and nothing is cut. Our AI image extender produces channel sizes such as Instagram 1080×1350, Story/Reel 1080×1920, Pinterest 1000×1500, Etsy 2000×1600, Shopify 2048×2048, Facebook/Google ad 1200×628 and website banner 1920×1080, for 8 credits per size. The product is kept from your photo rather than redrawn. Our AI image extender guide covers which photos extend cleanly.
Have one good product photo and need it in 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 and 16:9? Extend it to each channel size without cropping the product.
Extend to new sizes7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardWhich aspect ratio should I shoot in?
Shoot in your phone's default 3:4 (or your camera's 3:2) at full resolution, and leave space around the product. A slightly loose shot can be cropped to 1:1, 4:5 or 2:3 later, for example with our free image cropper, which locks the crop box to each ratio; a tight shot can't be uncropped without AI. Shooting directly in 1:1 or 16:9 mode on a phone throws away pixels you might need for another channel.
- Leave margin on every side, about 15–20% of the frame.
- Center the product so any crop keeps it intact.
- Shoot at full resolution so crops still have enough pixels.
- Plan the main channel: for a store, compose for square; for TikTok, compose for vertical.
Does aspect ratio affect image quality?
No, the ratio alone doesn't. Quality depends on the number of pixels and how they were captured. But changing the ratio can hurt quality indirectly: cropping removes pixels, so a heavy crop may leave too few for a sharp result, and stretching distorts. If a crop leaves the image smaller than the platform wants, upscale it rather than stretching. AiArter's product photo studio includes upscaling alongside the channel sizes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 4:5 aspect ratio in pixels?
The standard 4:5 size is 1080×1350 pixels. Larger versions include 1440×1800 and 2160×2700. It's the tallest shape Instagram allows for feed posts.
What aspect ratio is 1080x1920?
1080×1920 is 9:16, the full-screen vertical shape used by Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Turned sideways, 1920×1080 is 16:9.
What aspect ratio is an iPhone photo?
iPhone photos are 4:3 by default (3:4 when held upright), for example 4032×3024 pixels. The Camera app also offers 1:1 and 16:9 modes, which crop the sensor's full image.
How do I calculate aspect ratio?
Divide the width and height by their greatest common divisor; 1920×1080 divides by 120 to give 16:9. To find a missing side, multiply: height = width × (second number ÷ first number).
What aspect ratio is best for product photos?
1:1 square for store and marketplace listings, 4:5 for Instagram and Facebook feeds, 9:16 for Stories, Reels and TikTok, and 2:3 for Pinterest. Shoot loose so one photo can be cropped or extended to each.
How do I change aspect ratio without cropping?
Pad the photo onto a canvas of the new shape with a solid or blurred fill, or use an AI image extender to generate matching background in the new space. Don't stretch the image, which distorts the product.
Extend a product photo to square, 4:5, 9:16, 2:3 and 16:9 channel sizes without cropping or redrawing the product.
Start free trialSee pricing7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
