Resize Image for an X (Twitter) Header (1500 x 500)
Resize any image to a Twitter / X header (1500 x 500) in one click, with the safe area explained. Also covers profile and in-stream sizes. No upload, no watermark.
Nothing is uploaded. Your image is resized right here in your browser and never leaves your device.
Twitter / X header size
A header, the wide banner across the top of your profile, is 1500 by 500 pixels, a 3:1 ratio. X calls it a header, plenty of people still call it a cover photo, and design tools often call it a banner. They are all the same image at the same size, so a Twitter cover photo size and an X header size are the same question.
Pick the preset above, use cover to fill the banner and crop the overflow, then download. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
The parts of a header you cannot rely on
A 3:1 banner is an unusual shape, and very little of it is safe.
Your profile picture sits over the bottom left corner, overlapping the banner by a good chunk. On desktop the banner is shown at close to its full width, but on a phone the layout is narrower and the top and bottom get trimmed.
What survives everywhere is a horizontal band through the middle, offset right of the profile picture. If you are placing a logo or a line of text, put it in the centre or the right half, vertically centred. Bottom left is the one place to keep empty on purpose.
Other X image sizes
| Where | Pixels | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Header / banner | 1500 x 500 | 3:1 |
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 | 1:1, shown as a circle |
| In-stream image (post) | 1600 x 900 | 16:9 |
The in-stream size is worth knowing. A 16:9 image posted in a tweet shows in full without being cropped in the timeline. Squares and tall images get cropped to a wide preview and only open fully when tapped, so a 16:9 export is the one that looks the way you intended while people scroll.
File size and format
Save as JPG for a photo header. PNG is better for flat color, a logo, or anything with text, since a 3:1 banner gets scaled to several widths and JPG artefacts around text show up when it shrinks.
Animated GIFs are not accepted as headers or profile pictures.
If the file needs to be smaller, compress to 500 KB. At 1500 by 500 that is more than enough for a clean result.
Getting the framing right
A 3:1 crop out of a normal photo throws away most of the frame, so the crop matters more than usual here. Crop the image to roughly the band you want first, then apply the 1500 x 500 preset so the resize is not making that decision for you.
The full social media size guide covers the other platforms.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
- What size is a Twitter header?
- 1500 by 500 pixels, a 3:1 ratio. The same size applies on X, which did not change the banner dimensions when it rebranded.
- What is the X banner size?
- 1500 by 500 pixels, identical to the old Twitter header. Any guide quoting 1500 x 500 is still current.
- What size is a Twitter cover photo?
- 1500 by 500 pixels. Cover photo, header, and banner all refer to the same wide image across the top of an X profile, so any of those names points at the same 3:1 size.
- Where does the profile picture sit on a header?
- Over the bottom left corner, overlapping the banner. Keep that area clear and put logos or text in the centre or right half, vertically centred.
- Why is my header cropped on mobile?
- Phones show the banner in a narrower layout that trims the top and bottom. Only a horizontal band through the middle is visible on every device, so keep important content there.
- What size is a Twitter profile picture?
- 400 by 400 pixels, displayed as a circle. Upload square and keep the subject centred.
- What size should an image in a tweet be?
- 1600 by 900, a 16:9 ratio. That shows in full in the timeline. Square and tall images get cropped to a wide preview until someone taps them.
- Can a Twitter header be a GIF?
- No. Animated GIFs are not accepted for headers or profile pictures. Use a still JPG or PNG.
- Should a header be JPG or PNG?
- JPG for photos, PNG for logos, flat color, or text. The banner gets displayed at several widths, and JPG artefacts around text become obvious as it scales down.