Uploading To Instagram Without Losing Image Quality

Something I noticed when posting to Instagram from my desktop was that the image quality was significantly worse than the version I had uploaded, with the blurred prototype inevitably getting less than favourable engagement. Later on some thorough enquiry though, I've managed to compile some reasons equally to why Instagram might be reducing the paradigm quality on your posts.

At that place are a few reasons why the image quality is reduced when uploading directly from your PC, one of which is that yous are not post-obit Instagram'south max resolution guidelines, which is currently set at 1080 x 1350px. Any epitome that is greater than the said resolution will be made smaller by Instagram and thus may bear upon the quality of the image.

Secondly, information technology also depends on the format of the image that you lot are using. Instagram's default format for images is JPEG (.jpg), meaning that any image that is uploaded in PNG (.png), BITMAP (.bmp), or anything other than JPEG, will be converted to JPEG and as such loses some of the quality during the conversion.

  • READ: How I Gained Over 100,000 Followers On Instagram
  • READ: How To Employ The Right Hashtags For You lot
  • READ: The BIGGEST Error I See People Making On Instagram

When you consider the number of images that are existence uploaded to Instagram every unmarried mean solar day and the server ability that is needed to run the platform, you'll soon forgive Instagram for reducing file sizes where possible. Try to keep your image file size to a minimum (without affecting image quality) to avoid having it be poorly compressed past Instagram.

Last but non to the lowest degree, Instagram is predominantly a mobile-based app, and as such prioritises uploads from mobile (or tablet) devices when it comes to quality. This means that images uploaded via your desktop, such every bit with the developer tools method, can sometimes run into a reduction in image quality when uploading to Instagram.

How to avert losing Image Quality on Instagram (with Photoshop)

For many people, who accept pictures of themselves, their dog or the local beach, epitome quality doesn't really tend to matter. However, if you're a artistic like me who designs content for their business and wants to constitute themselves every bit a professional person, then maintaining quality with your uploads is very important.

I similar to create my Instagram content using Photoshop, but the aforementioned principles will apply to whichever photo editing software you are using. In Photoshop you volition want to gear up a new file or artboard and ready it to Instagram'south maximum resolution (1080 x 1350px). Once you take created your design, yous need to go to File > Export > Save For Web (Legacy)…

For those that don't know, saving in this way volition allow you to alter the quality and file size of your final image. In the top right of the Salve For Web window, under Preset, y'all volition want to select JPEG as the file type. Below that, you can modify the overall quality of the image, starting from Low all the manner up to Maximum.

Here is a screenshot of the Save To Web window for my Bruce Lee post in Photoshop. I accept highlighted the areas you need to monitor in society to reduce size and maintain prototype quality, such every bit the quality setting and dimensions of the image.

Again, the reason for lowering the quality of the dropdown is to reduce the file size of the image and thus avoid Instagram taking the pinch into their own hands. You can monitor the size of the image in the bottom left (to a higher place case: 837.8K).

A lot of the time, you will actually find that the Very High or High setting reduces the file size significantly; without actually affecting the sharpness of the paradigm itself. You volition want to cull the setting that achieves the best balance betwixt the ii.

Once you lot're happy with the image file size and quality, you can hit the relieve button to save it to your computer. Post-obit that, yous volition desire to upload your new image to Google Bulldoze where you will and so download it to your mobile (or tablet) device. Y'all can so upload the image direct to Instagram from your mobile.

If you lot actually want to make the virtually of your mail service and go every bit much appointment every bit possible, so y'all'll want to also bank check out this ultimate guide I wrote for using hashtags on Instagram.

Determination

Instagram can often reduce the quality of your images during uploads for a wide number of reasons, only if you're looking to maintain quality so you should await to upload a high-quality, compressed JPEG file (max resolution: 1080 x 1350px) straight from your mobile or tablet to avoid any further compression past Instagram.

You can follow me on Instagram here!

Have any feedback or questions about this mail? Let me know in the comments below!

Something I noticed when posting to Instagram from my desktop was that the image quality was significantly worse than the version I had uploaded, with the blurred image inevitably getting less than favourable engagement. After some thorough research though, I've managed to compile some answers reasons as to why Instagram might be reducing the image quality on your posts.
Did you lot discover this post on improving the image quality of your Instagram posts helpful? If so, I would be very grateful if you could pin this prototype to Pinterest!

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That Really Get Results... Guaranteed

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That Really Get Results... Guaranteed

This Mail Has 56 Comments

  1. Groovy post, I was asking myself how much it shrink quality of photos when I send image to myself over messenger and so post it on Instagram. Then I read this article and used the Google Drive. I must say there is a bit more than depth and then sending over messenger. So yep Google Drive works fine.

    1. Mike Walters 28 Sep 2020 Reply

      Hey Abraham, glad to see that it worked for you lot using Google Drive. That's what I currently utilize! Posting straight from Creator Studio works well also of form.

  2. Lily Crocker 1 October 2020 Answer

    Hi! Is there a way to exercise to this from a mobile device? I do not have photoshop on my reckoner and am not looking to pay for it. Any tips?

    1. Mike Walters 1 October 2020 Respond

      Hullo Lily, you should discover that uploading a photograph from your phone should work well regardless of which editing software that you lot're using. Instagram is primarily a mobile-based app, and so it'due south only natural for the mobile uploads to be of practiced quality. In that location will always exist some level of compression, given the sheer number of photos that Instagram'south servers take to store, but not enough to ruin a photo. Hope this helps 🙂

    2. Wesley 1 Nov 2020 Reply

      I'd recommend using Google's Snapseed app or Adobe Photoshop Limited. Both of them are costless and allow you customize the export settings of your photos to specific resolutions and quality.

      1. Mike Walters 1 Nov 2020 Answer

        Great suggestions Wesley 🙂

  3. Ollie 16 Oct 2020 Answer

    Howdy, have you tried this method with other tools such every bit powerpoint? The basics seem to exist the same. I've tried to set up the aforementioned hight width simply when I export the image to jpeg and save, send to phone and finally transfer to instagram, instagram comprasses the image later a while. Any thoughts?

    1. Mike Walters 18 Oct 2020 Reply

      Hi Ollie, I haven't created carousels or posts using PowerPoint but the theory should exist the same. There is e'er going to exist a pocket-size bit of compression by Instagram when uploading to their platform, still, y'all can minimize this but uploading the image through the mobile app or via Instagram [Facebook] Creator Studio. Try uploading through one of those platforms and see how it goes

      1. Pavle Bogdanovic iv November 2021 Reply

  4. Sophia 19 Oct 2020 Reply

    Hello! My friend took some photos using her iPhone 7 plus and sent me the photos which I then I edited on my iPhone 11, and when I went to post the images to instagram, the photos came out blurry! What can I do to my photos to make sure they mail at a improve resolution because this photo was taken on an iPhone, not a DSLR then i'm dislocated every bit to how it would be blurry. Thanks!

    1. Mike Walters twenty Oct 2020 Reply

      Hello Sophia, I estimate it might depend on how your friend sent those photos to you. I know that in the past, I'd transferred some files over using Facebook Messenger and they lost some of the motion picture quality during that transfer. If you lot make sure to upload them to the Google Bulldoze (or something like) and and then download them from there, you might discover that the motion-picture show quality is a lot meliorate – depending on how you upload it of course. Upload the picture via your mobile or Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio. Permit me know how it goes 🙂

  5. Antonia 20 October 2020 Reply

    I use Canva to design my posts what would you propose to save the quality?

    1. Mike Walters 20 Oct 2020 Answer

      Howdy Antonia. Luckily for you, there are many great content creators that use Canva to pattern their posts. I would suggest saving every bit JPG and uploading either direct from the Instagram mobile app or via Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio

  6. Mike Walters 20 Oct 2020 Respond

    Haha! Well I can't imagine it'southward cheap to host billions of photos/videos 😅

  7. Alfonso iv November 2020 Reply

    Artwork
    Fine lines: go dirty and/or slightly moved.
    Thick lines: flattened.
    Colors: mixed, simplified, exagerated or all of them.

    This causes young artists to look worse than they are just because Instagram can't even give a F***g guide on how to use their site other than "tap here to upload". How nearly giving a proper tutorial or creative tips instead of creating 100 filters every month? I swear with social media…

    1. Mike Walters 6 November 2020 Reply

      Haha, I experience your pain Alfonso. Information technology'south truthful that some people's Instagram posts don't do their work justice!

  8. This is really helpful just i have a question, i was familiar with this workflow of reducing the resolution of your paradigm manually, just this helped me to improve that workflow, that being said, afterwards doing all that and make sure that my paradigm looks correctly for web and hi-quality, when i post it on Instagram in getting a terrible Banding specially in the sky area, i have remove all banding before as i said looks perfect in all web applications, so seems that IG still compressing my file for some reason, do you accept whatsoever thought about this? Thank you in Avant-garde

    1. Mike Walters ten Nov 2020 Respond

      Hi Tony, cheers for reaching out. I likewise suffer from the same banding bug on Instagram. I believe that the platform just isn't suited to such loftier-level photography. Which is ironic, given the premise of the platform. I've since tried to avoid gradients where possible. I'm sad I can't help much farther!

  9. Sofia 16 Nov 2020 Reply

    Hi! I apply Canva on both my laptop and iPhone. Afterward downloading images from the mobile app and uploading them to Instagram, they still experience lower quality and a slight change in colour. Do you have more tips on this? Thanks!

    1. Mike Walters 18 Nov 2020 Reply

      Howdy Sofia, I can't really say without seeing the images but at that place will e'er be some form of compression when uploading to Instagram – no matter what you do. As for the color difference, could it be that y'all're viewing the image from a different device? I know that the colours between my iPhone, tablet and desktop all differ. Let me know!

  10. Mike, thank you for this. It'southward incredibly helpful info. I've been using this workflow, more than or less, in Photoshop for the final couple of years, but have always noticed a drop in quality once I put my files on Instagram. Further, I've been interested in making stop motion videos and have noticed that, again, the driblet in quality is evident in the final production whenever I endeavour to upload to IG, with only plenty blur showing that I oasis't yet posted any of these. I'm going to adjust my workflow and effort the videos again. Bookmarked this article for reference.
    – Laura

    1. Mike Walters 24 November 2020 Reply

      Hey Laura, never tried uploading stop move videos to Instagram myself but I look forwards to hearing your results!

  11. ER 27 Nov 2020 Answer

    What well-nigh fleck depth? Doesn't Instagram limit images to 8 bit jpgs?

    1. Mike Walters two Dec 2020 Respond

      Unfortunately, I tin't find any confirmation from Instagram regarding the limitation of chip depths. I'm curious every bit to how you found this data?

  12. Annabelle Mostert i Dec 2020 Reply

    Hi,

    Maybe this is a lightheaded quetion, but i have created the file in photoshop to the size specification you set out above.
    How practice i re-size my image ti fit instagram after making it (1080 x 1350px). I understand how to save for web but not how to re-size it.
    Thanks

    1. Mike Walters 1 December 2020 Reply

      Hullo Annabelle, not a silly question at all. 1080x1350px is a great size for Instagram for portrait photos. If you are after a foursquare image then you would need to change the Canvas Size in Photoshop before you Save For Web. You lot tin change the Canvas size by going to Epitome > Canvas Size. There might exist a link icon which is selected to lock the ratio (to 1080x1350px). You volition demand to unselect this to change it to 1:1 ratio.

  13. Eric seven Dec 2020 Reply

    What if you practise all this and it's still desaturated? I've exported in .jpg, sRGB color space, aforementioned dimensions you draw, and it's yet messed up. But nigh every ane of my pictures is from what I can tell. They look fine on my phone, on the computer, even in the screen on IG where I upload the picture. I make my posts ahead of fourth dimension and relieve them, and even that little thumbnail looks fine. It's just when it gets uploaded, it goes all wrong.

    1. Mike Walters 8 Dec 2020 Answer

      Hey Eric, that is a tough i and I understand your frustration. I would have to approximate that it's downwardly to the size of the (paradigm) file. Maybe effort compressing it as much as possible, without reducing the quality of the paradigm, and encounter how that fairs when uploaded to IG?

  14. Eric 9 Dec 2020 Reply

    I'thousand not 100% but that might have worked. I posted i this morning that got desaturated once more, tried exporting information technology from Lightroom with lower quality (I had information technology gear up to 100, at present I'm around 75) and so posted that version. Information technology looked to be a trivial more saturated than the previous one, and so I think you lot're on to something. Thanks!

    1. Mike Walters 9 December 2020 Answer

      I'chiliad glad that it helped a bit! Thanks for getting back to me Eric

      1. Eric 29 Dec 2020 Reply

        Give thanks you for responding, that's pretty rare anymore. Anyways they are all the same desaturating my pictures. I think what I did earlier might have helped a chip, but it's yet very noticeable. My export settings from Lightroom are: .jpg, sRGB, quality at 76, resize to fit checked, width set to 1080, height left bare, resolution 72, sharpen for screen, standard, the default settings for metadata, and then a watermark which is simply my name in the bottom right corner, no image or anything similar that. I don't go it. I edit in Lightroom initially, export at 300 ppi and in AdobeRGB, open that file in Photoshop, make edits in that location, relieve a re-create, import that into Lightroom so I can export with those settings. It's a little convoluted but it works for me I judge. Whatever thoughts?

        1. Mike Walters 11 Jan 2021 Answer

          No problem, happy to exist one of the rare ones! I'k really not certain to be honest, it sounds like you've done a lot of things right. What are the sizes of the files that you're trying to upload?

          1. Eric 21 Jan 2021

            One of the ones that got desaturated is 446Kb and is 1080×720. I'm at a loss lol Thanks for helping me try to figure this out.

          2. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021

            Hmm, 446kb might be a bit too much for Instagram. If y'all were using Photoshop then I presume that was at a Very Loftier to Maximum quality setting. Perhaps lower the quality before uploading to Instagram to reduce file size

  15. Jalal Mustafa 10 Dec 2020 Reply

    I was exporting PNGs from corel draw for instagram uploads and quality was decreasing. now i will use jpegs after seeing this article. also using 1200×1200 resolution. should i opt for 1080×1350.?

    1. Mike Walters x Dec 2020 Reply

      Hey Jalal, 1080×1080 is perfectly fine for Instagram. The 1350 resolution is just the recommended size for portrait images.

  16. Matt L 1 February 2021 Reply

    Before exporting a pic to mail on IG, practise you save/downsize the file to to IGs recommended aspect ratio/max resolution specs? Ie 1080, To avoid potential compression loss?

    Or exercise yous simply mail service what's nigh likely a much larger/college resolution file and allow it automatically go through the pinch algorithm to scale it downward/lower the image quality to fit the app?

    If you've experimented can you even tell much of a departure on a smartphone?

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Hey Matt, expert question. I really but go on all of my canvas sizes to the recommended 1080×1080 or 1080×1350, so I haven't experimented with larger sizes. That existence said, information technology's all-time to keep the file size as depression every bit possible to avert unnecessary compression by Instagram's platform. All of my posts are created on desktop using Photoshop then I'k not sure about smartphone files, but in the by I've noticed that photos taken on my iPhone tend non to be ruined with compression. Let me know if you find annihilation useful when experimenting!

  17. Arash 7 Feb 2021 Reply

    Thank you Mike!

    So…
    1080 ten 1080
    1080 x 1350 only for portrait images

    300dpi or 72dpi? and how about ppi?
    is at that place whatever limit for Kb or Mb?

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Hey Arash, to exist honest I'yard not sure on the exact ppi, kB or MB that Instagram will accept but it'south all-time exercise to keep it every bit depression as possible. I can confirm that those ratios are best for both square & portrait images.

  18. I don't accept a question merely a thank yous for your incredibly helpful commodity and responses.

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

      Cheers Elizabeth! Capeesh the feedback 🙂

  19. Laini fourteen Apr 2021 Reply

    I have tried uploading a logo using all the right dimensions for Instagram. Tired saving in all means like JPEG and PNG. Looks nifty in monitor. Sizing correct and when I upload the logo information technology looks terrible. Any tricks with logos with text?

    1. Mike Walters 20 April 2021 Reply

      How-do-you-do Laini, information technology frequently comes down to the size of the file. It may exist all-time to lower the quality when saving the file, to ensure that the file size is as low as possible, so that Instagram doesn't compress the image too much. Accept a play around with this and see what works best for you.

  20. Alex iv May 2021 Reply

    Howdy, Mike! I recall I accept 2 questions for yous. 😀
    i. I am curious about your opinion on this: I mail a regular portrait photo on feed, one of 1080 ten 1350px, and then I desire to post the aforementioned picture on IG Story and IG automatically does a zoom-in on this film so that it fits nice in the IG Story dimensions, i.e. 1080 ten 1920px, but the image looks a piddling blurry after information technology is posted on IG Story. Is it amend and like a best exercise to accept the pictures for the feed in 1080 ten 1350px and those for stories in 1080 x 1920px? I work in social media and I am going crazy with some pictures I post that are loosing quality when posted 🙁 It is tedious, only it may be better if my pictures for feed would be in the recommended dimensions of 1080 ten 1350px / 1080 10 1080px and for stories 1080 x 1920px? 2.Also, you lot're saying that if I take my picture show with my phone (I accept a Samsung S21 Ultra) and I mail it simply like information technology was shot, there won't exist quality loss? The pictures taken with this phone have, for eg. 4000 ten 3000px 2.75 MB. Should I depression resolution and peradventure even the quality even on these pictures I have with the phone? Maan, this is basics! Detest IG for this😒
    Thanks in accelerate for your reply!

    1. Mike Walters 25 May 2021 Reply

      Hey Alex, sorry for the late respond! Yes, yous should create ii different versions of the same graphic if yous want to share them to your post & story respectively. Alternatively, yous could upload your post so "share it to your story" which may be easier, if that's the event you were later. As for your Samsung, I'k an iPhone guy but I've simply noticed that my images used to upload in fairly high quality when uploading directly from my phone. I'yard non sure why this is, as the file sizes (and dimensions) seem to be very high – as you say. Deplorable I couldn't be of more than assist.

  21. FAHAD xvi Aug 2021 Answer

    I Desire TO POST VIDEO IN 2K ON INSTGRAM FROM MOBILE I Consign IT IN 2K But IT Nevertheless COMPRESSES THE QUALITY CAN You HELP ME ?

    1. Mike Walters 17 Aug 2021 Reply

      Hello Fahad, I would assume that a 2K video is just as well big to be uploaded to Instagram without being compressed. You volition want to compress the video yourself before uploading to Instagram to avoid them doing so themselves.

  22. What are yous mean 1350 ? I can upload 1080×1920 to my stories , and that is the maximum pixel than I know.

    1. Mike Walters 26 Sep 2021 Reply

      1350×1080 is the max for regular posts.

  23. Thank you! This has been driving me NUTS!!! Any recommendations on export and upload workflow for Facebook?

    1. Mike Walters 30 Jan 2022 Reply

      Hey Andrew, how practise you hateful exactly?

  24. Mike 17 Jan 2022 Reply

    Hullo, this is a slap-up post!
    I have a question though, when i resize my paradigm to 1080×1350, information technology gets wider? I don't understand how to fix that, could you please aid.
    Thanks!

    1. Mike Walters 30 Jan 2022 Answer

      Hey Mike, no problem. Depending on which software you're using, the solution could exist as unproblematic as using the reverse dimensions instead, i.e. 1350×1080. That should crop your epitome to exist taller than information technology is wide. Hope this helps!

  25. Suresh 4 Mar 2022 Respond

    Hullo,
    I would like to know if the image needs to exist cropped @ iv x 5 ratio before proceeding to the Export option.
    Cheers

    1. Mike Walters 4 Mar 2022 Answer

      Hey Suresh! Aye, you would need to crop it accordingly BEFORE exporting for web. You tin resize information technology within the export window merely I don't think you tin adjust the ratio at this point

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Mike Walters

I Build Killer Landing Pages That ACTUALLY Get Results... Guaranteed