A Facebook cover is a visual piece of content that sits at the top of a profile page. It occupies almost a quarter of the screen on most desktop browsers. It is also known as the Facebook banner and is the most prominent and crucial visual part of a profile. To ensure the cover picture can take your profile to the next level, make sure to the Facebook banner size is correct.
The Facebook cover picture is your visitor's first "conversation" with you. It's a visual mark that can't go unnoticed in any situation. The idea behind the cover photo can be different. It mostly depends upon your intention or purpose.
Your Facebook cover photo can be used for several purposes. They can be used either to celebrate your milestones, or anniversaries. You can also use them to honor a person, an occasion, or simply update something about your life. A cover photo is a great way to connect with your online community and build a strong bond with them.
Facebook cover photos introduce you to future Facebook followers. Thus, it can make or break your Facebook activities. It sets the stage for their engagement with you and what your profile is all about. A good cover photo will entice people to follow you. It will help them to connect with your profile, while a bad one will have them clicking the "Back"-button faster than you can react to a Facebook post!
What are the Facebook cover photo size and dimensions?
The cover photo of Facebook is the first thing that most of the people look at. However, while the dimensions of the profile and page are the same, it is different for a group.
Facebook Profile & Page Cover: The Facebook cover displays with a 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on desktops/laptops. On mobile devices, it is 360 pixels tall by 640 pixels wide on mobile devices.
For a clear display, the Facebook cover must be at least 150 pixels tall and 400 pixels wide. Also, an sRGB JPG file loads faster. It means that the picture should not be more than 100 kilobytes and 851 pixels wide with 315 pixels tall.
Group Cover Image: Recommended dimensions for group cover photos are 1640 by 856 pixels. But, to view cover photos perfectly on desktop and mobile, the size should be 1640 by 664 px.
Facebook stretches the photo to fit the cover photo space. It may look pixelated if you don’t have the dimensions correct. So, ensure that the photo is not too small and size it according to the mentioned dimensions. If the cover photo is too big, then Facebook will crop it. It may result in poor picture quality that may destroy the overall look of the profile.
Use a PNG-format for your cover photos with a logo or text for better results.
Ideas For Facebook covers
A Facebook cover is like a window. So the secret is to stage a visual presence that sparks interest in the profile visitor's mind.
Display your creative skills on the Facebook cover photos. This is the space to establish your personal brand.
You can create a cover photo that flows and merges into your profile picture. This will make your cover photo a standalone and unique visual.
Develop a color palette in your cover photo that draws attention right to the point where you want. It could either be a text or a logo.
Be simple and straightforward in your cover photo. This will portray a sense of what visitors can expect when they scroll down the page.
Use color gradients and sketches to create a fun and sleek cover photo. You can even include some photographs you have taken yourself.
You can use big fonts to convey strong messages. But remember to strike a balance between the text font and color.
A note on business pages:
If you creating a banner for your Facebook Page, you should also create a brand-matching banner for LinkedIn.
How to create a Facebook cover for free
Creating a Facebook cover using online tools does not require any prior know-how of designing. Canva and Stencil are two such tools that make this task easy. Pick your favorite layout, choose images, color tones, and fonts that fit your, or your brand’s, aesthetic. These tools produce pre-formatted images strictly according to the Facebook cover photo dimensions. Thus, it makes the editing task hassle-free.
How to design a Facebook cover with Stencil
A Facebook cover is a huge image that takes up a majority of the screen space. Let us look at how to design one with Stencil.
Create an account on Stencil. Open it and select the Facebook cover canvas size from the Stencil canvas resizer. You can also use one of the Facebook cover templates available in the Templates section.
Stencil provides a pool of over 5,000,000 photos for the cover. You can choose from one of these or upload one of your own to the Uploads section. You can use Stencil's "Safe Area"-guide to see where segments of the image will appear on different devices:
Add display text or a logo as per your choice. Keep it either at the center or more to the right. This will avoid the Facebook profile picture from overlapping the cover photo's text or logo.
Download the completed picture and upload it onto your Facebook profile.
Your new Facebook cover photo is now ready! Check the steps on how to upload a Facebook cover.
How to design a Facebook cover using Canva
Designing a Facebook Cover using Canva is remarkably simple. Here are a few steps that will help you have an awesome cover.
Use your Google or Facebook account to sign up for Canva, or log in if you already have one. Search for "Facebook Covers" to get started.
Explore the different template options available. Select one as per your needs.
Drag and drop the different elements from the Canva library into your design. Facebook cover photos can be animated or static, and they can be photos or videos. Use the animate function to make the photo elements more accentuated. Use your creativity to add a personal touch to the cover photos.
Download and save the cover photo as a PNG, JPG, or GIF once you've finished finalizing it. Add it to your Facebook profile. You can always go back and make adjustments to the template.
Done! Your can now move on to uploading your image.
How to change your Facebook cover photos on mobile?
Changing your Facebook cover photo on a mobile device is very easy. You can select photos from a variety of different channels.
Log in to your Facebook account or app on your mobile.
Go to the profile section and navigate to the cover photo area.
Click on the camera icon present at the bottom right corner of the cover photo.
A menu pops up that allows you to choose from - View Profile Cover, Upload Photo, Select Photo on Facebook, Create Collage, or Select Artwork.
You can either upload a new picture from your device or choose a picture from the already uploaded photos.
You can select from a variety of stock images by clicking "Select artwork". "Create a collage" allows you to choose a group of images to combine into a cover photo.
Depending upon your chosen option, you'll be asked to choose from a range of pictures. Choose the photo you want to use as your cover photo.
A preview of the uploaded picture will appear. You can drag it around the screen to adjust its positioning using your finger. Drag the picture around the display until it fills the frame with the desired portion of the image.
Click on Save.
Facebook group cover photos can be changed only by the admins.
Click Groups from the News Feed section.
At the bottom right, click on Edit.
Select the photo you wish to replace the current one with.
Click Save Changes.
How do you make your Facebook cover photos private?
Maintaining the privacy of your Facebook cover photo is entirely your choice. You can choose to keep the photo open only to yourself and your friends, or it can be public. All you have to do is make the necessary changes in the privacy settings.
Open the "Cover Photos" gallery on the homepage of your photo albums. Click a picture and then mouse over the icon next to the date to adjust the audience. From the dropdown menu, choose your new photo privacy setting.
Summary
The Facebook cover photo is undoubtedly the perfect place to highlight your voice. It is like your personal billboard. You can use it as a powerful tool to showcase your idea. With it, you can represent your brand, showcase your latest artistic creation, or simply share an important photo with your friends.
Changing your cover photo on Facebook is a simple process. When creating a new cover photo for Facebook, just ensure you use the correct dimensions and you’re sure to have a make a great first impression on your friends and followers.