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Instagram Reel Cover Maker

Free • 1080×1920 HD
Zero Server Uploads•No Watermark
Click & Drag to reposition text
1080 × 1920 px (9:16)•Instagram Reels & Shorts
Creator Guide & Dimensions

Why 3:4 Profile Grid & Feed Safe Zones Determine Your Reel Views

Instagram displays your Reel across three distinct crop ratios. On the modern profile grid, Reels are displayed in 3:4 portrait view (with ~240px removed from the top and bottom). If your hook headline isn't designed within the safe zone, critical words get cut off, destroying your click-through rate.

9:16 Full Screen Reel

1080 × 1920 px

Full viewport experience when viewers watch your Reel in the Reels player or Stories.

3:4 Profile Grid (Default)

1080 × 1440 px

Modern Instagram profile grid view. ~240px top and bottom are cropped out.

4:5 Home Feed Preview

1080 × 1350 px

Shown when a follower scrolls past your Reel in their main home scroll feed.

1:1 Legacy Square Crop

1080 × 1080 px

Classic square crop used by older layouts and square photo grids (~420px margins).

4 Rules for Designing High-Converting Reel Covers

Rule 1

Keep Hook Text Under 7 Words

Users scroll at high speed. A 4-7 word high-contrast headline hook converts 3x higher than long paragraphs.

Rule 2

Use High-Contrast Badge Pills

Place solid or vibrant badge pills behind white or bright text. This ensures readability over busy photo backgrounds.

Rule 3

Frame Subject & Face in the 3:4 Safe Zone

Position your subject's eyes or focal point within the middle 1080x1440 area so facial expressions remain visible on your profile grid.

Rule 4

Always Check the Live Grid Preview

Click “Grid Preview” in our editor to test 3:4 Profile, 4:5 Feed, and 1:1 Square crops before downloading and publishing your Reel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the exact dimensions for an Instagram Reel cover?

The official dimensions are 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall (9:16 aspect ratio). On your account profile feed, it crops to a centered 1080x1080 square. Reelstool designs in exact 1080x1920 canvas coordinates.

Can I upload my own photos or screenshots?

Yes! Switch to the Background tab, choose “Image”, and upload any JPG, PNG, or WebP photo up to 15MB. You can zoom, pan horizontally, pan vertically, and adjust the dimming overlay for perfect contrast.

Does Reelstool add watermarks or compress my cover?

Never. Reelstool exports full 1080x1920 PNG images with 100% loss-free color and zero watermarks.

Are my photos uploaded to your servers?

No. All rendering runs client-side in your web browser. Your images stay 100% private on your own device.