Headshot Dimensions: Sizes and Aspect Ratios for Every Use
Acting headshots print at 8 x 10 in (4:5). Profile photos are square, 400 x 400 px or larger. Every size, ratio and file limit in one table, and how to crop.
There is no single standard headshot size. The two that cover most uses are an 8 x 10 inch print for acting headshots, which is a 4:5 portrait, and a square profile photo of at least 400 x 400 pixels for LinkedIn and most other platforms, which show it as a circle. Websites and team pages usually use a 4:5 portrait. ID-style photos for passports and CVs have their own fixed sizes.
The table below gives the size, shape and file limit for each common use. Under it: what the ratios mean, the print sizes in pixels, and how much of the frame your face should fill.
Headshot sizes by use
| Use | Size | Shape | File limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn profile photo | 400 x 400 px minimum, up to 7680 x 4320 | Square, shown as a circle | 8 MB, JPG or PNG |
| LinkedIn background banner | 1584 x 396 px | 4:1 | 8 MB, JPG or PNG |
| X (Twitter) profile photo | 400 x 400 px | Square, shown as a circle | 2 MB |
| Slack profile photo | 512 x 512 to 1024 x 1024 px | Square | |
| Google account and Gmail | Any size up to 20 megapixels | Scaled to a circle | 5 MB, JPG or PNG |
| Zoom profile picture | No set size | Square works best | 2 MB |
| Microsoft Teams and Outlook | No set size | Square, shown as a circle | 4 MB |
| Acting headshot, print | 8 x 10 in (2400 x 3000 px at 300 DPI) | 4:5 portrait | |
| Actors Access | 500 x 700 px | 5:7 portrait | |
| Casting Networks | 360 x 360 px minimum | Any | 30 MB |
| Spotlight (UK casting) | 500 x 500 px minimum | Any | 1 to 40 MB |
| Company website or team page | 800 x 1000 px or larger works well | 4:5 portrait | Set by the site |
| ERAS residency application | No set size, face centered | Portrait | 150 KB, JPG or PNG |
| US passport | 2 x 2 in, or 600 x 600 to 1200 x 1200 px | Square | |
| UK passport | 35 x 45 mm, or at least 600 x 750 px | Portrait | 50 KB to 10 MB |
| Schengen visa | 35 x 45 mm | Portrait | |
| CV photo, Germany, Austria, Switzerland | About 45 x 60 mm | 3:4 portrait | |
| Resume photo, Japan | 40 x 30 mm | 3:4 portrait |
Platforms change these limits from time to time, and each one crops your upload to its own shape, so start from a larger image than the minimum. ERAS has more rules than size alone, and our ERAS photo specs guide sets them out.
What the aspect ratios mean
An aspect ratio is the width of the photo against its height. The same headshot cropped to different ratios keeps different amounts of your shoulders and background.
| Ratio | Shape | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | Square | Every profile photo: LinkedIn, X, Slack, Google, Teams, Zoom. Most show it as a circle, so keep your head clear of the corners |
| 4:5 | Portrait | 8 x 10 prints, acting headshots, company websites |
| 3:4 | Portrait | CV photos in Germany and Japan, many ID photos |
| 5:7 | Portrait | 5 x 7 prints, Actors Access |
| 2:3 | Tall portrait | 4 x 6 prints, badges and lanyards |
All of the portrait ratios are taller than they are wide. If a page asks for a horizontal image, such as a speaker banner, it wants a wider crop with more background, and a normal headshot will need space added on the sides.
Print sizes in pixels
To print sharply, a photo needs about 300 pixels for every inch of print.
| Print size | Ratio | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2 x 2 in | 1:1 | 600 x 600 |
| 35 x 45 mm | 7:9 | 413 x 531 |
| 4 x 6 in | 2:3 | 1200 x 1800 |
| 5 x 7 in | 5:7 | 1500 x 2100 |
| 8 x 10 in | 4:5 | 2400 x 3000 |
| 11 x 14 in | 11:14 | 3300 x 4200 |
For a business card or a brochure, the printer will say what resolution they need. It is usually 300 DPI.
How zoomed in a headshot should be
For a profile or website headshot, your face should fill roughly 60 to 70 percent of the height of the frame, with your eyes about a third of the way down and a little space above your hair. Show the top of your shoulders. Do not crop the chin or the top of the head unless you want a deliberately tight, editorial look.
ID photos set this precisely, which makes them a useful reference:
- US passport: the head, chin to top of hair, is 1 to 1 3/8 inches of a 2 inch photo, so about half to two thirds of the height.
- UK passport: 29 to 34 mm of a 45 mm photo, about two thirds to three quarters.
- Schengen visa: the face takes up 70 to 80 percent of the photo.
Acting headshots are usually cropped a little tighter than corporate ones, and circular profile crops cut off the corners, so leave space around your head when you upload to LinkedIn or Slack.
How to resize a headshot without losing quality
- Start from the largest version you have. You can always make a photo smaller without losing detail. Making it bigger adds blur.
- Crop to the ratio first, then resize. Choose 1:1 or 4:5 and crop, then scale that crop down to the pixel size you need. Resizing without cropping stretches or squashes your face.
- Export as a JPG at high quality, around 80 to 90 percent in most editors. That keeps a 400 x 400 profile photo well under any platform's limit.
- Check it at the size people will see it. A LinkedIn photo is often seen as a small circle in search results. Your face should still be clear there.
One set of photos for every size
The simplest way to cover all of these is to start from a sharp, well-lit headshot with some space around your head, then crop a square for your profiles, a 4:5 portrait for your website, and a small portrait for a CV. Our guide to taking a good LinkedIn photo covers the profile photo itself, and what makes a headshot covers the basics of framing.
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Common questions
What is the standard size for a headshot?
For acting, an 8 x 10 inch print, which is 2400 x 3000 pixels at 300 DPI. For online profiles, a square image of at least 400 x 400 pixels. There is no single standard that covers both.
What aspect ratio should a headshot be?
4:5 for prints, acting headshots and websites, and 1:1 for profile photos. Both are portrait or square. CV and ID photos in Europe and Japan are usually 3:4.
What size should a LinkedIn profile photo be?
At least 400 x 400 pixels, square, under 8 MB, as a JPG or PNG. LinkedIn shows it as a circle, so keep your head centered with space around it.
What size is an 8 x 10 headshot in pixels?
2400 x 3000 pixels at 300 DPI, which is the resolution most printers ask for.
How much of the photo should my face fill?
About 60 to 70 percent of the height of the frame for a headshot, with your eyes about a third of the way down. Passport photos set it tighter: the head takes up one half to two thirds of a US passport photo.