Medium Image Sizes — Story Cover, Profile & Publication Logo Dimensions
Medium uses your story cover as both the in-feed thumbnail and the social-share preview card — it’s the single image that decides whether someone clicks. Pair the right cover dimensions with retina-friendly inline images and a clean publication logo, and your stories look intentional everywhere Medium distributes them.
All Medium Dimensions
Story Cover / Topic Header
- 1500 x 750 — Recommended (2:1)
- Used as social-share preview (OG image)
- Formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
Profile Picture
- 500 x 500 — 1:1, cropped to a circle
- Displays at ~48px in bylines
Publication Logo
- 600 x 60 — Horizontal wordmark (10:1)
- 500 x 500 — Square avatar version (1:1)
Inline Body Images
- Render at content width — ~1400px on web
- Upload at 2x for retina sharpness
- Medium upscales / downsizes on ingest
Medium Image Specs Comparison
| Asset | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story cover | 1500 x 750 | 2:1 | Doubles as OG share image |
| Topic / tag header | 1500 x 750 | 2:1 | Matches cover spec |
| Profile photo | 500 x 500 | 1:1 | Circle crop |
| Publication logo (horizontal) | 600 x 60 | 10:1 | Wordmark above feed |
| Publication logo (square) | 500 x 500 | 1:1 | Avatar surfaces |
| Inline body image | ~2800 wide | Any | 2x of ~1400 render |
Medium Image Optimization Tips
- Treat the cover as your social card: Medium uses the story cover as the Open Graph image when your post is shared to X, LinkedIn, Threads, and Slack. A 1500x750 cover with clear focal subject and minimal text wins clicks across every surface — not just on Medium itself.
- Upload inline images at 2x: Medium renders body images at roughly 1400px on web. Uploading at ~2800 keeps the image sharp on retina displays and at Medium’s “fullscreen on click” lightbox view.
- Avoid critical text near the edges: Medium crops feed thumbnails to slightly tighter ratios than 2:1 on some surfaces. Keep titles, watermarks, and signatures at least 8% inside the canvas edge.
- Publication wordmarks are tiny — design for 60px tall: the 600x60 horizontal logo renders at its real size in the publication header. Anti-alias-test the wordmark by viewing it at 100% in your editor before uploading.
- Pick PNG for graphics, JPG for photos: Medium re-encodes uploads. JPG holds up well on photographs but smears graphic edges, so use PNG for screenshots, infographics, and any image with text.
- Profile photos crop to a circle: the 500x500 profile image becomes a circular ~48px avatar in bylines. Keep the subject centered with at least 10% padding inside the canvas edge.
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Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet (2024)
| Platform | Type | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Post (Square) | 1080 x 1080 | |
| Post (Portrait) | 1080 x 1350 | |
| Post (Landscape) | 1080 x 566 | |
| Story / Reel | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Profile Photo | 320 x 320 | |
| TikTok | Video Cover | 1080 x 1920 |
| Profile Photo | 200 x 200 | |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 1280 x 720 |
| Channel Banner | 2560 x 1440 | |
| Profile Photo | 800 x 800 | |
| Post (Landscape) | 1200 x 630 | |
| Post (Square) | 1200 x 1200 | |
| Cover Photo | 820 x 312 | |
| Profile Photo | 170 x 170 | |
| Event Cover | 1200 x 628 | |
| X (Twitter) | Profile Photo | 400 x 400 |
| Header Photo | 1500 x 500 | |
| In-Stream Photo | 1600 x 900 | |
| Card Image | 1200 x 628 | |
| Post Image | 1200 x 627 | |
| Cover Photo | 1584 x 396 | |
| Profile Photo | 400 x 400 | |
| Company Logo | 300 x 300 | |
| Standard Pin | 1000 x 1500 | |
| Idea Pin | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Board Cover | 600 x 600 | |
| Profile Photo | 165 x 165 | |
| Twitch | Profile Banner | 1200 x 480 |
| Offline / Video Player Banner | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Profile Photo | 256 x 256 | |
| Info Panel | 320 x 100 | |
| Emote (Large) | 112 x 112 | |
| Emote (Medium) | 56 x 56 | |
| Emote (Small) | 28 x 28 | |
| Snapchat | Snap | 1080 x 1920 |
| Geofilter | 1080 x 2340 | |
| Profile Photo | 320 x 320 | |
| Story Ad | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Threads | Profile Photo | 320 x 320 |
| Feed Image | 1080 x 1350 | |
| Feed Square | 1080 x 1080 | |
| Link Preview | 1200 x 628 | |
| Discord | Server Icon | 512 x 512 |
| Profile Avatar | 128 x 128 | |
| Server Banner | 960 x 540 | |
| Invite Splash | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Custom Emoji | 128 x 128 | |
| Sticker | 320 x 320 | |
| Role Icon | 64 x 64 | |
| Post Image | 1200 x 675 | |
| Community Banner | 1920 x 384 | |
| Avatar / Community Icon | 256 x 256 | |
| Old Reddit Thumbnail | 70 x 70 | |
| Status (Story) | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Business Catalog | 1024 x 1024 | |
| Profile Photo | 500 x 500 | |
| Group Icon | 500 x 500 | |
| Telegram | Channel Post Photo | 1280 x 1280 |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Sticker | 512 x 512 | |
| Profile Picture | 512 x 512 | |
| Channel / Group Icon | 512 x 512 | |
| Spotify | Canvas (Looping Video) | 1080 x 1920 |
| Cover Art | 3000 x 3000 | |
| Show / Podcast Artwork | 3000 x 3000 | |
| Profile Image (Artist) | 750 x 750 | |
| Playlist Cover | 640 x 640 | |
| Substack | Newsletter Header | 1456 x 816 |
| Post / Section Hero | 1456 x 816 | |
| Publication Logo | 256 x 256 | |
| Profile Photo | 256 x 256 | |
| Medium | Story Cover | 1500 x 750 |
| Topic / Tag Header | 1500 x 750 | |
| Publication Logo (Horizontal) | 600 x 60 | |
| Publication Logo (Square) | 500 x 500 | |
| Profile Photo | 500 x 500 | |
| Bluesky | Profile Avatar | 1000 x 1000 |
| Profile Banner | 3000 x 1000 | |
| Post Image (Portrait) | 1200 x 1500 | |
| Post Image (Landscape) | 1200 x 675 | |
| Link Card Preview | 1200 x 630 | |
| Etsy | Listing Photo (Square) | 2000 x 2000 |
| Listing Photo (4:3) | 2700 x 2025 | |
| Search Thumbnail | 570 x 456 | |
| Shop Banner (Big) | 1200 x 300 | |
| Shop Banner (Large) | 3360 x 840 | |
| Shop Icon | 500 x 500 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Medium story cover image size?
The recommended Medium story cover image is 1500x750 pixels (2:1). The same image doubles as the Open Graph preview when the story is shared to X, LinkedIn, Threads, Slack, or any other surface, so design it to read at thumbnail scale with a clear focal subject and minimal small text.
What size is a Medium profile picture?
Medium profile pictures are 500x500 pixels (1:1) and are cropped to a circle. They render at roughly 48px in story bylines and the homepage feed, so a tight, well-lit headshot reads better than a wide environmental portrait. Keep the subject centered with at least 10% padding inside the edge.
What size should a Medium publication logo be?
Medium publication logos come in two flavors: a horizontal wordmark at 600x60 pixels (10:1) that sits above the publication feed, and a square 500x500 (1:1) avatar version used in lists and bylines. Upload both — Medium uses the appropriate one per surface.
What size should inline images on Medium be?
Upload inline body images at roughly 2x the rendered width. Medium displays body images at ~1400 pixels on web, so a ~2800-pixel source produces a sharp retina-quality version. Smaller uploads work but look soft on the “fullscreen on click” lightbox view.
What size is the Medium topic / tag header?
Topic and tag headers on Medium follow the same 1500x750 pixels (2:1) spec as the story cover. They render across the top of topic pages, so high-contrast imagery with no text near the edges works best.
What file formats does Medium support?
Medium accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and WEBP. Use JPG for photographs, PNG or WEBP for screenshots and graphics with text, and reserve GIF for short animations. Medium re-encodes large uploads, so resize close to the target dimensions before uploading to control compression quality.