# Instagram



## tomjtownsend (Jul 27, 2020)

What are the best settings to use to maintain the highest quality of my image when exporting a file to upload to Instagram? Thanks


----------



## Replytoken (Jul 27, 2020)

According to IG, the maximum width is 1080 pixels.  They also say that they will compress anything over that amount.  You are also limited in your aspect ratio between 1.91:1 to 4:5.

When I share a photo on Instagram, what's the image resolution? | Instagram Help Center 

This person seems to believe  that IG will apply compression to your images regardless of size:  https://patkay.com/instagram-export-settings-lightroom/ .  I do not use the service so I cannot confirm, but I would upload and then download an image or two t see if they do use compression if that is a concern to you.

Good luck,

--Ken


----------



## tomjtownsend (Jul 27, 2020)

Replytoken said:


> According to IG, the maximum width is 1080 pixels.  They also say that they will compress anything over that amount.  You are also limited in your aspect ratio between 1.91:1 to 4:5.
> 
> When I share a photo on Instagram, what's the image resolution? | Instagram Help Center
> 
> ...


Thank you Ken


----------



## BarrySchwartz (Jul 27, 2020)

Instagram likes square photos, and if you post horizontal photos, particularly in stories, Instagram will crop your images.  Here's my workflow, whether for single images or stories: I put them into the Print module on a canvas that is 1080, and export as a JPG.  This preserves the aspect ratio I intend.   

Another tip, depending on how you want to use Instagram, is to be sure to use hashtags and provide captions; this will help with being found, particularly important if you're wanting photo buyers, such as editors, to see your work.


----------



## prbimages (Jul 28, 2020)

tomjtownsend said:


> What are the best settings to use to maintain the highest quality of my image when exporting a file to upload to Instagram?


Image format: JPEG
Quality: 100
Color Space: sRGB
Resize to Fit: Width & Height 1080 and 1350
Sharpen For: Screen, Amount: Standard

As the Instagram Help page linked by Replytoken (Ken) indicates, there is a restriction on aspect ratio and if your image is outside the range, it will get cropped. (Avoid this by making an appropriate crop of your image before exporting it.)

Yes, Instagram does compress your images. You can sometimes see this if, for example, you have a nice colour gradient in a blue sky, but after uploading to Instagram the sky has become blotchy and/or banded. I don't know if there is any way to avoid this.


----------



## RobOK (May 1, 2021)

Hello, i wanted to chat about Instagram workflow, i hope this thread is a good jumping off point!

I understand the cropping points above, but what are people's application to application workflow to get to Instagram? Please be as detailed as possible.... especially about getting to mobile to post to IG.

I am thinking two options

* Using LR Classic (my main platform) to select and crop for Instagram (as above). Put image in a synced collection. Then from iPad or iPhone LR Mobile, use Share from LR and the Instagram  extension to post. A variation of this is to export to photos and post from Instagram pulling from photos. I am not sure what the export step from iOS does to resolution and size, i will have to look more closely.

* A second option is to export from LR Classic to Dropbox or iCloud and have that sync to iOS and post from there. A variation on that is to on my laptop add a photo to Apple Photos and that would sync also.

I would love to hear from others on a repeatable Instagram workflow from laptop to iOS device for posting, thank you!!!

Rob.


----------



## johnrellis (May 1, 2021)

Others have posted that they use one of a few solutions for accessing Instagram from their desktops, e.g. the Mac Flume app or setting Chrome to emulate a mobile browser.   That would allow you to export to your local disk and upload from their.


----------



## Roelof Moorlag (May 1, 2021)

RobOK said:


> I am thinking two options
> 
> * Using LR Classic (my main platform) to select and crop for Instagram (as above)


I'm using the LRInstagram plugin for classic. In my opinion, this is the most simple and fastest way to publish from Lightroom to Instagram. Just drag photos to the publish collection, then click Publish to immediately upload your photos to Instagram.

On their site is a warning that the plugin does not work currently but i don't have any problems with my version (v0.6.1582) on Lightroom Classic 10.2


----------



## johnrellis (May 1, 2021)

Roelof Moorlag said:


> On their site is a warning that the plugin does not work currently but i don't have any problems with my version (v0.6.1582) on Lightroom Classic 10.2


You're one of the lucky ones -- it stopped working for most (but not all) a couple years ago after Instagram changed their undocumented protocol (and after Instagram-owner Facebook formally announced their discontinuance of desktop-app uploading).


----------



## RobOK (May 1, 2021)

I will explore the direct from LRclassic export, but I too was under the impression those solutions did not work.

I did a few trials to use the Share menu from either LR Mobile or Dropbox or Apple Photos and for some reason, the Share extension was very flakey. It kept closing as i was adding and editing tags.

I posted in another thread that I am liking having LR exports of my better photos in Apple Photos. So I think i am going to go LR Classic >> export to DropBox (as I like them there too) >> add select photos to Apple Photos in and Instagram album to be able to find them >> use the Instagram app to create posts and pull in the photos.

I don't know if it is kosher to share IG accounts here, if not let me know and I will edit, but my original account is @RobOK and I am creating a photography only (i.e., not my personal posts) at @capturingmoments.in.time (only one post so far!).

In investigating image sizes, I have found some recent people that say even if you post at 1080 x 1080, IG runs compression, and thus it might be better to post 2048 as the long side. I saw another that said to post 2160 x 2160 which is 2x the max size of 1080.  I am debating whether to post horizontal images within a square image with white borders.


----------



## johnrellis (May 1, 2021)

I just tried the upload-from-desktop-Chrome solution, and it seems to work fine:
instragram-from-desktop.2021.05.01.mov 

The Mac Flume app isn't available for sale anymore, and various threads suggest it may be the same problem that LR/Instagram encountered with Instagram changing the protocol.


----------



## Staf (Oct 13, 2021)

I'm happy to read there is already a post about this. 
I'm having trouble posting pictures to Instagram. 
Whatever I do....my vertical image is always cropped. I've tried all export settings in LR: 1080x1350 (which result in 900x1350 !!), 1080 and blanc, 1350 and blanc, 2160..... all via airdrop, directly to Instagram: picture cropped !  
Starting from Instagram: same.   

I also tried in Instagram: user agent iPhone, select image (and I tried al the above sizes), click on the two arrows below left.....but the image is still cropped 

Can anyone help me with this please ? 
Thanks in advance 
Greets from Belgium
Staf


----------



## BarrySchwartz (Oct 13, 2021)

While Instagram is beginning to roll out a way to post from a computer directly, without any other apps or manipulating a browser,  that has not yet been fully implemented.  My method is to put images into a square "canvas", which can be done in Photoshop, but is even easier to do in Lightroom.

Instagram suggests a basic dimension of 1080 x 1080 pixels.  Using the print module, I make a "page" with those dimensions containing one photo each, and export it as a file as a JPG.  Works like a charm!  I typically post 10 images as a group (the maximum Instagram allows), and this process works fine for that, as well.  No matter the shape of the image, you always see the entire thing.

After that, I do a similar process to yourself, which is to use Air Drop (or email) to send the images to my phone, then I pick them up from them there using the Instagram app.   To make it even easier for myself, I write all my captions, text, and hashtags in the Notes app on my computer, which also appears on my phone.  I simply copy-and-past all the text and drop it into the post on the phone.

I am really looking forward to the day when I can post directly from the computer, but in the meantime, once you get used to it, this process only takes a few minutes.


----------



## Staf (Oct 14, 2021)

Thank you for your quick reply !
really ? Are they starting to roll out a way ? That would be great !

You make a page with 1080x1080 px you said. I looked for that, but I can't see how to do that....
I suppose you go to page settings/paper format but it's only possible in mm. Or am I missing something ? 
I'm very curious   certainly because you said that no matter the shape of the image, you always see the entire thing. So, even for a portrait picture made in 2:3 ?

PS in the meantime I figured out that it's a good way to crop your image in LR in 4:5/8:10, but off-course that's not working for every picture.


----------



## johnbeardy (Oct 14, 2021)

I use a similar method to Barry, except I import the print files, sync them to LrMobile, and in LrMobile I send them to Camera Roll. This means I can then use IG's app and create "carousel" posts.

In Print, you'd want to set the Print To setting to JPEG. I'll attach my print template.


----------



## johnbeardy (Oct 21, 2021)

Looks like you can now upload photos to Instagram from computers - and it includes multi-image or carousel posts.


----------

