Facebook Cover Photo Maker: Sizes, Tools and What Gets Cropped
Most Facebook cover photos look wrong for one reason: desktop and mobile crop them differently. Desktop shows a wide, short strip. Mobile shows a narrower, taller area. Anything near the left or right edge is visible on one and cut off on the other.
Get the dimensions and the safe zone right and any tool will do. Get them wrong and the best design still loses half its text.
The numbers
| Size | |
|---|---|
| Upload at | 851 × 315 pixels |
| Displayed on desktop | 851 × 315 |
| Displayed on mobile | about 640 × 360 |
| Safe zone | the central 640 × 315 |
| Minimum | 400 × 150 |
| File | JPG for photos, PNG for text or a logo |
Design for the safe zone. Put your text, logo and faces in the middle. Treat the outer roughly 100 pixels on each side as decoration that some visitors will never see.
Uploading at exactly 851 × 315 also avoids Facebook resizing your file, which is what produces the soft, blurry covers people complain about. If your image has sharp text or a logo, use PNG — JPG compression is what makes lettering look fuzzy.
The other thing that gets covered
On a personal profile, your profile picture overlaps the lower left of the cover. On a Page, the layout differs and has changed several times. Either way, keep that corner clear of anything that matters.
Tools worth using
Canva
The default recommendation, and reasonably so. Search its templates for the Facebook cover size and it sets the canvas correctly. The free tier is genuinely usable; the paid tier adds background removal and a larger asset library. Best choice if you want something finished quickly without design experience.
Adobe Express
Similar in scope, free tier available, and a strong choice if you already use Adobe tools or want better typography control.
Fotor, Snappa, VistaCreate
All in the same category — preset sizes, template libraries, browser-based. They differ mainly in template style and how much the free tier restricts exports.
Figma
Free for individuals and far more precise. Worth it if you want exact control over spacing and alignment, or if you are producing covers repeatedly and want a reusable master file.
Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP
Full control if you already know them. GIMP is free. Not worth learning solely for this.
Making one that actually works
- Start from the size, not from an image. Create the canvas at 851 × 315 first.
- Mark the safe zone. Draw a guide box 640 wide in the centre and keep the important content inside it.
- Keep text short. A cover is glanced at. A few words at most.
- Check contrast. Text over a busy photo needs a dark overlay behind it or it will be unreadable.
- Preview both. Upload it and look on a phone as well as a desktop before deciding you are finished.
Uploading it
- Go to your profile or Page and hover over the cover area.
- Click Edit cover photo → Upload photo.
- Drag to reposition if Facebook offers it, then Save changes.
A new cover posts to your timeline by default. On a personal profile you can delete that post afterwards without removing the cover, or set its audience to Only me.
Common problems
- Blurry. The source was too small, or JPG compression hit fine text. Upload at exactly 851 × 315, and use PNG for anything with lettering.
- Text cut off on mobile. It was outside the safe zone. Move it towards the centre.
- Colours look different. Export in sRGB rather than another colour profile.
- Won't upload. Usually file size or format — try a JPG under a few megabytes.
A note on video covers
Pages can use a short video cover instead of an image. It draws the eye, and it also loads more slowly and is muted by default, so it needs to work without sound. Keep it brief and looping, and use the same safe zone.
FAQs
What is the correct Facebook cover photo size?
851 × 315 pixels. Keep important content within the central 640 pixels.
Why does mine look stretched?
The aspect ratio does not match. Facebook scales to fit, which distorts anything not close to 851 × 315.
Is a free maker good enough?
Yes. The size and safe zone matter far more than the tool.
Can I stop the cover appearing on my timeline?
Delete the post afterwards, or change its audience. The cover stays either way.