You may have noticed when you post an image to Twitter that, Twitter automatically crops the image preview in order to provide a better user experience. You may prefer to retain the original preview of an image and not have it cut by Twitter. Twitter considers this a useful feature of its platform as it allows users to focus on the most important elements in images.
You can submit this photo of a giraffe to Twitter to demonstrate the issue. You’ll notice that Twitter crops the image after you submit it. This, unfortunately, removes a portion of the Giraffe face from the Tweet preview.
Why are images being cropped on Twitter?
Twitter usually crops image previews for one of the following reasons:
The image doesn’t have the correct aspect ratio. (This varies depending on how many photos are in the tweet).
The image is oriented portrait (height > width).
The image’s important visuals are concentrated in a small part of the picture.
This tutorial will address these reasons and show you how to avoid cropping images on Twitter.
The ideal aspect ratio of a single image within a tweet
The ideal aspect ratio of a single tweet image is 16:9, which means that the width should be larger than the height. For 16:9 resolutions, here are some examples: 1024×576, 1280×720 (1280×720), 1600×900 (1920×1080), 2560×1440 (3840×2160).
The ideal aspect ratio of two images within a tweet
For each photo, the optimal aspect ratio is 8:9. (The width is slightly smaller than the height, as shown in the picture below).
Examples of 8:9 resolutions include: 512×576, 640×720 960×1080 1280×1440 1920×2160
The ideal aspect ratio to use for three images within a tweet
The perfect aspect ratio to use for tweets that include three images is 8:9 (for the leftmost image) and 16:9 (for the two paintings on the right). You should add pictures in the order of the leftmost appearance, followed by the two paintings on the right.
Examples of 16:9 resolutions include: 1024×576, 1280×720 (1280×720), 1600×900 (1920×1080), 2560×1440 (3840×2160), and more.
Three images in a tweet: an 8:9 aspect ratio for the first image on the left and a 16:9 aspect ratio for the two paintings on the right side.
The ideal aspect ratio for tweeting four images
The ideal aspect ratio to tweet four images is 16:9 (width greater than height). Resolutions in 16:9 include: 1024×576, 1280×720 (1280×640), 1600×900 (1920×1080), 2560×1440 (3840×2160).
Four images in a tweet, with a 16:9 aspect ratio for each photo.
Avoid cropping in portrait (vertical) images
Can I avoid cropping portrait images? Is it possible to crop portrait images?
Twitter encourages its users to choose wide formats over portrait (vertical) images. Knowing how and why Twitter decides to crop a picture can help you optimize it for the best cropping.
The human eye will focus on the most important parts of an image based on the size, color, type, and other factors.
Twitter’s algorithm mimics the same behavior. Twitter will crop out the background of an image if it has a small element at the center.
Originally, this was an image of the entire Eiffel Tower, though as you can see, Twitter cropped it, and you can now see an unclear (center) part of the tower in the preview.
What should you do in order to maximize the cropping of portrait and vertical images?
Avoid vertical portrait images if you can. If this is not possible, please continue with the next recommendation.
Twitter’s cropping algorithms will “help” you by focusing on the most important elements.
Avoid cluttering the image by adding too many photos that are not important.
If you’re still having trouble, try placing the most important images in the middle of the picture.
Test, test, and then test again. Create a Twitter test account and post your image in different variations to find the perfect fit.
You can avoid cropping Tweet link previews
The tweet that contains a link will typically have a Card. This Card includes the title of the page, the description (on desktop), the URL, and the image associated with the carrier. If you use WordPress, for example, the title and featured image will appear on the Card.
Twitter may crop the image preview in some cases. If you want to make sure that Twitter doesn’t cut the image preview, use an image that has an aspect ratio of 1,91:1, such as 800 x 418.
An example of how to use Twitter’s card validator to present your page’s link preview.
You can check that your link looks the way you want it to by using Twitter’s card validator. The card validator simulates a preview based on the image you choose for the link preview. This allows you to try out different options before you post the link.
Quick tips on how to avoid image cropping on Twitter
Follow these best practices to minimize the impact of Twitter’s image-stealing algorithms.
Use the correct aspect ratio based on how many images you are posting.
Avoid portrait/vertical images. Use horizontal photos instead, with the correct aspect ratio.
Before posting a tweet, use Twitter’s card validity tool to view the card details and preview the image.
