What you'll learn
- Exact pixel dimensions for every LinkedIn banner placement
- File format and size limits LinkedIn accepts
- How to design banners that look good on both desktop and mobile
- Common banner mistakes that hurt your professional image
Your LinkedIn profile banner (also called background photo or cover image) is the large image behind your profile photo. It's one of the most underused real estate on LinkedIn — most profiles show the default blue gradient.
Recommended dimensions: 1584 × 396 pixels
This is the official LinkedIn-recommended size for personal profile banners. The 4:1 aspect ratio ensures the image fills the full width on both desktop and mobile without distortion.
Tactic
Design at 1584×396px in your design tool. If you're using Canva, search for 'LinkedIn Banner' — the preset is already set to this size.
Avoid
Avoid uploading banners smaller than 1584×396px. LinkedIn will stretch them, causing blurriness.
File format: PNG or JPG
PNG is recommended for banners containing text, logos, or graphics because it preserves sharp edges. JPG is better for photographic banners and produces smaller file sizes.
Tactic
Use PNG for any banner with text or your logo. Use JPG for full-bleed photography banners.
Avoid
Avoid GIF, WebP, and SVG formats — LinkedIn either rejects them or converts them with quality loss.
Maximum file size: 8MB
LinkedIn accepts banner images up to 8MB. Most properly sized banners will be well under this limit — a 1584×396 PNG typically ranges from 100KB to 1MB.
Avoid
Don't upload raw, uncompressed design exports. Run your file through TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading if it exceeds 1MB.
Mobile cropping zone
On mobile, LinkedIn crops approximately the top 20% and bottom 20% of your banner, showing the central 60% of the image height. Critical content — your name, tagline, or logo — must be centered vertically.
Tactic
Before finalizing, mentally draw a horizontal box covering only the center 240px of your 396px canvas. Any content you need to show on mobile must be in that zone.
Avoid
Don't put text or logos in the top or bottom thirds of your banner — they'll be cut off on most mobile views.
Key takeaways
- 1
LinkedIn profile banners must be 1584 × 396 pixels — anything smaller will be stretched and appear blurry
- 2
Company page banners use a different size: 1128 × 191 pixels
- 3
Design for mobile by keeping critical content in the center 60% of your banner height
- 4
Use PNG format for banners with text or logos; JPG for photographic banners
- 5
Your banner is your first impression — use it to communicate who you help and how