# Tumblr image size: 1280×1920 posts that fill the dashboard [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/tumblr-post-size) Tumblr is still a place where images get reblogged for years. A post made at the right size, with words that read on a phone, keeps travelling long after you've forgotten it. ## The short version - A good Tumblr image size for a single photo post is 1280×1920 pixels, a 2:3 vertical frame. - Tall images take up more of the dashboard than square or landscape ones, which gives a post more time on screen as people scroll. - In a photoset, images that share a row are shown at the same height, so matching ratios keeps a set tidy. - Tumblr lets you add image descriptions to photos, and writing them makes posts usable for screen reader users. - PNG suits graphics with lettering and flat colour on Tumblr, JPG suits photographs, and GIFs should be short and small enough to load quickly. The best **Tumblr image size** for a single photo post is 1280×1920 pixels, a tall 2:3 frame. Tumblr scales images to the width of the dashboard column and generally shows them at their full height, so a vertical image takes more space as people scroll and gets more time in view. Square 1080×1080 and wide 1600×900 images work too; they simply occupy less of the dash. Make words big enough to read on a phone, because that's where most reblogs happen. ## Tumblr image sizes for each kind of post | Post | Size to design at | Ratio | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Single photo, tall | 1280×1920 px | 2:3 | Fills the most dashboard space | | Single photo, square | 1080×1080 px | 1:1 | Reuses an Instagram square as it is | | Single photo, wide | 1600×900 px | 16:9 | Small on a phone, best for photography | | Photoset row | Same ratio across the row | Any | Tumblr matches heights within a row | | GIF | Keep it modest | Any | Short loops load faster and reblog better | 1280 pixels wide gives Tumblr enough detail for sharp screens without making files heavy. Your blog's avatar and header have their own shapes in the blog settings. - Tumblr post 1280×1920: 1280 × 1920 - Square 1080×1080: 1080 × 1080 - Wide 1600×900: 1600 × 900 - Pinterest pin 1000×1500: 1000 × 1500 The three common post shapes drawn to scale, with a Pinterest pin for comparison. The wide frame is the same as an X post. Tumblr and Pinterest share the 2:3 shape, so one tall design suits both. ## Why tall posts work on Tumblr The dashboard is one column. Every post is the same width, so the only way a post can take more room is height. A 2:3 image fills most of a phone screen on its own, which means the reader stops on it for a moment rather than flicking past a thin strip. That's also why the same image does well on Pinterest, where [the standard pin size](https://gradiently.design/guide/pinterest-pin-size) is the same shape. Very tall images, such as long comics or infographics, are fine on Tumblr, but split anything taller than about two screens into a photoset or a series. Readers who reblog the middle of a long strip lose its beginning. ## Designing images people reblog Tumblr rewards images that carry their meaning without the caption, because reblogs travel further than the text you wrote with them. A quote, a recipe card, a little guide or a striking background with three words on it all survive being passed along. A tall Tumblr quote post reading Rest is part of the work on a soft gradient background A quote post at 1280×1920: one line, large, centred on a calm background. A tall Tumblr list post titled Five films for a rainy Sunday on the same gradient background A list post in the same look. Lists travel well because people reblog them to keep for later. - Put your handle small in a bottom corner so credit survives reposts, but not so large it takes over. - Set headline text at least 80 pixels tall in a 1280 pixel wide design; it shrinks to roughly a third on a phone. - Keep one look across your posts. Followers recognise a blog by its colours long before they read the name. - Write the image description. Tumblr has a field for it on each photo, and it is how screen reader users read your post. ## Backgrounds that suit Tumblr Tumblr has always loved a mood: soft pastels, washed film colour, deep night tones, a bit of grain. A background with a clear feeling does more for a text post than any font. These four are starting points you can copy; add a layer of grain and they'll feel less digital, as [grainy gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/grainy-gradients) explains. - Pastel haze: `linear-gradient(180deg, #fbcfe8 0%, #e9d5ff 50%, #c7d2fe 100%)` - Late summer film: `linear-gradient(170deg, #fde68a 0%, #fdba74 45%, #f9a8d4 100%)` - Night window: `radial-gradient(circle at 70% 25%, #4338ca 0%, #1e1b4b 45%, #0b0a1a 85%)` - Faded photocopy: `linear-gradient(160deg, #d6d3d1 0%, #a8a29e 50%, #57534e 100%)` Four Tumblr moods as CSS gradients. Use dark type on the first two and light type on the last two. For more starting points, see [aesthetic backgrounds](https://gradiently.design/guide/aesthetic-backgrounds) and the [Y2K aesthetic](https://gradiently.design/guide/y2k-aesthetic). The catch with any popular blend is that the blog next to yours may be using it too. A Mark from Gradiently, once you claim it, gives you a background nobody else can export, and it keeps your words readable by moving its calmest area behind them. ## Photosets, GIFs and file types ### Avoid - A square, a landscape and a tall image in one row - Long GIFs that take a while to start - JPG for graphics with fine lettering - Text right up to the edges - No image description ### Do - Matching ratios within each photoset row - Short GIF loops of a few seconds - PNG for lettering and flat colour - A clear margin on every side - A short description of what the image shows In a photoset, Tumblr lays images in rows and scales each row to one height. Mixed ratios in the same row leave some images tiny, so group tall with tall and wide with wide. For moving posts, a short loop that joins cleanly feels intentional; [animated posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/animated-social-posts) covers how to keep motion gentle under still words. 1. **Design at 1280×1920** Keep a margin of about 80 pixels and put the words in the middle two thirds. 2. **Export the right file** PNG for type and flat colour, JPG for photographs, GIF for short movement. 3. **Upload and describe** Add the image to a post and fill in its description before publishing. 4. **Tag it plainly** Use the words people actually search for, such as the film, the fandom or the mood. Tags are how posts are found outside your followers. ## FAQ ### What is the best image size for Tumblr? 1280×1920 pixels for a tall single image. It fills the dashboard column and shares its 2:3 shape with Pinterest pins. ### Does Tumblr crop images? Single photos are generally shown at full height, scaled to the column width. In photosets, images in a row are scaled to the same height, so mismatched ratios can end up very small. ### Can I post square images on Tumblr? Yes. A 1080×1080 square works well and lets you reuse an Instagram post, though it takes less dashboard space than a tall image. ### Should I use PNG or JPG on Tumblr? PNG for graphics with lettering, flat colour or gradients; JPG for photographs. ### How do I add alt text on Tumblr? Each photo in a post has an image description field. Write a sentence describing what the image shows before you publish.