Instagram Highlights have become a digital storefront for personalities, brands, and creators.
These sections sit right below the bio, offering quick access to curated moments, product launches, and behind-the-scenes content.
In 2025, users expect a polished and consistent visual experience, making every detail count.
They influence how visitors perceive credibility, style, and professionalism.
Properly designed covers can boost engagement by helping your profile appear cohesive and well thought out.
A visually pleasing cover reflects care and intention, qualities followers naturally trust and gravitate toward.
Instagram Highlight Cover Sizes and Dimensions
Getting dimensions right is the foundation of professional design. Every Instagram Highlight Cover must look crisp, balanced, and visually aligned with your profile.
Incorrect sizing can distort images, crop out icons, or create uneven edges that ruin the first impression. Keeping proportions correct ensures every cover looks intentional across devices.
Instagram Highlight Covers follow the vertical Story format, ideally sized at 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio.
Instagram automatically crops these into circular frames when viewed on your profile, which means the central area of your design is what truly matters.
Centering your icons and avoiding edge details ensures your design displays properly without cutting off key elements.
A helpful approach is to use an invisible circular guide while designing to maintain balance.
Exporting in high resolution avoids pixelation and ensures colors remain vibrant on both standard and high-resolution screens.
Free Tools to Create Instagram Highlight Covers
Free design platforms make creating professional Instagram Highlight Covers easy for everyone, regardless of design experience.
Using these tools can save both time and money while allowing full creative control. Below are some of the best options in 2025.
Snappa
Snappa is a fast, browser-based design platform that helps users craft stylish Highlight Covers with ease. Its templates fit Instagram’s recommended Story size perfectly, so there’s no need to adjust dimensions manually.
Start by choosing a background color, gradient, or photo. Then add icons or text layers using Snappa’s drag-and-drop system.
Customization feels natural, and templates make it simple to experiment with layouts.
Snappa includes thousands of free stock images and graphics, ideal for creators who want professional results quickly.
- Large stock photo and icon collection
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Pre-made Instagram Highlight templates
- Fast export options for multiple covers
Snappa helps beginners produce polished designs while also giving advanced users enough flexibility to experiment.
Canva
@canva POV: Your Canva just went from chaotic to color-coded ✨ thanks to @Amber | Content Strategy ‘s organization hack 👆 #CanvaRepost #ContentCreatorTips ♬ original sound – Canva
Canva remains a favorite among social media creators. It offers ready-to-use templates specifically sized for Instagram Highlights.
After selecting a Story template, adjust the background, upload your logo, and apply brand colors or typography to maintain a consistent style.
Canva’s simplicity lies in its modular tools, which allow you to easily replicate your brand tone across several Highlights.
The platform also supports team collaboration, making it suitable for influencers, small businesses, and agencies.
- Choose a color palette aligned with your overall feed
- Use matching fonts for all Highlight titles
- Keep similar icons under thematic visuals
- Test how the covers look in grid view before uploading
Other Mention-Worthy Tools
Other software options offer advanced or collaborative features for those seeking more flexibility.
Some are perfect for designers who want precise control or need to manage larger batches of covers.
- Adobe Express: Great for adding filters, layers, and high-end visual effects
- Figma: Ideal for teams managing multiple Highlight sets simultaneously
- Preview Apps: Helpful for checking visual alignment and cover appearance before publishing
Experimenting with different design tools can reveal which platform best matches your workflow and creative preferences.
Read more: Find out what is the best Instagram Reels size, get more views and satisfied audience!
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Highlight Covers
Building your Instagram Highlight Covers follows a simple but structured process. Having a clear workflow ensures you maintain quality and uniformity across every design.
Start by creating a 1080 x 1920 pixel canvas in your chosen tool.
Select a background that matches your aesthetic, solid tones for a minimalist look, gradients for depth, or photos for added personality.
Next, place your icon or logo right in the center. Keep it large enough to be recognizable even on small screens.
Once your design is complete, export it in high resolution to avoid blurry edges. Save all covers in an organized folder for easy upload later. Testing several variations helps you identify which version best represents your content tone.
- Canvas: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Background: plain, gradient, or subtle pattern
- Icon or logo: centered and minimal
- File: export high-resolution PNG or JPG
- Save: organize files for upload
How to Upload and Edit Instagram Highlight Covers
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Uploading Highlight Covers properly ensures your hard work displays as intended. Instagram allows multiple ways to add or adjust them, depending on your preference.
One approach involves creating a Story first, then saving it into a Highlight.
Once saved, that Story’s image can serve as your cover. Another method allows adding a cover directly without public posting. Simply tap and hold the Highlight on your profile, choose Edit Highlight, then select Edit Cover.
Upload your pre-made image from your camera roll and adjust its position to fit the circular frame perfectly.
Renaming Highlights with short, descriptive titles helps followers navigate easily. Regularly refreshing covers keeps your profile dynamic and aligned with current branding.
A clean and consistent upload process reinforces brand professionalism while maintaining an engaging profile layout.
Aesthetic Tips for Stunning Highlight Covers
Visual style defines the difference between an average Instagram Highlight and one that draws attention.
Following a few aesthetic principles ensures your design remains clean, relevant, and attractive across your entire profile.
Stay On-Brand
Every Instagram Highlight should match your established identity. Consistent colors, fonts, and tones help followers associate your visuals instantly with your brand.
Use your visual identity kit, logo palette, or signature filters to maintain harmony between posts and Highlights.
Keep It Simple
Minimalist approaches work best for small circular spaces. Overloading covers with complex patterns or long text creates clutter.
Using simple icons, neutral backgrounds, and bold shapes enhances clarity and recognition.
- Avoid excessive detail or small fonts
- Use bold, centered icons
- Stick to two or three main colors
- Maintain contrast between background and symbol
Innovate with Text and Icons
Icons convey meaning faster than text, but combining both can create a personal touch.
Experimenting with handwritten fonts or emojis adds emotion without overwhelming the viewer.
Modern Highlight trends include real photographs, textured gradients, or subtle animation effects for a fresh feel.
Examples from Top Brands
Learning design inspiration can improve your own Instagram Highlight style.
- HubSpot: Uses color-coded icons to separate content categories.
- Glossier: Employs neutral tones with minimal text for clean presentation.
- Sephora: Designs thematic icons to match each product type.
- Shake Shack & Nike Women: Feature real ambassadors and lifestyle images for authenticity.
Applying similar strategies creates a memorable and professional visual impression for your Instagram Highlights.
Final Thoughts
Instagram Highlights go far beyond aesthetics. They organize stories, strengthen branding, and communicate value instantly.
In a visual-first environment, well-designed covers give followers confidence in your professionalism.
Using free tools such as Snappa or Canva allows anyone to craft on-brand Highlight Covers without design expertise.
Every icon, color, and word adds to your story. Building a consistent, attractive layout ensures visitors stay longer, engage more, and remember your profile.