An Instagram thumbnail maker built around the 3:4 grid
A Reel is 9:16, but your profile doesn’t show it that way. Since January 2025 the Instagram profile grid has used 3:4 rectangles, so a 1080 × 1920 cover loses about 240 pixels from the top and 240 from the bottom on your profile. A title that sat neatly near the top of the frame gets sliced in half. This Instagram thumbnail maker draws that 3:4 crop on the canvas, warns you when any text layer falls outside it and shows a live grid-tile preview at roughly the size people see on their phones.
It also covers the first slide of a carousel at 4:5 (1080 × 1350), 3:4 (1080 × 1440) or square, where the grid trims the sides instead. You get templates drawn in code, 16 open-licence fonts, highlight boxes, stickers, emoji and photo placeholders. Everything is made and exported in your browser; your photos are not uploaded.
How to use the Instagram Thumbnail Maker
- Choose Reel cover · 1080 × 1920, or a post size if you are designing a carousel’s first slide.
- Pick a template, then tap a word on the canvas and type your own title in Edit.
- Select a photo placeholder and use Add → Photo, logo or cut-out to drop your picture into it.
- Keep every headline inside the bright 3:4 frame. If one strays outside, a warning names it; the grid-tile preview below the canvas shows the result.
- Download a JPG or PNG and, when sharing the Reel, tap Edit cover → Add from camera roll and pick the file. Instagram lets you nudge the grid crop there too.
Instagram Thumbnail Maker features
3:4 grid crop, live
The profile-grid area is outlined on the canvas and rendered as a 128-pixel tile, so you see exactly what followers see when they visit your profile.
Old square crop
Switch on the 1:1 overlay to check how the cover looks wherever a square crop is still used — the grid shape before January 2025.
Carousel cover sizes
4:5, 3:4 and 1:1 first slides with the grid crop on the sides and the “1/10” counter Instagram draws in the corner.
Out-of-crop warnings
Each text layer is measured against the crop; you are told which one is partly outside, too small for a grid tile or low in contrast.
Photo placeholders
Templates contain placeholders that a photo replaces at the same size and position; round placeholders become circle-cropped photos.
Saved as you go
Undo and redo, autosave in this browser and a .json design file you can reopen to keep a consistent cover style across a series.
Instagram cover sizes and crops (as of October 2026)
| What you post | Upload size | Profile grid shows | Keep text inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel cover | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Middle 1080 × 1440 (3:4) | y = 240 to 1680 px |
| Portrait post / carousel | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | Middle 1012 × 1350 | x = 34 to 1046 px |
| Tall post | 1080 × 1440 (3:4) | The whole image | Margins only |
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 (1:1) | Middle 810 × 1080 | x = 135 to 945 px |
Worked example: a Reel cover that works in three places
Take the “Bold title” template. The heading is 150 px Anton on three lines with the line height set to 1, so it is 450 px tall; centred at y = 850 it runs from about y = 625 to 1075. The 3:4 grid crop keeps y = 240 to 1680 and the old square crop keeps y = 420 to 1500, so the headline survives both. On a 128-pixel grid tile, 150 px text shrinks to 150 × 128 ÷ 1080 ≈ 18 px — comfortably readable. Anything smaller than about 68 px at full size falls under the 8-pixel line where the tool starts warning.
Now drag the heading up until its top edge passes y = 240. Part of it is outside the 3:4 crop, the frame on the canvas shows the cut, and the warning panel names the layer. Drag it back down and the warning clears. The “PART 1” pill at y = 470 is a shape, not text, so it is not checked — keep decorations inside the frame by eye.
Cover design tips for Reels
- Match your grid. Reuse one template and colour set for a series so your profile reads as a set of chapters. Save the design file and change only the title each time.
- Write for the tile. Three to six words at 120 px or more stay legible on a 128-pixel tile; long sentences do not.
- Leave the player area alone. If you also use the cover as your first video frame, switch on “Reels player buttons”: Meta’s guidance keeps the top 14% and bottom 35% free of text.
- Resizing a finished photo is quicker in the Instagram Image Resizer, and the Instagram Caption Formatter keeps your line breaks. Making the same video for TikTok? The TikTok Cover Maker uses the same editor with TikTok’s buttons drawn on.
Instagram Thumbnail Maker FAQ
What size is an Instagram Reel cover?
1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16), the same as the Reel. Your profile grid then shows the central 1080 × 1440 (3:4), so keep the title and faces inside that area. This Reel cover maker outlines it for you.
Why does my Reel cover look cut off on my profile?
Since January 2025 Instagram’s profile grid uses 3:4 tiles. A 9:16 cover loses about 240 pixels at the top and bottom, and a square post loses its sides. Design inside the 3:4 frame and nothing important is cut.
How do I add a custom cover to a Reel?
On the screen where you add the caption, tap Edit cover, then Add from camera roll and choose the image you downloaded here. You can also edit the cover of a published Reel from its … menu.
Can I make a carousel cover with this?
Yes. Choose the 4:5, 3:4 or square size and design the first slide. Instagram uses the first slide’s shape for the whole carousel, so make the other slides the same size.
Should I download JPG or PNG?
JPG at 90–92% quality is smaller and looks the same after Instagram recompresses it. Choose PNG only if the cover has fine text on flat colours and you want the cleanest source file.
Is this an official Instagram tool?
No. It is an independent design tool that follows Instagram’s sizes as of October 2026. Instagram can change its crops without notice, so glance at the grid preview in Instagram’s own cover editor before you post.