Resize Photos for Instagram

I have actually been getting emails as well as messages from several people recently asking how I resize my images for Instagram, maintaining the composition, and positioning my logo on them. I figured that it would be less complicated to just compose here the process that I undergo to do it, as opposed to keep repeating the same info multiple times - Resize Photos for Instagram.

The first thing that you have to recognize is that Instagram pressures you to post your images in a square format, sized at 650px by 650px. The 2nd point that you need to comprehend is that you have to export the photos at the proper size and also resolution if you desire to maintain the images looking sharp and also of top quality. That implies that they must be exported at 650px on the long side.

For my workflow, I make use of Lightroom, Photoshop, DropBox, and Instagram to deal with all the prep work and uploading. I've tried a few other means to upload my photos on Instagram, but the complying with workflow has actually offered me the very best and also most consistent outcomes.

If you do not intend to undergo the process that I adhere to below, and also just want to post pictures without IG chopping your photos, there are applications that you can set up on your smart device like Squaready and also InstaSize. I don't make use of either of those applications myself.


Resize Photos for Instagram


Tip One - Lightroom

The first thing that I do is procedure my photos usually, as well as prepare them for just how I publish them, or post them to my website. You can examine that procedure in previous messages in this same post-processing section. I won't duplicate all of that here.

Once you have do with all of your post-processing of the pictures, after that you can start picking the photos that you wish to prepare for posting to Instagram.

In the Collection module, pick all the pictures that you wish to post to Instagram, and also create a new collection of them. You can call it anything that you like, but I suggest that you make use of "IG" in the name, either at the start or completion, to make sure that you remember just what it is for.

Once you have actually selected them, and also have developed a new collection, you have to go through and see if you can crop any of them to a 1-to-1 proportion. You could use the plant device for that, and also select 1 × 1 as the ratio.

The ones that can be exported as 1 × 1 in proportion, can be refined solely in Lightroom, and also could use your routine watermark (I used mine on the instance listed below). These will certainly be exported at 650px x 650px.

The ones that are able to be resized as squares are simple, which is all you need to do for them in resizing. For all of these, you can jump down to Step 3-- DropBox, and also avoid Action 2-- PhotoShop.

For the pictures that do not look excellent in a 1-to-1 ratio, you will end up exporting these at 650px on the lengthy edge, yet without any watermark on them. See the setups below. I recommend that you export these right into a devoted folder. Once they are exported, you will proceed to Tip 2-- PhotoShop.

Step Two-- Photoshop

The entire point of this step is to put your photo on a 650px by 650px background, and also to add your watermark to the bottom of the square. Doing it by hand is a tiresome procedure if you aim to do it manually, so I recommend that you carry out a batch process and make use of an action to automate the procedure, which will certainly make it simple to repeat over and over.

If you do not know ways to develop Activities in PhotoShop, you will have to assess that first. Once you comprehend the process then the following guidelines will make good sense to you.

Your activity will should do the complying with points in this order:

- Open your image from your import folder as well as load it to a layer. By default, it is filled as a background. I replicate the history to a brand-new layer, and call it "cars and truck", leaving the opacity at 100%.
- After that it needs to open up Image > Canvas Size and established the height to 650px.
- Develop a brand-new layer, and label it "black".
- Load the "black" layer with the black shade using the paint container tool.
- Use File > Open to open your watermark logo design that you wish to place at the bottom of the image. Put it on a new layer as well as name it "logo".
- Relocate the "logo" layer below the vehicle layer.
- Relocate the "black" layer listed below the "logo" layer.
- Close the watermark that you formerly opened up.
- Save the completed 650px by 650px image to a brand-new folder somewhere on your hard drive (you will need to have currently created this folder before creating the activity).
- Close the data in Photoshop.

Once you have the action, you could open PhotoShop at anytime, as well as run the Documents > Automate > Set Process command, and also select the folder where you have kept the images that were not currently at a 1-to-1 ratio.

Tip Three-- DropBox

As soon as you have exported all your pictures, you should obtain them up to Instagram There are programs that enable you to post from your COMPUTER to Instagram, however I found that I had issues obtaining the hashtags to work correctly when I utilized them, and I had to begin a brand-new account to deal with the hashtag problem. The repair was to merely continuously use my mobile phone and use the Instagram app to post the pictures, but to do that I had to have the images where my phone can access them. The most convenient method was to make use of DropBox to get the images where my Instagram application can access them.

Most likely to DropBox.com as well as register for it. Download the app to your phone and login to it. Make use of the DropBox.com website to publish your photos to your on-line storage. I suggest that you make use of folders to arrange your pictures. In my instance, I have a "Photos" folder, as well as inside it, I have an "Instagram Photos" folder. Inside that folder, I create folders as I require them, in order to divide the images into smaller sized, less complicated to watch, sections.

As soon as you have actually posted a collection of pictures right into DropBox, you are ready for the next action, and that is to order your mobile phone as well as open up the Instagram application.

Step Four-- Instagram

At this moment, you must currently have the Instagram and also DropBox apps on your mobile phone, and also you prepare to publish one of your pictures on Instagram.

Open the application, as well as click the blue button in the middle of the icons below the display. The take image display will certainly load, and also in the reduced left-hand corner, you will see an icon that looks like a "landscape/mountain" icon (simply to the left of the "take a photo" button). Click on it, and also it ought to trigger you to "Select a Resource" for your photo, and also the DropBox symbol should be shown as one of the selectable resources. Click it and also you will see your DropBox folders and documents detailed in a file browser. Browse to the photo that you submitted that you wish to upload to Instagram and also choose it.

From there, you post it to Instagram just like you would any other picture that you simply took.

Step 5-- DropBox

This last action is not called for, yet highly recommended. In order not to lose track of exactly what you have published currently, you should go back into DropBox and remove the picture( s) that you have currently published. This will make it easier in the long run to not upload the exact same photos numerous times.

Final thought

That's it, my whole procedure to preparing my photos for Instagram. It's not complicated, but complying with these guidelines will certainly ensure that you are publishing pictures in the best high quality that Instagram could support.