Instagram stories are quite popular these days. If your posts are ill-fitting and visually unattractive, viewers will simply swipe past.

To ensure that the fantastic stories you create on Instagram gain the attention you deserve, you need to be on point with the dimensions of your Instagram story. It will be pointless to upload random pictures and videos when there is so much buzz on the platform with tons of people posting amazing content every hour!

Glorify brings you 9 useful tips on Instagram story dimensions that you can use to create engaging and visually appealing stories.

9 Tips for Instagram story dimensions

1. Stick to the recommended dimensions

The ideal dimensions of an Instagram story are 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels high. If your story is created with the recommended dimensions,  it fills up the entire screen, making it look aesthetically pleasing to your viewers. 

If your story is sized wrongly, the visual will be cropped as shown in the image below. This ruins the entire aesthetic look of your story and will make viewers lose interest. Sticking to the recommended dimensions prevents problems like getting different sizes on different devices. With these numbers, nothing can go wrong.

2. Use the correct aspect ratio

An aspect ratio is the proportion between the height and width of a visual. For Instagram stories, the ideal aspect ratio is 9:16. This makes your story fit perfectly onto the screens of a wide range of different devices.

3. Minimize resolution

If you use the correct Instagram story dimensions and aspect ratio, the function of controlling resolution becomes much easier. Lowering the resolution saves a lot of time and effort in the uploading process. High resolution videos take quite a while to upload and if you have many stories to post, the process can become tedious. However, you need to make sure that your resolution isn't so low as to ruin the quality of the images.

4. Create vertical content

The orientation of your video is vital to provide users with the best experience. There are two ways you can post videos and images on on your Instagram stories.

You can choose to take them directly through the app. In this case, make sure to capture your content by holding your phone in a vertical position. The second way is by uploading videos and images from your camera roll. Material captured in a horizontal frame will be cropped and distorted when being posted, so it's best to capture special moments in a vertical orientation to give your followers the best experience.

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5. Regulate file size

To avoid any issues when posting Instagram stories, make sure images are less than 30MB and videos are around 15 seconds long or 4GB in size. Unedited images uploaded directly from your camera role take up a lot of space. That’s why you should choose JPEG format over raw files. If video files are too large, the upload time and buffer rate will be affected, causing inconvenience to you and a poor user experience for your followers.

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6. Check video length

When Instagram stories initially started out, the maximum time limit for videos was 15 seconds. However, with the later updates, users can upload videos of up to 60 seconds in length. The video is automatically broken into 15 second clips when posted to your story. This doesn't mean it's a must for you to take long videos. Shorter videos are more effective and engaging, and more likely to hold the attention of viewers.

7. Use PNG or JPG images

File formats are often overlooked by Instagram users. The accepted formats of images for Instagram stories are PNG and JPG. PNG files are comparatively larger than JPG ones, so try to stick to the JPG file format when posting IG stories.

8. Use MP4 or MOV videos

When it comes to Instagram story formats, MP4 and MOV are the two types of videos that can be used.  However, MOV files are bigger than MP4 files. Sticking to MP4 videos takes less space on your device and has a shorter upload time. The buffer time is also significantly reduced, thereby enhancing user experience. If by chance any video is shot in MOV format, try converting it to an MP4 file before uploading.

9. Use an editor

And finally, don't forget to use an editor to make your content irresistible. If you want to make your stories stand out, a simple, quick editor can work wonders. Remove backgrounds, add icons, shadows, reflections and any other elements to engage your followers and keep them coming back for more.

How to create compelling Instagram stories using Glorify

Now that you know the technical side of creating Instagram stories, it's time to get started on the fun part. Glorify is the ideal design tool you can use to create all your social media content. With easy-to-use tools for beginners and advanced tools for professionals, you are guaranteed a balanced deign process.

Glorify offers thousands of pre-designed, niche-based templates that are 100% customizable. These templates are pre-sized, so you don't have to worry about using the wrong dimensions. If you need a bit of inspiration, Glorify templates are an ideal way to start. You can also choose to bring out your creative side by designing your images from scratch.

Here's how to create beautiful Instagram stories using Glorify.

Step 1: On the left side of your dashboard, click “Create Design.”

Step 2: Go to "Posts and Content" and click "Story Post".

Step 3: Upload a vertical image that will fit in your IG story or choose one from Glorify’s stock image library.

Step 4: Once your image has been uploaded, click the “Remove Background” button on the right side of your screen to customize your background.

Step 5: From the Elements tab, choose a background color from the color palette.

Click the shuffle icon next to the color palette you want to use to generate a combination that works for you.

Step 6: Use the Elements tab to make your IG story more compelling by adding icons, effects, lines, text, and shapes.

Step 7: Download your final image.

Conclusion

Instagram stories are an amazing way to attract new followers by marketing your business or even flaunting your personal account. This IG feature can boost your online presence and lets you place yourself in the spotlight. If you're ready to start posting compelling Instagram stories, get started with Glorify!

Instagram story dimensions: FAQs

1. How do I add Instagram stories?

Tap the + at the bottom of your screen and choose "Story" as the type of post you want to create. You can also swipe right onyour homescreen to start creating your story.

2. How to mention users in your story?

Tagging other Instagram users in your story is very simple. Just type the ‘@’ symbol and you will start getting suggestions. Select the person you want to tag. Once your story is posted, the tagged person will receive a notification stating that you mentioned them in your story.

3. How to archive Instagram stories on your profile?

Instagram stories can be saved by creating highlights. Highlights are collections of saved stories that appear in circular frames above your feed. Unlike stories, highlights do not disappear after a period of time.