The short version
- The standard Pinterest pin size is 1000×1500 pixels, a 2:3 portrait ratio.
- Long pins at 1000×2100 give more room for step-by-step content, but pins taller than 2:3 may be cut off in the feed.
- Square pins at 1000×1000 suit products and quotes, but take up less space in the grid than portrait pins.
- Pins are seen small in a busy grid, so they need a clear headline set large in the top half.
- Because people search Pinterest, a short text overlay that says what the pin is about helps it be understood and saved.
On this page
The best Pinterest pin size is 1000×1500 pixels, a 2:3 portrait. It fills a column of the Pinterest grid without being cut off, which is why Pinterest recommends it. Long pins at 1000×2100 give you more room for steps and lists, but anything taller than 2:3 may be trimmed in the feed. Square pins at 1000×1000 work for products and quotes, but take up less space.
Every Pinterest pin size
| Format | Size (px) | Ratio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard pin | 1000×1500 | 2:3 | Almost everything: ideas, guides, products, recipes |
| Long pin | 1000×2100 | 1:2.1 | Step-by-step guides, checklists, infographics |
| Square pin | 1000×1000 | 1:1 | Single products, quotes, cross-posted squares |
Standard 2:3
1000 × 1500
Long pin
1000 × 2100
Square 1:1
1000 × 1000
Instagram 4:5
1080 × 1350
Why 2:3 is the pin size to default to
Pinterest's grid is made of equal-width columns. A taller pin occupies more of a column and more of the screen, which gives it more presence. Up to 2:3, taller helps. Beyond it, Pinterest may truncate the pin in the feed, showing only the top part until someone taps. That's why the top of any long pin must work on its own.
A standard 2:3 pin: headline in the top half, space for the image or background to breathe.
A long pin: more room for steps, but the top must still work if the rest is cut off.
Type hierarchy for pins
People browse Pinterest fast and search it deliberately. A pin needs to be understood from the grid in a second, which is a question of visual hierarchy: one clear headline, then everything else much smaller.
- 1
Headline in the top half
Put the main words where they'll be seen even if the pin is truncated. Say what the pin is about in plain words people would search for.
- 2
Make it big
The headline should read at grid size on a phone. Heavy weights and simple shapes survive best; see fonts for social media.
- 3
One supporting line at most
A short detail, such as "5 minute recipe" or "free checklist", in a much smaller size.
- 4
Brand small, at the bottom
A logo or site name, small and consistent. It helps people recognise your pins without competing with the headline.
- 5
Leave space
Pins sit in a crowded grid. Empty space around the headline makes yours easier to read than its neighbours. Crowded pins lose in a crowded grid.
Gets scrolled past
- Small text across the whole pin
- The headline at the very bottom
- Five fonts and several colours
- A long pin whose top says nothing
Gets saved
- One large headline in the top half
- Plain words people would search
- One typeface in two weights
- A top section that works on its own
Backgrounds that stand out in a photo-heavy grid
Most of the Pinterest grid is photography: rooms, plates, outfits, gardens. A pin with a calm, clean colour field behind a clear headline reads differently from its neighbours, which can be exactly what makes someone stop. Soft, warm blends suit the home, food and style topics that fill much of Pinterest, and they give dark type plenty of contrast.
Making pins in batches
Pinterest rewards a steady flow of fresh pins, so most accounts make them in batches. The trick is to design one strong template with a consistent background, headline position and brand line, then change only the words and image. The pins look like a set, which helps people recognise your account in the grid. Batch creating social media content walks through a full workflow.
If you use gradients or textures as backgrounds, keep them calm where the headline sits; text on a gradient covers how. In Gradiently, all three pin sizes are built in, and copy to sizes turns a finished Instagram post into a pin with its own layout rather than a stretched copy.
Export pins as PNG when they're mostly type and colour, or high-quality JPEG when they're mostly photo, in sRGB and at exactly the sizes above. The full list of formats across platforms is in social media image sizes.
Questions people ask
What is the best Pinterest pin size?
1000×1500 pixels, a 2:3 portrait ratio. It's Pinterest's recommended size and fills a grid column without being cut off.
How long can a Pinterest pin be?
Long pins at 1000×2100 work for step-by-step content, but pins taller than 2:3 may be truncated in the feed, so the top must work on its own.
Can I use square images on Pinterest?
Yes, at 1000×1000, but square pins take up less space in the grid than 2:3 portrait pins.
Should Pinterest pins have text on them?
A short headline usually helps, because people search Pinterest and need to understand a pin from the grid in a second. Keep it large and in the top half.
What file type is best for Pinterest pins?
PNG for pins that are mostly type, flat colour or gradients, and high-quality JPEG for photographs, both in the sRGB colour profile at the recommended size.
Can I reuse Instagram posts as pins?
The shapes differ: a 1080×1350 Instagram post is 4:5, while a pin is 2:3. Lay the design out again at 1000×1500 rather than cropping or stretching.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
See our profile
