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(You also have the option to add your own graphics, just as you have the option to add your own photos or text in those respective sections.) Once your canvas is open, click on one of five icons in the upper-left: Text, Images, Graphics, Shapes, or Drawing.įor purposes of this tutorial, we’ll select Graphics and scroll through the section menu for high-quality iconography choices. Whichever option you choose, your subsequent design choices remain the same. Once you’ve opened up your canvas as described earlier-with a blank canvas or pre-made template-it’s time to customize. Or download and browse our FREE pack of 145 highlight cover elements.Įven if you don’t download that free pack (but we think you should), you can head into our intuitive editing tool, Create, to make highlight covers easy-peasy. To start, check out Shutterstock’s vast (huge! enormous!) collection of images, icons, and backgrounds for inspiration. Now that we’ve gone over the basics of IG highlight covers, it’s time to create your own. How to Make Instagram Highlight Covers Using Create Remember, your work will always be autosaved in our cloud storage, so if you want to come back and re-edit, simply click File > Edit a copy to save your original version. Click Download again to save to desktop or upload straight to Instagram. To select your preferred file option in Create, simply click the big red Download button and choose from the drop-down menu. While JPG files are smaller in size and are ideal for online uploads, PNG files can also work because they retain image quality. Highlight cover designs are ideally exported as a JPG or as a PNG. When you’re ready to export your design, it’s also important to know which file types to use. If you’re starting with a blank canvas, simply click File > Create new > Blank canvas and scroll or Command + F (on Macs) for “Instagram Story” canvases. To find customizable Instagram highlight templates in Create, simply click Templates, then scroll or type “Instagram story” into the search bar. It’s easiest to just use one or two design elements, like a title word and a graphic. In that same vein, be sure your most important information or logo lands in the center of the cover so as not to have details cut off. Only a small portion of the highlight cover will be shown on the profile page, so you need to keep all your cover designs the same dimensions for consistency. The Instagram highlight cover dimensions are the same size as Instagram stories: 1080 pixels x 1920 pixels or within a 9:16 aspect ratio. Customize this Instagram story cover in Create! Starting off with the proper height and width ensures you don’t need to crop any of your design. Instagram story covers are small, and it’s crucial to have the correct file types and dimensions. The Right Way to Size Your Instagram Story Covers If your brand is vibrant and cheerful, for example, your highlight covers should reflect that same energy.įor some guidance on which colors to choose, consider color science. IG highlights are an extension of your brand, which means their cover designs should go hand-in-hand with your brand style- color palette, fonts, etc.-and voice. The more content you have, the more story covers you may need-but, keep in mind that too many covers can quickly become overwhelming. Some accounts feature only a handful, while others have upwards of ten. It’s up to you how many highlight covers you want to include on your IG page. Image via New York Botanical Garden’s Instagram page. Icons and other simple designs are ideal for highlight covers because they’re easy to see at even the smallest sizes. Be Clear and PreciseĮach highlight cover has only a small viewing window, so it’s essential to make the designs clear and easy to read. Rather than use, say, a photo for one cover, an illustration for another, and an icon for the next, stick to the same style across your Instagram story covers.ĭoing so will make your collection easier to follow and more visually appealing. If your goal is to get users to watch your highlights-which, duh, why else would you save them?-then you need to entice them with an attractive highlight cover.Īesthetics are everything on Instagram, and in order to establish a strong aesthetic, you have to be consistent. Tips for Designing Your Instagram Highlight Covers Get Started with FREE Instagram Story Templates
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