Canvas ratio: 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, and when to use each
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Canvas ratio
Lover Snap supports four canvas ratios. Picking the right one upfront is more effective than cropping after.
1:1 (square)
The Instagram grid ratio. Use for:
- Instagram feed posts
- Avatars and profile photos
- LinkedIn profile photo (formatted as a circle)
- Quick portraits where framing isn’t precious
4:5 (portrait — the default)
This is the default canvas. Use for:
- General portraits and posed photos
- Instagram feed (4:5 occupies more vertical space than 1:1)
- Family-photo compositions
- Headshots intended for digital use
This is the ratio most reference-photo training data is biased toward, which is why faces tend to compose most naturally at 4:5.
9:16 (vertical / phone)
Same ratio as a phone screen. Use for:
- Instagram Stories and Reels covers
- TikTok thumbnails
- Phone wallpapers
- Single-subject full-body shots
9:16 gives the most space for showing a setting — wide background, sky, beach, or a room your subject is standing in.
3:2 (wide portrait — printable)
Closer to traditional photographic print ratios. Use for:
- Printable family photographs
- Wedding-album style memorial photos
- Anything you intend to print at 4×6 or 6×9 inches
- Group compositions where you need horizontal room
Picking ratio for memorial photos
For memorial photos that may end up in a printed family album or framed on a mantel, 3:2 is the most forgiving ratio. The AI tends to compose a more dignified shoulder-up portrait at 3:2 than at the more selfie-coded 4:5 or 9:16.