A Facebook cover photo is a prime piece of creative real estate at the top of your page. It heads up your profile and cues viewers into the feel of your page.
In this tutorial, we’ll run through everything you need to know about cover photos for Facebook, including why you should make one in the first place. We’ll tackle the technical questions like “what size is a Facebook cover photo?,” and the more creative ones as well, addressing some modern design ideas and common mistakes.
What is a Facebook Cover Photo?
A Facebook cover photo, also known as a banner or header, is the large image that runs across the top of your page. This visual is larger than your profile photo and the first thing someone sees when they land on your page, so it’s an important image for Facebook marketing.
Businesses often use their profile picture to include their logo and the cover photo space to feature images of products or their latest brand campaign. Individuals typically put a photo of themselves in the profile photo space and a picture of something that is important to them – let’s say, their favorite travel destination or a social cause – in their Facebook cover image.
Why are FB Cover Photos Important?
When done well, a FB cover photo gives your viewers, whether they are potential customers or your family members, an idea of what your page is all about.
If you have a Facebook business page, maximize this space by including more information about your offering. Whether you’re in real estate and sharing photos of recent listings, or you’re a passionate activist and sharing an image of the last fundraiser you hosted, this is a great place to do it.
What is the Correct Facebook Cover Photo Size?
The Facebook header size measures 851 by 315 pixels. Another question people frequently ask is “what size is a Facebook group cover photo,” and the answer is surprisingly not the same. Facebook group cover photos should be 1640px by 856px. And if you’re hosting a Facebook event, then you should use an event cover photo size of 1920 x 1005 pixels, or a 16:9 aspect ratio. Using a JPG file is the way to go for your Facebook cover photo. And try to keep the file size under 100KB.
Whenever you’re uploading a photo to a social network that has specific image dimensions, you should use the recommended size to make sure your image displays with the best quality. This way, you don’t have to stretch it or compress the image, which could make it look pixelated or warped.
You also don’t want to have to crop or reposition your picture, as this can lead to having to cut out essential information. Be sure to check your new Facebook page cover photo on both desktop and mobile devices to make sure that it displays correctly, with all of the information viewable within the safe zone.
Pro tip: If you don’t have the right size social media image, you can easily resize it using our free Quicktools image resizer.
10 Creative Facebook Cover Photo Ideas
Not sure where to start? Check out the following ideas for your next cover photo. Remember that this is a visual place to make a first impression, so experiment until you find the perfect cover photo for your account.
Business:
1) Picture of your products
2) Graphic supporting your company aesthetic, as dictated by your brand guidelines
3) Photograph of your store, office, or facilities
4) Information on a sale or giveaway
5) Additional information about your business (like a virtual calling card)
Personal:
1) Photo from your favorite travel destination
2) Funky pattern that represents your style
3) Group picture from a special event or memory like graduation or a holiday
4) Arts and crafts that you make
5) Perfectly curated stock image of something that represents your personal brand well (like coffee or the mountains)
Don’t forget, you can also make cover videos, which are a fun way to add dynamic content to an otherwise static brand page or personal profile.
What are Some Common Mistakes When Creating a Facebook Banner Photo?
Be sure to avoid the following when making cover photos for Facebook.
- Making it too busy: Visually, the space for your Facebook profile picture and your cover video or photo overlap a bit, both on the mobile app and desktop. So your cover photo serves as a contrasting background to your avatar. If there is too much going on in the image, it can make your whole page look overwhelming
- Not having enough contrast: If the cover photo is similar in design or color to your profile pic, these two images can blend together, and not in a good way. Be sure to leverage some of the top design principles when creating your cover photo.
- The wrong dimensions: There’s nothing worse than a stretched, warped, or pixelated photo, so start with the right Facebook image size dimensions when designing. If you’re not sure, Picsart has preset canvas dimensions for common social platform images including facebook feed posts, facebook ads, and facebook photo cover sizes. In the Web Editor, just click on Facebook and then select Facebook Profile Cover.
How to Design a Facebook Cover Photo with Picsart
Ready to start designing a custom Facebook cover photo? Here’s how to design them in Picsart. If you’re not sure where to start, there are a ton of templates to choose from as well.
On the web:
1) Open the Picsart web editor, and under Designing For, choose Facebook. Then, from the pop-up menu, choose the option for a cover photo. This will give you a properly-sized blank canvas to work from.
2) If you’d like to design from a template, click on Templates in the left Editor toolbar and search for one that matches your design style. Templates are totally editable, so remove and add elements as you wish.
Alternatively, you can freestyle by adding elements like photos, stickers, and text to your cover image canvas. Click on Photos and search for a stock photo that matches your Facebook aesthetic, or click Upload and start from an image on your computer. Here, we went with a colorful fruit themed background. Then, we added a rectangular box using the Elements tool.
3) We’re going to add text overlay, so adding the box helps make the text more legible. Use the Blend and color picker tools in the toolbar above your canvas to create this color offset rectangle.
4) Now, click on Text in the left Editor toolbar, select a heading size, and type your text.
You can then change your font, font size, color, apply text styles, and more.
5) When you are satisfied with your edits, download your photo using the Export button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Here you can also name your file, upscale your image, change the file format, and more. You’re now ready to upload the image to your Facebook page.
On the mobile app:
1) Open the Picsart mobile app, and click on the purple plus sign at the bottom of the screen to start a new project.
2) Scroll down to Templates and click on All Templates on the right side of the screen. At the top of the page, filter the options by clicking on the icon for Facebook Cover, and select the template with which you would like to work. Remember that you can change the design elements to fit your brand.
2) Use the tools in the menu below your image. You can change the background and fonts, add stickers, and swap out photos. You can also remove elements already in the design and add new ones in. Here, we change the background to one that matches our fruit company theme.
3) Apply a filter using the Effects (fx) tool, add text and additional stickers, and more. When you’re done with your work, select Apply and Next. Then Save your image or select Post to share it with the Picsart community.
Create at the Speed of Culture
Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart is the world’s largest creative platform. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, One Direction, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Condé Nast, and more. Download the app or start editing on web today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and upgrade to Gold for premium perks!
