How to Create a Profile Banner for Instagram (2025 Instagram Grid Size Series: Part Three)
Want to create those eye-catching banner designs across the top of your Instagram profile? Instagram's new grid size has changed the rules, but I'll show you exactly how to create banners that look perfect in both the new and old grid views.
Understanding the New Instagram Grid for Pinned Posts on Profile
Instagram recently changed its grid from the classic square format we've known since the platform launched to a taller, more vertical display. While this update is generally positive (showing more of your content with less cropping) it presents a specific challenge for business owners, like us, who love using those three-across banner designs at the top of their profiles.
The problem? The new grid crops a small portion from either side of your images, which breaks the perfect alignment needed for seamless banner designs. With a few adjustments, you can still create stunning profile banners that work beautifully in both the old square grid (which some users and desktop viewers still see) and the new taller grid.
Don’t want to DIY your Profile Pin Banner?
We created a Canva template pack for you! 13 different designs of Canva templates for 3-posts banners created for the new Instagra grid size, but also works perfectly for the square grid, so people see it neatly on desktop too.
How Instagram Crops Your Content Now
Understanding exactly what gets cropped is essential for designing effective profile banners:
Old Square Grid (1:1): Crops the top and bottom of your posts
New Taller Grid (3:4): Crops the sides of your posts
For your banner to work across both formats, you need to design with these crop zones in mind. The key dimensions to remember are 1080 pixels in height by 1013 pixels in width for the visible area in the new grid.
The New Rules for Split Elements in Banners
In the past, many people loved creating split elements across images, like positioning yourself between two frames so that part of your body appeared in one post and continued into the next. Unfortunately, this technique doesn't work reliably anymore due to the side cropping in the new grid.
What No Longer Works:
Split portraits or objects that cross over from one image to another
Precise alignments that depend on exact edge positioning
Images that rely on pixel-perfect continuity across posts
What Works Now:
The only split elements that work reliably now are straight horizontal lines or bars that extend beyond the crop zones. Since these elements are uniform, a small crop on either side doesn't break the visual continuity. Some examples of elements that still work:
Straight horizontal lines
Banner bars (like the "Link in Bio" bar in my example)
Horizontal title bars or text elements
Simple arrows that extend across images
Using Backgrounds and Gradients Effectively
When creating backgrounds for your banner designs, you need to be strategic. Solid color backgrounds remain the most reliable option, as they maintain perfect continuity regardless of cropping.
Vertical gradients (running from top to bottom) work beautifully across the banner because the side cropping doesn't affect the gradient progression.
What to Avoid:
Side-to-side gradients
Diagonal gradients
Complex multi-directional gradients
Image-based gradients that rely on specific positioning
Design Process: Individual Images vs. One Split Image
Many people wonder whether they should design their banners as one large image and then split it, or design each component separately. With the new limitations on split elements, I recommend designing individual images for several reasons:
Easier to adjust: You can fine-tune each image independently
Simpler workflow: No need for image splitters or extra steps
More control: You can adjust each post's unique elements precisely
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Profile Pin Banners in Canva
Remember we do have templates that are pre-designed for you, and we have accounted for all the changes and nuances of the new grid size. But in case you want to DIY this design process, here is how you do it:
Create a 4:5 ratio post in Canva (1080 x 1350 pixels) and add in three different pages to your design
Design your "unifying" elements (horizontal bars, lines, or solid backgrounds) on the first image
Copy and paste these elements to the second and third images
For horizontal bars or lines:
In the first image, extend the element off the right edge
In the middle image, extend the element off both sides
In the last image, extend the element off the left edge
Position your unique elements (text, logos, photos) within the safe zones that won't be cropped in either grid view
Upload all three images at once to Instagram, maintaining their order
While Instagram's grid change does limit some creative options for profile banners, it also challenges us to think differently about design. By following these guidelines, you can still create stunning, cohesive banner designs that make your profile stand out, regardless of which grid format your visitors see.
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Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, which helps small entrepreneurs grow their business through content marketing, especially email and Instagram.
In 2021 Manu launched Your Template Club, one of the first Canva Template for Instagram subscriptions in the world to provide social media managers and small business owners with content templates designed for engagement.
Manu has also more recebtly started the first Instagram Reels Award Show, The Reelies Awards and an email marketing membership, Your Inbox Team.
Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy.