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 paradigm inevitably getting less than favourable appointment. After some thorough research though, I've managed to compile some reasons as to why Instagram might exist reducing the image quality on your posts.

There are a few reasons why the paradigm quality is reduced when uploading straight from your PC, one of which is that you lot are not following Instagram's max resolution guidelines, which is currently prepare at 1080 10 1350px. Any paradigm that is greater than the said resolution will exist fabricated smaller by Instagram and thus may affect the quality of the prototype.

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

  • READ: How I Gained Over 100,000 Followers On Instagram
  • READ: How To Use The Right Hashtags For Y'all
  • READ: The BIGGEST Fault I Run into People Making On Instagram

When you lot consider the number of images that are being uploaded to Instagram every single 24-hour interval and the server power that is needed to run the platform, you'll before long forgive Instagram for reducing file sizes where possible. Try to keep your prototype file size to a minimum (without affecting epitome quality) to avoid having it be poorly compressed past Instagram.

Last but not least, 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 as 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 take pictures of themselves, their dog or the local beach, image quality doesn't really tend to matter. Nevertheless, if you're a creative like me who designs content for their business and wants to plant themselves as a professional, then maintaining quality with your uploads is very important.

I similar to create my Instagram content using Photoshop, just the aforementioned principles will apply to whichever photograph editing software you are using. In Photoshop you will want to set up a new file or artboard and set it to Instagram's maximum resolution (1080 x 1350px). In one case you have created your design, you need to go to File > Consign > Salve For Web (Legacy)…

For those that don't know, saving in this way will allow you lot to alter the quality and file size of your final paradigm. In the top correct of the Salve For Web window, under Preset, you will want to select JPEG equally the file type. Below that, you tin change the overall quality of the image, starting from Low all the way upwards to Maximum.

Hither is a screenshot of the Save To Web window for my Bruce Lee post in Photoshop. I have highlighted the areas you need to monitor in order to reduce size and maintain image 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 epitome and thus avoid Instagram taking the pinch into their own hands. Y'all can monitor the size of the image in the bottom left (above example: 837.8K).

A lot of the time, yous will actually find that the Very High or Loftier setting reduces the file size significantly; without actually affecting the sharpness of the image itself. Y'all will want to choose the setting that achieves the best balance between the 2.

Once y'all're happy with the epitome file size and quality, you lot can hit the salvage button to salve it to your computer. Following that, you will want to upload your new image to Google Drive where you will then download it to your mobile (or tablet) device. You can and then upload the image directly to Instagram from your mobile.

If you really want to brand the most of your post and get as much engagement every bit possible, then you lot'll want to also cheque out this ultimate guide I wrote for using hashtags on Instagram.

Conclusion

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

You can follow me on Instagram here!

Accept any feedback or questions near this post? 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 notice this mail service on improving the prototype quality of your Instagram posts helpful? If then, I would be very grateful if you could pin this image to Pinterest!

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

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

Mike Walters

Mike Walters

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

This Mail Has 56 Comments

  1. Great postal service, I was asking myself how much information technology shrink quality of photos when I send epitome to myself over messenger then mail service information technology on Instagram. So I read this article and used the Google Drive. I must say there is a bit more depth so sending over messenger. So yeah Google Drive works fine.

    1. Mike Walters 28 Sep 2020 Reply

      Hey Abraham, glad to run into that it worked for you using Google Bulldoze. That's what I currently use! Posting straight from Creator Studio works well too of form.

  2. Lily Crocker 1 Oct 2020 Reply

    How-do-you-do! Is there a fashion to do to this from a mobile device? I practise non have photoshop on my calculator and am not looking to pay for it. Any tips?

    1. Mike Walters 1 October 2020 Reply

      Hi Lily, you should discover that uploading a photo from your telephone should work well regardless of which editing software that you lot're using. Instagram is primarily a mobile-based app, so information technology'due south only natural for the mobile uploads to be of expert quality. There will e'er be some level of compression, given the sheer number of photos that Instagram's servers have to shop, merely not enough to ruin a photo. Hope this helps 🙂

    2. Wesley 1 Nov 2020 Respond

      I'd recommend using Google'southward Snapseed app or Adobe Photoshop Express. Both of them are complimentary and let you customize the export settings of your photos to specific resolutions and quality.

      1. Mike Walters 1 Nov 2020 Reply

        Corking suggestions Wesley 🙂

  3. Ollie 16 Oct 2020 Respond

    Hello, have y'all tried this method with other tools such every bit powerpoint? The basics seem to be the same. I've tried to gear up the aforementioned hight width but when I export the image to jpeg and save, transport to phone and finally transfer to instagram, instagram comprasses the image subsequently a while. Any thoughts?

    1. Mike Walters eighteen Oct 2020 Reply

      Hi Ollie, I oasis't created carousels or posts using PowerPoint but the theory should exist the same. There is e'er going to be a small scrap of compression by Instagram when uploading to their platform, however, you can minimize this merely uploading the image through the mobile app or via Instagram [Facebook] Creator Studio. Endeavor uploading through one of those platforms and see how it goes

      1. Pavle Bogdanovic 4 Nov 2021 Reply

  4. Sophia 19 Oct 2020 Reply

    How-do-you-do! My friend took some photos using her iPhone 7 plus and sent me the photos which I and then I edited on my iPhone xi, and when I went to mail the images to instagram, the photos came out blurry! What can I do to my photos to make sure they mail at a amend resolution because this photo was taken on an iPhone, non a DSLR so i'm confused as to how information technology would be blurry. Thank yous!

    1. Mike Walters 20 October 2020 Respond

      Hello Sophia, I guess it might depend on how your friend sent those photos to yous. I know that in the past, I'd transferred some files over using Facebook Messenger and they lost some of the moving picture quality during that transfer. If you lot make sure to upload them to the Google Drive (or something like) and then download them from there, you might find that the picture quality is a lot meliorate – depending on how y'all upload information technology of form. Upload the flick via your mobile or Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio. Let me know how it goes 🙂

  5. Antonia xx October 2020 Reply

    I utilize Canva to design my posts what would you suggest to save the quality?

    1. Mike Walters twenty Oct 2020 Reply

      Hi Antonia. Luckily for you, in that location are many great content creators that utilise Canva to design their posts. I would suggest saving every bit JPG and uploading either directly from the Instagram mobile app or via Facebook/Instagram Creator Studio

  6. Mike Walters 20 October 2020 Answer

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

  7. Alfonso 4 November 2020 Reply

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

    This causes immature artists to look worse than they are simply because Instagram can't even give a F***g guide on how to utilize their site other than "tap hither to upload". How well-nigh giving a proper tutorial or artistic tips instead of creating 100 filters every month? I swear with social media…

    1. Mike Walters six Nov 2020 Respond

      Haha, I feel your pain Alfonso. It's true that some people'south Instagram posts don't do their work justice!

  8. This is really helpful but i take a question, i was familiar with this workflow of reducing the resolution of your prototype manually, just this helped me to improve that workflow, that being said, afterward doing all that and make certain that my epitome looks correctly for web and how-do-you-do-quality, when i post information technology on Instagram in getting a terrible Banding specially in the sky expanse, i have remove all banding before equally i said looks perfect in all web applications, then seems that IG still compressing my file for some reason, practice you have any idea about this? Cheers in Advanced

    1. Mike Walters 10 November 2020 Reply

      Howdy Tony, thanks for reaching out. I also suffer from the same banding issues on Instagram. I believe that the platform just isn't suited to such high-level photography. Which is ironic, given the premise of the platform. I've since tried to avoid gradients where possible. I'1000 sad I can't assistance much further!

  9. Sofia 16 Nov 2020 Reply

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

    1. Mike Walters xviii Nov 2020 Answer

      Hi Sofia, I tin can't actually say without seeing the images only there will ever exist some form of compression when uploading to Instagram – no matter what you do. As for the color divergence, could it be that yous'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'due south incredibly helpful info. I've been using this workflow, more or less, in Photoshop for the terminal couple of years, but take ever noticed a drop in quality once I put my files on Instagram. Further, I've been interested in making terminate motion videos and have noticed that, again, the drop in quality is evident in the final product whenever I try to upload to IG, with just plenty blur showing that I haven't all the same posted any of these. I'm going to adjust my workflow and try the videos again. Bookmarked this article for reference.
    – Laura

    1. Mike Walters 24 November 2020 Respond

      Hey Laura, never tried uploading stop motion videos to Instagram myself only I look frontwards to hearing your results!

  11. ER 27 November 2020 Reply

    What about bit depth? Doesn't Instagram limit images to eight bit jpgs?

    1. Mike Walters 2 Dec 2020 Respond

      Unfortunately, I can't find any confirmation from Instagram regarding the limitation of bit depths. I'm curious every bit to how you constitute this information?

  12. Annabelle Mostert ane Dec 2020 Reply

    Hi,

    Maybe this is a giddy quetion, only i have created the file in photoshop to the size specification y'all ready out above.
    How do i re-size my image ti fit instagram after making it (1080 x 1350px). I understand how to salve for spider web but not how to re-size information technology.
    Thank you

    1. Mike Walters 1 Dec 2020 Reply

      Hi Annabelle, non a featherbrained question at all. 1080x1350px is a not bad size for Instagram for portrait photos. If you are later on a square image so y'all would need to change the Sail Size in Photoshop earlier you Save For Spider web. You can change the Sheet size by going to Image > Canvas Size. There might be a link icon which is selected to lock the ratio (to 1080x1350px). You will need to unselect this to change it to 1:i ratio.

  13. Eric seven Dec 2020 Reply

    What if y'all practise all this and it's still desaturated? I've exported in .jpg, sRGB color space, same dimensions you draw, and it'due south nevertheless messed up. Just about every one of my pictures is from what I can tell. They expect fine on my phone, on the computer, even in the screen on IG where I upload the picture. I make my posts ahead of time and save them, and even that little thumbnail looks fine. It's just when it gets uploaded, it goes all incorrect.

    1. Mike Walters 8 Dec 2020 Reply

      Hey Eric, that is a tough ane and I understand your frustration. I would take to guess that it's down to the size of the (image) file. Maybe endeavor compressing it equally much as possible, without reducing the quality of the paradigm, and see how that fairs when uploaded to IG?

  14. Eric 9 Dec 2020 Reply

    I'm not 100% simply that might accept worked. I posted ane this morning that got desaturated again, tried exporting it from Lightroom with lower quality (I had it ready to 100, now I'k effectually 75) and then posted that version. It looked to be a little more saturated than the previous 1, and so I think y'all're on to something. Thank you!

    1. Mike Walters 9 Dec 2020 Reply

      I'm glad that it helped a scrap! Thanks for getting back to me Eric

      1. Eric 29 Dec 2020 Reply

        Thank you for responding, that's pretty rare anymore. Anyways they are notwithstanding desaturating my pictures. I remember what I did earlier might have helped a bit, but it's still very noticeable. My export settings from Lightroom are: .jpg, sRGB, quality at 76, resize to fit checked, width set to 1080, height left blank, resolution 72, sharpen for screen, standard, the default settings for metadata, so a watermark which is just my name in the bottom right corner, no image or anything like that. I don't get it. I edit in Lightroom initially, export at 300 ppi and in AdobeRGB, open that file in Photoshop, brand edits there, salvage a copy, import that into Lightroom so I can consign with those settings. It'southward a piffling convoluted but information technology works for me I guess. Any thoughts?

        1. Mike Walters 11 Jan 2021 Reply

          No trouble, happy to be 1 of the rare ones! I'thousand really not sure to be honest, it sounds like you've done a lot of things right. What are the sizes of the files that y'all're trying to upload?

          1. Eric 21 Jan 2021

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

          2. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021

            Hmm, 446kb might be a fleck also much for Instagram. If you lot were using Photoshop and so I presume that was at a Very Loftier to Maximum quality setting. Perhaps lower the quality earlier uploading to Instagram to reduce file size

  15. Jalal Mustafa 10 Dec 2020 Respond

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

    1. Mike Walters 10 Dec 2020 Respond

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

  16. Matt L 1 Feb 2021 Reply

    Before exporting a film to post on IG, exercise y'all save/downsize the file to to IGs recommended aspect ratio/max resolution specs? Ie 1080, To avoid potential compression loss?

    Or do you just post what'southward most likely a much larger/college resolution file and permit it automatically go through the compression algorithm to scale information technology downward/lower the image quality to fit the app?

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

    1. Mike Walters 12 Feb 2021 Reply

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

  17. Arash 7 Feb 2021 Reply

    Thank you Mike!

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

    300dpi or 72dpi? and how almost ppi?
    is there whatever limit for Kb or Mb?

    1. Mike Walters 12 February 2021 Answer

      Hey Arash, to be honest I'm not sure on the exact ppi, kB or MB that Instagram will accept just information technology's best do to proceed it every bit low as possible. I can confirm that those ratios are best for both square & portrait images.

  18. I don't have a question simply a thanks for your incredibly helpful article and responses.

    1. Mike Walters 12 February 2021 Respond

      Thanks Elizabeth! Appreciate the feedback 🙂

  19. Laini 14 Apr 2021 Reply

    I have tried uploading a logo using all the correct dimensions for Instagram. Tired saving in all ways like JPEG and PNG. Looks not bad in monitor. Sizing correct and when I upload the logo it looks terrible. Any tricks with logos with text?

    1. Mike Walters 20 April 2021 Respond

      Hi Laini, it often comes downwards to the size of the file. It may be best to lower the quality when saving the file, to ensure that the file size is as low as possible, then that Instagram doesn't compress the epitome too much. Have a play effectually with this and see what works best for you.

  20. Alex 4 May 2021 Reply

    Hullo, Mike! I recall I have ii questions for yous. 😀
    1. I am curious nigh your stance on this: I post a regular portrait photo on feed, one of 1080 x 1350px, and so I want to post the same pic on IG Story and IG automatically does a zoom-in on this moving picture and so that it fits prissy in the IG Story dimensions, i.e. 1080 x 1920px, but the paradigm looks a fiddling blurry after information technology is posted on IG Story. Is it meliorate and like a all-time practice to have the pictures for the feed in 1080 10 1350px and those for stories in 1080 10 1920px? I work in social media and I am going crazy with some pictures I postal service that are loosing quality when posted 🙁 Information technology is tedious, but it may be better if my pictures for feed would be in the recommended dimensions of 1080 x 1350px / 1080 10 1080px and for stories 1080 x 1920px? 2.Also, you're maxim that if I accept my motion-picture show with my phone (I have a Samsung S21 Ultra) and I post information technology just like information technology was shot, there won't be quality loss? The pictures taken with this telephone have, for eg. 4000 ten 3000px ii.75 MB. Should I low resolution and maybe fifty-fifty the quality even on these pictures I take with the telephone? Maan, this is nuts! Hate IG for this😒
    Thanks in accelerate for your reply!

    1. Mike Walters 25 May 2021 Reply

      Hey Alex, sorry for the tardily respond! Yes, you should create 2 unlike versions of the same graphic if you want to share them to your post & story respectively. Alternatively, you could upload your postal service and then "share information technology to your story" which may be easier, if that'south the effect you were later on. As for your Samsung, I'm an iPhone guy just I've just noticed that my images used to upload in fairly loftier quality when uploading straight from my phone. I'k not certain why this is, as the file sizes (and dimensions) seem to exist very high – as you lot say. Sorry I couldn't be of more assist.

  21. FAHAD xvi Aug 2021 Reply

    I Desire TO Postal service VIDEO IN 2K ON INSTGRAM FROM MOBILE I Export IT IN 2K BUT Information technology STILL COMPRESSES THE QUALITY Tin Yous HELP ME ?

    1. Mike Walters 17 Aug 2021 Answer

      Hello Fahad, I would assume that a 2K video is merely too large to exist uploaded to Instagram without being compressed. You lot volition want to shrink the video yourself before uploading to Instagram to avoid them doing and then 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. Cheers! This has been driving me NUTS!!! Whatsoever recommendations on export and upload workflow for Facebook?

    1. Mike Walters 30 Jan 2022 Reply

      Hey Andrew, how do y'all mean exactly?

  24. Mike 17 January 2022 Answer

    Hi, this is a not bad post!
    I have a question though, when i resize my image to 1080×1350, it gets wider? I don't empathize how to fix that, could you please help.
    Give thanks yous!

    1. Mike Walters 30 Jan 2022 Reply

      Hey Mike, no trouble. Depending on which software you're using, the solution could be as simple as using the reverse dimensions instead, i.e. 1350×1080. That should crop your prototype to be taller than it is wide. Promise this helps!

  25. Suresh 4 Mar 2022 Reply

    Hello,
    I would like to know if the image needs to be cropped @ four x five ratio earlier proceeding to the Consign option.
    Thanks

    1. Mike Walters four Mar 2022 Reply

      Hey Suresh! Yes, y'all would demand to ingather it accordingly Before exporting for spider web. You can resize it within the export window just I don't think you can adapt the ratio at this betoken

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Mike Walters

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