LinkedIn banner size (1584 x 396) and free generator

The right LinkedIn banner dimensions

A LinkedIn profile banner is designed at 1584 pixels wide by 396 pixels tall. That is the format the platform expects. A smaller image gets stretched and turns blurry, and an image with another ratio gets cropped without you choosing where.

The catch is the display. On desktop, your profile photo overlaps the bottom left of the banner, and on mobile the edges get trimmed. Anything important placed in those areas disappears for a good share of visitors.

• Personal profile: 1584 x 396 pixels, 4:1 ratio, text away from the bottom left corner.
• Company page: LinkedIn's help recommends 1512 x 256 pixels for the cover image, as a PNG or JPEG under 3 MB, with key details kept in the center and away from the lower right corner.

The safe zone

Keep your text in the right two thirds of the banner and in the middle vertically. In practice, leave about 350 to 400 pixels empty on the left and around 60 pixels of margin at the top and bottom. That is exactly where the tool places the text, and the dotted circle in the preview shows you the photo area.

What to put on it

A banner is not decoration. It is the only surface of your profile where you can say what you sell without it looking like an ad. Three elements are enough:

• What you do, for whom. One line. “Brand identity for cosmetics brands” beats a slogan.
• One proof. A number, a well known client, an award. Just one.
• What to do next. An email address, or a note such as “available from September”.

Resist the urge to add client logos, every social network and your full list of services. At 1584 pixels shown on a phone, three elements are already a lot.

Banner, header, background photo, cover image

These words all describe the same area, the large rectangle above your photo. In your profile settings, LinkedIn calls it the background photo; on a company page it is the cover image. Everything on this page applies whatever you call it.

How to change your LinkedIn banner

1. Open your profile and find the pencil or camera icon on your current banner.
2. Choose to upload a new photo and select the PNG you downloaded here.
3. Check the crop LinkedIn suggests, then save. Open your profile on your phone afterwards to see what mobile visitors get.

The most common mistakes

• An unrelated landscape photo. It takes the most visible spot on your profile to say nothing.
• Text that is too small. If you cannot read it on your own phone, nobody will.
• Low contrast. Grey on grey disappears. Light text on a dark background, or the reverse.
• Outdated information. A banner announcing last year's availability does more harm than no banner.

LinkedIn banner examples to adapt

The structure never changes: what you do and for whom, a proof, an action. Here are lines to reuse in the tool.

Tech and IT

• “React and Node developer for SaaS startups · Available 3 days a week”
• “Data engineer · I make your data pipelines reliable · 8 years in finance”

Sales

• “I help industrial SMBs close their key accounts”
• “B2B SaaS business developer · From first meeting to signature”

Freelancers

• “Motion design for product launches · Showreel on my website”
• “Product photographer · Studio in London · Quote within 24 hours”

Hiring and job search

• “We are hiring 5 developers in Austin · Full-time roles”
• “Digital project manager · Looking for a full-time role · Available now”

Output format and keeping it fresh

Export as PNG. JPEG degrades text and creates artifacts around the letters, which shows immediately on a flat color. Then treat the banner as a billboard: it is the one part of your profile you can change in two minutes without breaking anything. Update it when your calendar opens up, when you ship a project, when you change target. Your banner should tell the same story as your headline, and the LinkedIn headline generator gives you six formulas that match.