What is the correct aspect ratio for cover photos?

[Paige28]

The photo that I set as my primary photo becomes cropped and zoomed in when it shows as the "main photo" for my cover page. I've tried numerous aspect ratios, constraining to landscape etc... Whatever is happening with the CSS and image processing on the site continues to morph the picture into something that presents a bad initial impression to my customers.

My question is this - what is the correct aspect ratio/resolution to upload my photo at to ensure it appears unaltered as the main cover photo?

Thank you,
Paige

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Paige28

if you view your page you will notice that the cover photo and the first photo shown when you open your gallery is the same one.

First photo is always enlarged and cropped to fit in cover area but it shows in full size in your gallery.

It will be cropped differently on your pc and iphone. It will show differently even when you resize a window .

Try different photos from your gallery and see if one of them looks better when cropped.

[Chris697]

[Inappropriate content hidden]

[Paul154]

****

@Branka0 and Silvia are correct. There is no correct answer.

There are many display screens with different settings. 

A computer screen handles pictures different than an IPad or smartphone.

The same computer screen will handle the same picture differently, dependant on the sizing or which browser used.

Due to competition, None of the browsers play well with each other.

People get advanced degrees in IT, only to discover they continually waste time in meetings ensuring photos get rendered correctly.  Even then, they strive for optimized rendering over many display choices, NOT correctly 100%.

[JohnR0]

[Inappropriate content hidden] My photo looks horrible blown up.

[Deborah30]

This answer is not helpful.

[Salim14]

Pathetic I am here because I want perfection and have exhausted the trial and error styles

[Sarah977]

I had the same problem, never could figure it out. Cover photo looks perfect on the main listings page, but when I go to my listing to edit something in my description and that photo is blown up, it's totally grainy. Wasted hours trying to tweak it. Would love a fix as well.

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

@Sarah977 High resolution picture taken in landscape mode or a 8-18mm lens on 35mm camera. Nice wi angles and crisp clear. 

With a iphone, turn it sideways like a camera. 

[Sarah977]

@Rene-and-Zac0I can change the resolution of any photo on my computer before sending or posting. Believe me, I tried them all.

[Lizzie · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone,

For those of you who I haven't met before, nice to meet you and welcome to the Community Center. 

I know you are eager to know more about how to get your photos just right and perhaps the response wasn't quite what you are looking for, this is completely understandable, but I just want to say that we are community here and the response given here was clearly meant in a helpful way, so lets keep that in mind and be respectful back, perhaps by adding additional questions you will find the answer you are looking for.

To go back to the question at heart, I think the best way to think about the photos is to consider the resolution size of the photo. At least 1024 x 683px, but in general the bigger size the better! Also, as Branka mentions, think about how they will be displayed on your listing. The front image will appear in landscape form, so it is best to make this a landscape image. Also, if you are finding the image is blury/pixelly, this would suggest the actual size of the photo isn't large enough for the display, therefore perhaps review the 1024 x 683px size of your image to check it is at least this size. Have a play around. Also, here is a Help Center article with a few more tips. 

Hopefully this will help and I am sure there are far more community members who have photography skills greater than me, so if you have anything to add please do. Plus, let us know if you successfully upload your photos, I alway like to peruse listings. 🙂

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Sue405]

Hi Lizzie, I'm a brand new host and your words are useful. My problem is that some of my photos are displayed upside down! It's very frustrating, especially as I am not very literate when it comes to tecgnology - can you offer any help?

Many thanks, Sue

[Lizzie]

Hello @Sue405,

Lovely to meet you and thanks for your kind reply. Welcome also to the world of hosting. 🙂

Aw yes, I feel your pain with the photos showing upside down or on their side. I believe this is usually the case when you take a photo on your phone or tablet and the photo is usually taken in landscape mode. Sometimes the browser you are uploading this to may automatically rota, but commonly not. 

If you open the photo on your computer and open it in a program that allows you to edit it and then rotate it to show how you want it to appear (if using a mac, you can just open the photo on you desktop display and one of the tools will allow you to rotate it). 

Then if when you open the image to edit it, it may showsas you wanted it to straight away, this can lead you to think what is going on. However, if you just press rotate once or twice and then back to show how you want it, then when you upload it it will show as you want it–not upside down.

I am certainly no expert on this, so this is just my personal experience, but hopefully it will help and if it isn't clear what I mean just let me know.

Fingers crossed all your photos will behave and show as you want them. 🙂

It would be great to hear how you get on.

Lizzie

[Mark37]

I read all of the posts. Lizzie, I tried your suggestion at 1024, wide...that does not work either. Why does this have to be so hard?