Build Your Website: Social Media Images for TikTok

Posted January 7, 2025 by kddidit in Author Resources, Building Your Own Website


A stylized quarter note with a turquoise outline on the left side, a dark gray center line, and a pinkish red outline on the right side.

NOTE: This post, “Social Media Images for TikTok”, introduces TikTok’s requirements for images needed in setting up your account and the images and videos you plan to use in posts on this site.

This post’s intention is to provide this information about fields and provide image examples of what the various post types look like to help you in preparing the images and text you’ll need.

Be sure to maintain consistency (and your branding) by using the same colors, banner, headshot, and fonts from other social media sites to make you/your business recognizable.

To repeat, you ideally start with an image as large as you can make it, usually 1,080 px wide by χχ px high.

TikTok will adjust your image to suit their guidelines, so be sure to pre-adjust your image to the correct dimensions to ensure your composition isn’t compromised by automatic cropping, stretching, or compressing.

This will ensure clarity. Keep this file as your original. Make duplicates of it for every different size you’ll need. I like to label my images with its purpose and the social media name, e.g., profTik or tikProf meaning profile picture for TikTok or coverTik meaning cover photo for TikTok.

Develop your own preference and then be consistent to reduce confusion!

NOTE: Any post content on TikTok must comply with their Community Guidelines, Youth Safety and Well-Being, Sensitive and Mature Themes, and Privacy and Security.

Return to top

Quick Navigation
In this post Back to “Intro to Social Media
TikTok Online Imaging Options
Resources for Social Media Images Definitions

Return to top

Exploring More . . .

You may want to also look at more possibilities in “Images on Your Website” and “Understanding Licensing” or have some fun on the homepage Building Your Author Website.

For more on websites, check out: “First Steps for a Website“, “Outline Your Website“, “Anatomy of a Web Page“, “Pages on the Front End of Your Website“, “Pages Behind the Scenes of Your Website“, “More Specific Disclosures for Your Website“, and “Navigation For Your Website“.

Return to top

Build Your Author Website is . . .

. . . an opportunity to do a bit more with your author’s website or blog and have some fun with it as well as getting a look at building it from the ground up with a comprehensive listing of the pages you’ll need . . . all while learning something about HTML (hypertext markup language) and CSS (cascading style sheets) — the easy way, lol.

If you found this post on “Social Media Images for TikTok” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.

Return to top

TikTok Social Media Images
Part of Web Building: Behind the Scenes
Definition: Any image you use on your social media site, including banners.

Allows users to create, share, and watch short videos.


POST CONTENTS:

NOTE: Teal blocks represent your images.

TikTok Account Set-up
When setting up an account on TikTok, you’ll need:
TikTok Profile Page Definition: A place on TikTok where you share information about yourself, such as an image of yourself, your biography, location, a clickable link to your online presence, and recent posts in a chronological list.

Return to top or post contents

 Cellphone-sized shape with text and icons. At the bottom are three columns and two-and-a-half rows of images.
Example of a TikTok Profile Page.
TikTok Cover Photo Definition: A header graphic or video that visually and instantly communicates your brand and represents you and your business.

The cover image should clearly reflect your brand colors, logo, and overall aesthetic, instantly making your profile recognizable.

A.k.a. banner, header

Return to top or post contents
Image Size Min.: 600 x 600 px
Recommended: 1,080 x 1,920 px
Max.: 6,000 x 6,000 px
Aspect Ratio 1:1
9:16
1:1
Resolution Range Standard: 72 ppi
Max.: 96 ppi
File Size Max.: 5 MB
File Format JPG, JPEG, PNG

HEIC or WEBP formats are converted to JPG
TikTok Profile Photo Definition: An image of yourself, a cartoon avatar, something you love, or your logo in a circle.

A.k.a. PFP

Return to top or post contents
Image Size Min.: 20 x 20 px
Best: 400 x 400 px
Aspect Ratio 1:1
Resolution Range Standard: 72 ppi
Max.: 96 ppi
File Size Max.: 5 MB
File Format JPG, JPEG, PNG

HEIC or WEBP formats are converted to JPG
TikTok Biography You are allowed up to 80 characters, including spaces, for a short description of yourself, your interests, and what you post about, so make the most of it.
TikTok Images
To upload higher-quality posts on TikTok:

  1. On the final editing screen, before you post your TikTok, click More options
  2. Turn on Allow high-quality uploads

Turn pictures into a video by using live photos, press three dots, save as a video, and then scroll down.

Your caption/headline/text should complement your image/video content. It must be short and sweet to grab the attention of the viewer.

Return to top or post contents

 TikTok Square / Landscape / Portrait
Image Size Square: 1,080 x 1,080 px

* Landscape: 540 x 960 px
1,920 x 1,080 px

Portrait/Vertical: 1,080 x 1,920 px

* TikTok’s in-app editor will automatically convert a landscape to 9:16, adding black bars to the top and bottom.
Aspect Ratio Square: 1:1
Landscape: 9:16
16:9
Portrait: 9:16
Resolution Range Standard: 72 ppi
Max.: 96 ppi
File Size Up to 5 MB
File Format JPG, JPEG, PNG

HEIC or WEBP formats are automatically converted to JPG
Three cellphone framed examples of single image posts.
Three examples of the many possible image posts in TikTok.
TikTok Video “Vertical videos perform best. According to TikTok, videos shot in vertical format get 40.1% more impressions than videos with a square or horizontal aspect ratio” (Greco).

Return to top or post contents
Image Size Square: 1,080 x 1,080 px
Landscape: 1,920 x 1,080 px
Vertical: 1,080 x 1,920
Aspect Ratio Square: 1:1
Landscape: 16:9
Vertical: 9:16
Resolution Range Best: 1,080 p (1,920 x 1,080 p)

Note: 1080 p is usually known as Full HD resolution.
Video Duration 3 sec to 60 min
Max.: 3 min
Frame Rates 23–60 fps
Bit Rates MP4, MOV files: 1–2 Mbps
HEVC files: 2–4 Mbps
Key Frame Learn how to create
File Size 5 MB
Android: 75 MB
iOS: 287.76 MB
Social Pilot: 512 MB
Max: 500 MB
File Format MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, AVI
Audio Use sound from the TikTok Sound Library

Use sound recorded through your phone
Video Text 2,200 characters
A split screen background with a mint color block on the left taking up three-quarters of the background and the remaining one-quarter is white with text info and comments. On the mint background is a teal block of color representing videos with another below it, offset to the right.
An example of a video screen as displayed to viewers.
Check out these TikTok video examples.

Pexels has some free videos for TikTok.

Duet Video Definition: Videos that play side by side simultaneously.
It can be a great way to collaborate with others.
Cellphone-framed example of a pair of videos side-by-side with informational text below and a column of icons and info on the right.
Only ONE example of many duet videos on TikTok.

Return to top or post contents

C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which website issues are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix the . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Working Your Website posts in its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, and Writing Ideas and Resources.

Return to top or post contents

Resources for TikTok Social Media Images

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

“About Carousel Ads.” Ad Formats. In-feed Interactive. TikTok. Sept 2024. Accessed 11 Nov 2024. <https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/carousel-ads?lang=en>. Article.

Bull, Hayley. “GIF vs Boomerangs.” iShoot Photobooth. 18 Jan 2019. Accessed 10 Nov 2024. <https://ishootphotobooth.com.au/2019/01/what-are-gifs-and-boomerangs/>. Article.

Dial, Minter. “Write a Great Bio.” MINTER DIAL: Brand strategy and digital transformation. 3 Sept 2014. Accessed 5 April 2019. <http://minterdial.com/2014/09/write-a-great-bio/>

Greco, Patti. “The Ultimate TikTok Video Size Guide for 2023.” We Video. 26 Jan 2023. Accessed 11 Nov 2024. <https://www.wevideo.com/blog/tiktok-video-size>. Article.

“Images in Link Shares.” Meta for Developers. Facebook. n.d. Accessed 19 Mar 2024. <https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/webmasters/images/>.

M2E. “How to Optimize Images on TikTok Shop: Solving The Problem with Magento.” Blog M2E Pro. 7 Mar 2024. Accessed 11 Nov 2024. <https://blog.m2epro.com/how-to-optimize-images-on-tiktok-shop-solving-the-problem-with-magento/>. Article.

Nizzoli, Giada. “Using Images in Blog Posts: Complete Guide for Businesses.” Crafty Copy. n.d. Accessed 25 June 2024. <https://craftycopy.co.uk/blog/guide-on-how-to-use-images-in-blog-posts>.

Nyst, Annabelle. “Social Media Image Size Guide For All Platforms in 2024.” Search Engine Journal. 19 Sept 2024. Accessed 10 Nov 2024. <https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media-image-sizes/488891/>. Article.

Olafson, Karin and Tony Tran. “Social Media Image Sizes for All Networks [December 2024].” Blog. Hootsuite. 3 Dec 2024. Accessed 6 Dec 2024. <https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-image-sizes-guide/>. Article.

“Product Listing: What You Need to Know.” Academy. TikTok Shop. TikTok. 28 Oct 2024. Accessed 11 Nov 2024. <https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=7073362639816491&default_language=en&identity=1>. Article.

Return to top or post contents

Pinterest Photo Credits

TikTok Logo Icon by Buke Icon under the CC BY 4.0 license, via IconScout.

Kathy's KD Did It signature
«

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.