Twitter has rolled out its new-look profile pages to all users (you can get yours here), and with the update comes a resize of header photos and avatars, which means you’ll likely have to do a little maintenance to get your page looking tip-top.
So, load up your favourite image editor, head on over to your Twitter profile settings page, and let’s get started.
Header Photo (1500 pixels wide x 500 pixels high, 5MB maximum)
This is the main image across the top of the screen. Twitter recommends 1500×500 pixels but the header photo will always blow-up to be screen-wide, which means a 1500×500 image can look pretty lousy on a 27-inch monitor unless it’s saved at a very high resolution. Otherwise, it pixelates.
So, either upload a 3000×1000 photo or save your 1500×500 image at the highest possible dots per inch (DPI) you can you manage to squeeze it under the 5 megapixel limit.
(And if you’re looking for ideas, Twitter has a nice gallery of the new-size header photos here.)
Profile Photo/Avatar (400×400 minimum, 2MB maximum)
Twitter recommends a 400×400 minimum here, and the image should be a square (although you can crop during the upload). Again, I recommend saving to as high a DPI as you can – I believe the maximum file size is 2MB although this is no longer specified by Twitter.
The profile photo scales down to 200×200 on your profile page, gets even smaller in timelines, and blows up to full size when somebody clicks on it, so make sure your image looks clear at all scales.
Background Image (no longer needed)
Twitter has essentially phased out background images with this update. While they still show up in certain places as you’re navigating Twitter (at least for now) this is something only you will see, and they’re not visible on your actual profile page by other users.
Really, there’s no point wasting time creating an amazing background image that nobody is going to see. So, head over to your profile design settings and set a solid background colour instead.
