LinkedIn Background Photo Size: 1584 x 396 Pixels, and How to Design One
LinkedIn recommends 1584 x 396 pixels for a profile background photo, as a JPG or PNG under 8 MB. Company Page covers are 1512 x 256. Specs, safe areas, ideas.
LinkedIn recommends a background photo of 1584 x 396 pixels for your personal profile, saved as a JPG or PNG file under 8 MB. That is a 4:1 shape, four times as wide as it is tall. A LinkedIn Page (the company version) uses a different, narrower cover image: 1512 x 256 pixels, PNG or JPEG, up to 3 MB. LinkedIn now calls both of these the "cover image".
The specs are below, followed by where your profile photo covers the banner, how to keep it readable on a phone, ideas by profession and how to make one.
LinkedIn background photo specs
| Spec | Personal profile background | LinkedIn Page (company) cover |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1584 x 396 px | 1512 x 256 px |
| Shape | 4:1 | About 6:1 |
| File type | JPG or PNG | PNG or JPEG |
| Maximum file size | Under 8 MB | 3 MB |
Source: LinkedIn Help, Add or change the cover image on your profile, and LinkedIn's page on image specifications for LinkedIn Pages and Career Pages.
A few practical notes from the same LinkedIn pages:
- Blurry banner? LinkedIn suggests choosing an image with a larger file size, and notes that photos tend to look sharper than images made of logos.
- Slideshows of several cover images are a Premium feature on personal profiles (Premium Business, Recruiter Lite, Sales Navigator Core, Premium Pages and LinkedIn Learning), and on Pages they need a Premium Company Page subscription.
- Going live replaces it. When you broadcast on LinkedIn Live, your cover image temporarily changes to show the stream, then switches back when the stream ends.
- Your profile photo has its own size. For the round profile picture, see our guide to headshot dimensions.
Where your profile photo covers the banner
LinkedIn places the background photo behind your profile photo at the top of your profile. On a personal profile, the round profile photo sits over the lower-left part of the banner, so anything you put there, such as a name, logo or tagline, is likely to be hidden.
LinkedIn also says how your image appears can change with the size of the browser window and the screen resolution, so the visible area is not the same on every device. For company Pages, LinkedIn is more specific: the cover image may be trimmed horizontally or vertically to fit the screen, so keep key details away from the edges, especially the lower-right corner, and put important information in the center.
In practice, for a personal profile:
- Keep the lower-left clear. Use a plain color, a soft texture or a blurred photo there.
- Put your main message in the center or center-right. A short tagline or your role reads best there.
- Leave margin at every edge. Do not run text or a logo right up to the sides, top or bottom.
- Check it on your phone after uploading, not only on a laptop. If the text is cut off or covered, move it toward the center.
Background photo ideas by profession
A banner that could belong to anyone (a random skyline, a laptop, a handshake) tells viewers nothing. Match it to your work instead:
| Profession | Banner idea |
|---|---|
| Software engineer | A code snippet or your tech stack on a dark background |
| Data analyst | A clean chart or trend line in your brand colors |
| Graphic designer | A strip of your own work |
| Photographer | One strong photo you took, with little or no text |
| Real estate agent | A local skyline or landmark, with contact details on the right |
| Coach or consultant | A photo of you speaking, plus a one-line tagline |
| Healthcare professional | Soft blues and greens, or a calm image of your setting |
| Attorney | A dignified, muted palette, or imagery tied to your practice area |
| Student or new graduate | A campus landmark, your degree and the roles you are open to |
| Freelance writer | A row of logos of brands you have written for |
| SaaS or product professional | A product screenshot and a one-line value proposition |
Color sends a signal too. Finance, education and healthcare tend to suit soft palettes: light blues, gentle greens and light grays. Creative roles can go bolder. Tech profiles often use dark themes.
If you do not want to design anything, LinkedIn also offers a set of ready-made images to choose from when you add a cover image.
Make the banner match your headshot
The banner and profile photo are seen together, so they should look like a set.
- Sample a color from your headshot. Use your headshot's background or shirt color as the banner's main or accent color.
- Keep the area behind your photo calm. A solid color or soft blur behind the profile circle makes the overlap look intentional.
- Limit the palette to two or three colors.
- Refresh both together. If you are updating your headshot, choose one with a background color you can carry into the banner. Our guide to LinkedIn profile pictures covers what makes the photo itself work, and the headshot backgrounds guide explains which background colors suit which fields.
If you need a new LinkedIn headshot to anchor the profile, Headshots by Magic Studio creates 50 headshots across 5 looks from about ten of your own photos, ready in 15 minutes. You see them before paying, and packs start at $49: a starter pack of 3, all 50 for $59, or all 50 in print-ready high resolution for $69.
How to make and upload a LinkedIn background photo
- Set up a canvas of 1584 x 396 pixels in any design or photo app. Starting at the exact size avoids LinkedIn stretching or cropping your image.
- Lay out the safe areas. Keep the lower-left plain for the profile photo, and put your message in the center or right.
- Add one message. A role, a tagline or a website, not all three plus a list of services. Use high contrast: light text on dark backgrounds, dark text on light ones.
- Export as JPG or PNG, under 8 MB.
- Upload it. On desktop, LinkedIn's steps are: click the Me icon, click View Profile, then click the Camera icon in the upper-right corner of your introduction section and upload a photo. You can then crop, filter, adjust, reposition, resize or rotate it before clicking Apply. In the mobile app, open your profile and tap the Camera icon in the same spot, then tap Save.
- Check it on desktop and on your phone, and move anything that is covered or cut off.
To change or remove it later, click the Edit icon in the upper-right corner of the cover image on your profile.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Leaving LinkedIn's default banner | Upload any custom image, even a plain color that matches your headshot |
| Wrong size, so it looks stretched or blurry | Design at 1584 x 396 px and use a larger, higher-quality file |
| Text in the lower-left | Move it to the center or center-right |
| Text running to the edges | Leave a margin all round |
| Too much text | One line, one call to action |
| A generic stock photo | Use something specific to your work or your city |
| Colors that clash with your headshot | Pick two or three colors and sample one from your photo |
| Only checking on desktop | Always look at your profile on a phone too |
Common questions
What size is a LinkedIn background photo?
LinkedIn recommends 1584 x 396 pixels for a personal profile background photo, which LinkedIn now calls the cover image. The file should be a JPG or PNG under 8 MB. The image is a 4:1 shape, four times as wide as it is tall.
What size is a LinkedIn company Page cover image?
LinkedIn lists 1512 x 256 pixels as both the minimum and the recommended size for a LinkedIn Page cover image. All LinkedIn Page images must be PNG or JPEG files with a maximum size of 3 MB, and LinkedIn recommends a high-resolution JPEG for the best result.
Why does my LinkedIn background photo look blurry?
Usually because the image is smaller than 1584 x 396 pixels and LinkedIn has scaled it up, or because it is heavily compressed. LinkedIn suggests uploading an image with a larger file size, and notes that photos tend to look sharper than images made of logos.
What part of the LinkedIn banner does the profile photo cover?
On a personal profile, the round profile photo sits over the lower-left part of the background photo. Keep that area plain and put text or logos in the center or center-right, with a margin at every edge, because LinkedIn says the image can appear differently depending on the browser window and screen.
How do I change my LinkedIn background photo?
On desktop, click the Me icon, then View Profile, then the Camera icon in the upper-right corner of your introduction section, and upload a photo. You can crop, reposition and adjust it before clicking Apply. To replace or delete an existing one, click the Edit icon on the cover image. In the mobile app, open your profile and tap the Camera icon in the same place.
What should I put on my LinkedIn background photo?
Something tied to your work: a skyline of the city you serve, a strip of your portfolio, your tech stack, or a one-line tagline about what you do. Keep it simple, use two or three colors that match your headshot, and keep the lower-left clear for your profile photo.