Last month, something remarkable occurred with one of my clients. She had been meticulously creating Pinterest pins for her handmade jewelry business that featured stunning product photography, professional editing services and captivating text overlays--she thought everything was going perfectly until something unexpected transpired.
Her pins weren't getting any traction: no saves, clicks or impressions were happening. Once I looked into her account it became immediately evident: she was using square images on Pinterest in 2025!
Pinterest's vertical format requires 2:3 aspect ratio pins for maximum visibility and engagement
Most people misunderstand Pinterest: it isn't Instagram or Facebook; rather, it is a vertical platform designed specifically for mobile browsing; images not optimized to fit its tall, scrollable feed will remain mostly invisible on Pinterest.
Frustratingly, she had amazing products and beautiful photography - yet, because their images weren't the correct dimensions, Pinterest wasn't showing them to anyone - all that effort wasted due to an oversight in image size.
Pinterest stands out among social platforms by acting more like a visual search engine than an interpersonal social network. Users come to Pinterest for specific reasons - planning purchases, searching for inspiration or researching solutions. In 2025 alone, with over 450 million monthly active users and driving more referral traffic to websites than any other social platform (except perhaps Facebook!).
But here's the catch: Pinterest's algorithm heavily favors content that meets its optimal dimensions; upload something else and your chances of visibility take a substantial hit.
No matter if you're an individual trying to drive traffic or a marketer managing multiple accounts, this guide covers every Pinterest image and video dimension you need for 2025. No outdated information; only what will work!
Why Pinterest Image Sizes Matter More Than Other Platforms
Prior to discussing why Pinterest image sizes matter more than other social networks, let's first talk about why they differ.
Pinterest was specifically created with vertical scrolling in mind. When users access their account on their phone (which accounts for 87% of Pinterest's usage), they see tall pins stacked vertically - any that are too short can easily get lost amongst the noise while any too wide are cropped out awkwardly.
Pinterest goes beyond aesthetics when it comes to content display: its algorithm actively prioritizes pins that match its ideal dimensions, meaning when you upload a properly-sized pin, its visual search technology can better comprehend and categorize it, increasing its exposure and reach among more people.
Vertical pins offer greater click-through rate on mobile, taking up more screen real estate on mobile phones and thus being more likely to attract attention when scrolling. A standard vertical pin of 1000x1500 pixels covers approximately three to four times more visual space in Pinterest feed compared to square images - more visibility equals more clicks!
Businesses will see this translate directly to increased traffic and sales from Pinterest users, who tend to be planners and purchasers; 78% of Pinterest users report seeing useful brand content when browsing on the platform. When people click your pin, they are actively seeking solutions, products or inspiration that they can act upon.
Dimensions don't play just a secondary role - they are the gateway to discovery by thousands of customers or being lost among millions of posts.
Pinterest Standard Pin Size: Your Foundation for Success
Your standard Pinterest pin will likely become your mainstay; creating one well is of utmost importance!
The 1000x 1500 pixel recommendation isn't random: this size ensures your content looks its best on mobile devices (where most Pinterest browsing occurs), desktop computers, and tablet screens alike - providing ample real estate for both compelling images and readable text overlay.
That is often where people get confused: Pinterest allows pins with up to a 1:2.1 aspect ratio (1000x2100 pixels), but anything taller than this requires tapping to view in its entirety in your feed - something which results in lower engagement as users scroll past without fully experiencing your message.
β¨Design Tips that Really Work
For optimal design results, place the most essential visuals and text within the top two-thirds of your pin. Mobile users only see roughly 1000 pixels initially; as such, your pin must convey its worth to mobile users in this visible space while providing additional context upon scrolling or clicking.
Employ high-resolution images even when scaling down. Pinterest is a visual platform where image quality directly impacts performance; starting out with high-res images (at least 2000 pixels on the shortest side) before resizing will give your pins crisp, professional aesthetics.
Text overlay should be large and legible on any mobile phone screen while scrolling, to encourage people to stop and click. Aim for at least 24pt font size for body text, with 48pt+ font sizes for headlines.
Contrast is your friend. Pinterest feeds can be visually overwhelming with hundreds of pins competing for attention at any one time, so high-contrast designs that feature clear separation between text and background typically perform far superior than subtle, muted aesthetics.
Pinterest Idea Pin Size: The New Content King
Pinterest Idea Pins use 9:16 format for immersive, multi-page storytelling content
With Pinterest favoring Idea Pins as their top format and algorithm change in 2025, including them in your Pinterest strategy should be part of any overall growth strategy.
Idea Pins differ from standard pins in that they remain on Pinterest instead of linking out, which makes the platform happy, meaning more people see your Idea Pin than with standard pins resulting in significantly increased impressions and engagement compared with standard pins.
The 9:16 aspect ratio matches Instagram Stories and TikTok, so if you are creating vertical video content for other platforms such as these two platforms, it can easily be reused for Pinterest Idea Pins with minimal adjustments necessary.
π―What Makes Idea Pins Unique
Idea Pins' multi-page format enables storytelling. You can easily create step-by-step tutorials, before-and-after transformations, listicles, or any other type of content which benefits from sequential presentation. Each page can contain either an image or video up to 60 seconds long.
Idea Pins feature interactive elements to increase engagement. From stickers, custom fonts, and background music - making them more dynamic than standard static pins - Idea Pins create an immersive experience for visitors.
Idea Pins have an unexpectedly long shelf life. While similar in format to Instagram Stories (which disappear after 24 hours), Idea Pins remain visible via search and recommendations for months - much longer than is typical with social media stories!
πCreating Idea Pins that Perform
Begin with an eye-grabbing page one hook. As with traditional pins, your first page must immediately demonstrate value to readers; think of it like an eye-catching thumbnail; if it fails to grab people's interest they won't tap through to see more!
Idea Pins have been specifically optimized for viewing on phone screens; their 9:16 format helps make this possible. Keep text and important visual elements centered, avoiding placing anything crucial near top or bottom edges that may interfere with other UI elements or where UI elements might overlap.
Make the best use of both images and video in your marketing mix by strategically mixing images and video together on each page, rather than making every page an all-video experience. A combination of static images with key information and short video clips that demonstrate processes often performs better than all video or all images alone.
Pinterest Video Pin Dimensions: Moving Content That Converts
Pinterest reports that video pins have become an increasingly important part of their platform's offerings, receiving three times more engagement than static pins.
Contrary to platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, Pinterest videos don't necessarily need to be high-production pieces; some of the highest-performing clips include simple screen recordings, product demonstrations and before/after clips.
Pinterest users want useful information, not entertainment. A 10-second video showing precisely how to use a product often outshines a heavily edited brand video.
β‘Video Pin Optimization Strategies
Auto-play can work to your advantage; since videos on Pinterest automatically play when users scroll (with sound off), your initial 2-3 seconds must visually communicate what the video is about without sound.
Add captions or text overlay. Because videos usually play muted by default, text on-screen is absolutely essential in creating an effective video pin that works without sound. Imagine it like watching a silent film - the pin should still make sense without audio!
Keep it short and focused. Although Pinterest allows up to 15 minutes of video pins on its platform, 6-15 second promo content videos or 30-60 second tutorial videos tend to perform best with viewers. Longer than this and you could experience significant drop off.
Loop your video, if possible. Since videos auto-play, creating content that seamlessly loops can increase watch time - an outcome which Pinterest rewards with greater watch time metrics.
π₯What works in 2025
Tutorial and how-to content reign supreme for video pins, with quick demonstrations of techniques or recipes in action as well as problem-solving videos receiving great engagement levels.
Products demonstrated from different angles. Instead of traditional product videos, try showing your product being used in real situations with close-up details, unboxing experiences and comparison videos to highlight how well your product performs in its intended use.
Before-and-after transformations. Be it home renovation, recipe results or styling transformations - before-and-after images are an invaluable resource on Pinterest.
Pinterest Story Pin Size (Legacy Format)
Story Pins on Pinterest were its initial attempt at multi-page, ephemeral-style content - like Instagram Stories but without disappearing after 24 hours like with Instagram Stories. Later in 2021, Pinterest rebranded them as Idea Pins with more features added.
If you encounter "Story Pin" in your Pinterest analytics or older documentation, just know it refers to vertical 9:16 content designed specifically for mobile viewing.
Pinterest Board Cover Size: First Impressions Matter
Board covers are thumbnail images used to represent your Pinterest boards on your profile and should be treated as essential pieces of profile optimization.
Your board covers are the first impression your visitors get of you when they land on your Pinterest profile, so an organized and branded board cover design sends the signal that you are an established creator or business and not simply pinning random content.
β Board Cover Best Practices
Establish a uniform design template. Your board covers should all adhere to a single style--fonts, color palette and layout should all remain uniform for an upscale, polished appearance when visitors access your profile. This will create an impressive first impression upon viewing it.
Use legible text. Since board covers are relatively small (around 222x150 pixels on desktop), text should be large and high-contrast to remain legible and easily read. Simple is best--typically just the board title in a bold font is all that's necessary.
Design in standard pin size. Create board covers at 1000 x 1500 pixels (the standard pin size), save them as pins to your boards, and set them as covers to ensure when someone clicks through, they see an appropriately-sized pin instead of an awkwardly cropped image.
Board Covers Should Align With Brand Identity. Your board covers should match your overall brand aesthetic--if your pins use specific colors and fonts, the board covers should reflect this as well.
Pinterest Profile Picture Size: Your Brand Identity
Your profile photo on Pinterest is small but significant: it appears alongside every pin you create, on your profile page and search results. As with Facebook, Pinterest displays profile pictures as circles so corners of square images may be cropped off when displayed as profile pictures - plan accordingly when designing one!
πΈProfile Picture Guidelines
Make it straightforward and easily recognizable. Too much detail becomes unreadable at small sizes. If your logo is complicated, consider using an icon as your profile picture instead.
Use high contrast. Because a profile picture appears against different backgrounds throughout Pinterest, high contrast helps keep it visible and recognizable.
Avoid Text. If text must be included (such as initials or brand acronym), make it large and bold - otherwise, small text will become unreadable. For personal brands, close-up headshots work best as these will show more of your face being visible within that small circle.
Pinterest Ad Specifications: Paid Promotion Sizes
When running Pinterest ads, image quality and size play a critical role in both cost per click (CPC) and conversion rates. Pinterest's auction process rewards engaging, high-quality content at lower costs than comparable offerings from competitors.
π‘Pinterest Ad Image Strategies
Ads should follow organic best practices to be successful on Pinterest: vertical format, high-quality images, readable text and clear value proposition.
Show products in context. Lifestyle imagery that portrays how they're being used often outperforms catalog-style shots on white backgrounds.
Test both video and static ads; video ads tend to attract lower CPCs (cost per clicks), but static pins could have higher conversion rates depending on your product or target audience.
Introduce your logo subtly. Unlike other platforms where branding must be upfront and obvious, Pinterest users prefer content that appears authentic rather than overtly promotional. Include your logo but don't let it dominate the design.
πText Overlay Optimization for Ads
Keep text to a minimum - Pinterest recommends no more than 20% text coverage; this number doesn't have to be strictly adhered to like it used to on Facebook - instead the key lies in pairing appealing images with compelling copy.
As only the top portion of pins is visible initially in feed, your main message needs to be presented early on.
Use text with text-heavy backgrounds that contrast, such as light backgrounds with white text on it or dark images with light text on dark ones, so the contrast becomes clear. Use semi-transparent overlays in order to differentiate the two.
Pinterest Collection Pin Size
For maximum effectiveness, Collection Pins allow you to display multiple products or images within one pin. When someone taps it, they're shown both the hero image as well as secondary ones below it.
This format works remarkably well for e-commerce businesses, enabling you to showcase product variations, collections, or related items all in one convenient pin.
β¨Collection Pin Best Practices
Select an attention-grabbing hero image. As this will be what visitors see first in the feed, it should captivate readers and convey exactly what the collection entails.
Maintain visual consistency across secondary images in a collection. All images should adhere to a similar photography style, lighting and composition for an overall uniform look.
Pinterest Infographic Pin Dimensions
Infographic pins on Pinterest thrive with vertical formats that organize information sequentially
Infographics are Pinterest's specialty. The platform excels at providing long-form visual content that adds real value, such as step-by-step guides, statistics, checklists, timelines and educational pieces.
Taller pins work particularly well when creating infographics because there is more vertical space to arrange information in an orderly and sequential fashion.
π¨Infographic Design for Pinterest
Break down information into easily scannable segments using headers, numbers, or icons as separators in an infographic. Make the information easily digestible by creating distinct segments using headers, numbers or icons that make for quick reading.
Design for both feed viewing and full-size viewing. Your infographic needs to be both captivating when someone sees it in their feed (showing only part of it), while offering maximum value when they click through to see the entire image.
Utilize your brand colors consistently. Infographics are highly shareable, so maintaining consistent branding means when an infographic gets reposted or repinned it still represents your brand and can still be linked back to you.
Include your logo and website URL. Since infographics tend to get shared repeatedly, having your branding visible ensures credit goes back to you.
πWhat Makes Infographics Shareable
Infographics that offer actionable information that users can refer back to again later are widely shared among social networks; for example checklists, step-by-step processes and how-to guides tend to get saved repeatedly because they provide practical value.
Data visualizations and statistics. People enjoy sharing captivating statistics that are attractively presented.
Timeless content. Infographics that cover fundamental topics (not trending fads) continue to get discovered and shared over time.
How to Resize Images for Pinterest: Efficient Workflows
Achieve Pinterest-optimized content requires more than simply having the correct dimensions; an efficient work flow must also exist.
π οΈTools to Make Pinterest Design Easier
Canva is the go-to tool for most Pinterest designers. With built-in templates with predetermined dimensions already set and thousands of photos, fonts, and design elements already preloaded for free use as well as premium versions offering additional features such as brand kits and background remover, it provides everything needed for efficient creation on Pinterest.
Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) provides Pinterest-specific templates with Adobe's signature design quality, seamlessly integrating with both Photoshop and Lightroom for seamless results.
Tailwind Create uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically generate multiple pin designs from one URL or image, making this an extremely efficient method for producing batch variations of pins at once.
PicMonkey excels at photo editing and graphic design using Pinterest templates, making it an excellent option if you are working with your own photography and require robust editing tools.
β‘Workflow for creating pins efficiently
Create templates. Build 3-5 branded pin templates that meet your color scheme, font style and content type specifications before swapping out images and text for every new piece of content created - rather than starting over every time!
Batch your design work. Instead of working on one pin at a time, set aside dedicated time for designing 10-20 pins simultaneously - this allows you to get into your creative flow more easily and work much more quickly!
Create multiple versions of each pin. Pinterest rewards fresh content, so designing three to five variations for one blog post or product gives you enough content to spread over several weeks or months.
Use consistent naming conventions when it comes to pin files. Name them descriptively so you can easily locate and identify what each pin represents later.
β¨Best practices for optimizing images
- Export at high quality but keep an eye on file sizes. Pinterest allows up to 20 MB files at one time; larger ones take longer to upload and may cause issues. Aim for 1-3 MB per pin -- still high-quality but optimized for fast loading times.
- PNG should be used when working with graphics and text-heavy designs; its sharp edges and text are preserved more effectively compared to JPG, which may produce artifacts around letters. Meanwhile, JPG is well suited for photograph-heavy pins as its file sizes tend to be smaller - particularly photo-based pins without much text overlay.
- Do your best to organize and save all editable design files (Canva projects, PSD files) so you can easily update or repurpose pins later.
Mobile vs Desktop: Pinterest's Mobile-First Reality
Take this into consideration when creating your Pinterest strategy: 85% of its users access it via mobile devices.
Pinterest differs significantly from Facebook in that mobile use dominates overall usage; therefore, your content must be created to best utilize mobile usage on this platform.
π±How Pinterest Presents Content Differently
Mobile feed highlights taller pins more prominently; for example, 1000x 1500 pins consume approximately three to four times more screen real estate in comparison with square images in mobile feed - meaning increased visibility.
Desktop displays pins in a masonry grid; on mobile, Pinterest uses a more fluid grid of pins with different heights that stands out more dramatically; when browsing via desktop browser, taller pins still stand out, but their difference is less evident than it would be otherwise.
Text size matters considerably on mobile. What may seem perfectly legible on a desktop monitor may become indecipherably tiny on a phone screen. Always test designs on mobile before publishing.
π―Mobile-first design approach
- When it comes to pins, always design with mobile viewing in mind - even when creating them on desktop computer! Take time to preview how they will appear on a phone screen before finalizing them.
- Test on real mobile devices. Don't just resize your desktop browser--instead, look at how your pins appear on an actual phone; colors, text size, and overall impact can look completely different!
- Keep the essential elements centered and upper portion. As with social media stories, mobile UI elements such as save buttons, profile info and navigation may overlap the edges of your pins; keep important content centralized.
Common Pinterest Image Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Helping businesses optimize their Pinterest strategies, I frequently observe common errors. Here are the most prominent ones and ways they can be resolved.
βMistake #1: Relying On Square Images
Instagram may have made us all accustomed to thinking square, but square pins get lost on Pinterest due to taking up minimal screen space and failing to match its feed layout.
βMistake #2: Text That Is Too Small
Text that reads well on desktop can become virtually unintelligible on mobile. I've come across beautiful pins with text so small it cannot even be read while scrolling.
βMistake #3: Ignoring Feed View
Users generally only see the top portion of a pin in their feed; if your main visual or headline lies below this portion, they'll quickly pass it by without clicking.
βMistake #4: Low-resolution or pixelated images
Pinterest is an image-centric
Comments (0)