Best Format to Upload Photos to Facebook

If there is one affair I get asked, and that has been answered online fourth dimension and again, it's "How do I become my photos to look similar I desire them to look on Facebook?" followed immediately past "Why does Facebook ruin my photos anyway?" and finally "I merely desire my photos to wait awesome on Facebook."The bottom line is, Facebook does give usa options, loopholes if you lot like, and nosotros merely need to adhere to them and our images will look stellar. But, what are these magical settings? I decided I was going to fuse my two careers together into one article, and explain information technology all as best I tin.

Assuming Facebook doesn't modify these anytime soon, here are the full details on what I exercise (at least) to brand my images on my Facebook Page wait articulate, sharp, and with minimal or no information compression, as of December 13, 2014. Let'southward start with some history, because thorough knowledge is amend than jerky cognition.

At the end of this article, I have added small, dated updates since it was published equally new data became available.

The Technical Stuff

Note: If you don't desire to carp learning about the technical aspects of file types and image information on the web, and just want to make your photos look better on Facebook, skip this section and scroll down.

Now then, when you hash out photos on Facebook, you are actually discussing image data on the net, broadly speaking. Having some background in web design would aid yous equally a lensman striving to showcase their work online, but not everyone has that luxury. I started working as a spider web designer in 1997, and worked on my last website project every bit recently as 2013, and I can tell you that showing images on the web isn't as linear and simple every bit one might think. Yeah, it tin can become complicated and technical, but at that place are also tons of unnecessary bits of tech information nosotros photog's don't need to worry about. Then let's break it down into the elements that a photographer in the modern, internet age needs to be concerned with.

File Types

There are bonkers amounts of digital image (raster) file types in the world, for every industry from motion-picture show to websites to medicine, and it can hitting you with the subtlety of a squadron of flying mallets when y'all offset dive in to the subject area. So, to go far simpler, we volition only discuss the file types that relate to images on the web, and more specifically file types that matter on Facebook.

JPG

Allow's starting time with the one you've probably heard of (well, mostly likely anyway, since your camera can create these types of files), which is the industry standardJPG. Keep in mind, JPG was originally JPEG, which is an acronym for Joint Photographers Proficient Grouping, the commission that created the file type standard. JPG is what is known equally a "lossy compression format", or a file type that utilizes information pinch to decrease overall file size, just at the sacrifice of prototype quality (sharpness, smoothness, colour consistency, etc) That said, just because JPG uses data pinch, it does non mean that a minimally compressed JPG file is "bad" or "depression quality". JPG image quality can vary wildly depending on the pinch settings, and then don't disbelieve it as a good format for your images. You don't really accept much choice, though, considering JPG is the de facto standard format for digital images on the spider web. Desire to know even more than technical details? I recommend you lot start with the Wikipedia entry about JPEG (alarm: heavy reading).

Cheque out the same file every bit a JPG compressed to quality 100 (minimal pinch) and a JPG compressed to quality 0 (maximum compression). Use the slider to compare, and annotation that the 100 quality version is 445kb and the 0 quality version is 31kb.

JPG compression setting: 0

JPG compression setting: 100

We don't want our images looking similar the 0 quality version, dang it!

GIF

Side by side upwardly isGIF,which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, and is different from JPG in many ways. This extremely blowsy file type (offset introduced by CompuServe in 1987) fabricated its way onto the net via goofy, simplistic graphics in the spider web'south infancy. In mod times it was given a stay of execution, in terms of common usage, considering of one chief reason: information technology supports animated sequences via sequential frames. While the GIF format is extremely express in color (can just support up to 256 total colors in any given file, or said another way, less than .01% of the color information of a RAW file, making information technology worthless for contemporary digital photographers) the fact that it was implemented as i of the image file standards for web browsers and it supports frame sequences kept it alive and popular. Heck, now we have entire websites defended the fascination of "Funny GIFs". Video sequences tin can be converted into insufficiently smaller sized GIFs, though with a signifcant quality loss and no sound, and can play on any browser, then this format perseveres. And although GIF supports transparent pixels, as it were, it is seldom used for this purpose since it has been finer replaced by PNG for that purpose. Which is cracking considering GIF does diddly squat for us photographers showcasing our work online. Feel free to read up on GIF'south history if yous're downwards for that sort of thing.

Wanna run across what a pro photographer's image looks similar every bit an eight-colour GIF vs a 256-colour GIF? It'south pretty significant. Use the slider below, and besides notation how both versions are crummy means to prove your images online if quality is a business organisation for reasons of bit depth, simply besides see that color management goes out the window equally embedded profiles are not supported.

1994 called, they want their web images back.

PNG

Which of course brings the states finally to PNG, the "newest" of the common image formats for the web, introduced in 1996. PNG stands for Portable Network Graphic, and unlike JPG is not a lossy compression format. Thankfully different GIF, it supports many thousand times more colors, which is a expert matter, simply also makes way larger files. This is ane reason why PNG didn't have off immediately in the early on stages of the mainstream spider web, as dial-up admission meant downloading a 1MB PNG photo was impractical (read: slow as hell). As a lossless format that supports as much as 32 fleck RGBA colour, the immediate reaction to the uninitiated might be "PNG is the format for me", merely there is a catch. For one matter, while the spider web browsers of the earth back up 8-fleck (PNG-8) and 24-bit (PNG-24) PNG files, retrieve that it is a lossless format. In other words, PNG uses no lossy compression to decrease overall file size. The effect is that image quality is not compromised, but keep in mind that the same pixel dimension JPG file at minimal compression is always quite a fleck smaller than a PNG-24 at the aforementioned pixel dimensions.You can get jiggy with thedetails about PNG besides, if once again you lot are so inclined.

Bank check out this 2048x1365 px image as a minimally compressed JPG (2.3MB) vs a PNG-24 (4.4MB). Even the nigh militant digital photophile would be hard pressed to tell the divergence between them, but the fact remains that the PNG is most exactly twice as large as the JPG.

PNG-24 as well supports something called alpha transparency, which is hugely useful and used regularly by spider web designers. Photographers, not so much.

And This Means What on Facebook?

You want your images to expect as astonishing on Facebook every bit they exercise in Photoshop, or at least darn close, only lo and behold, Facebook makes merry with your images when you upload them and now they look like poop. This happens because your files are being converted by the Facebook systems, and the end consequence is having your file plough into a significantly compressed JPG file.

The horror!

Are you asking yourself, or perhaps screaming at your display, "Why!!??!". Well, the respond is simple practicality. Facebook receives (no joke) well over 100,000,000 image uploads per day. I'll pause a second to permit that sink in. 100 1000000 photos. Every mean solar day. And that figure is likely quite a lot college. And so it is no stretch to imagine that Facebook has some pretty pregnant file serving and capacity concerns regarding images. Therefore, when the boilerplate Facebook user (who is normally not a photographer) starts to upload their vacation snapshots at full resolution (because of course they would), the Facebook system kicks in to resize and shrink these images immediately upon upload. This part can reduce the overall size of a batch of full resolution, minimally compressed images by as much as 99%, helping file storage and data hosting considerations across the board for Zuck & Co. This works only dandy for 99% of Facebook users because 99% of Facebook users just desire their friends to run across that they were drunkard as a skunk in Bermuda, and how funny that snapshot is. Quality of said drunk paradigm is irrelevant to these 99%, and then the image gets uploaded and shown on feeds, the user who posted it is pleased, and Facebook saves a crapchunk of data capacity. Remember, Facebook is simply a website, and spider web standards apply across the lath.

Anyhow, the unfortunate thing is that we are photographers. For us, paradigm quality is non just preferred, it is our very livelihood. So when we first upload that epic, super sharp, colorful paradigm of the bride & groom from the most contempo gig, and Facebook kicks in and resizes and compresses it, we experience threatened. We worry that potential clients may encounter it and recall "This isn't very sharp, I dunno that I similar this photographer's piece of work very much."

The skillful news is, almost potential clients tin't tell the difference. The bad news is, you are a photographer, and y'all observe. Therefore, it matters that you get the matter resolved.

If you've ever researched the "uploading your photos to Facebook" field of study in item before, then you may very well know that other pixel dimensions also work across 900x600, merely I am going to start with the type of image I upload the most, vertical portraits, and I love how they work on the web at these dimensions:

Rather than go into the details of why this works, I will only say you should actually exist using Photoshop for purposes of file prep, and below are the fundamental bullet points (that work for me 100% of the fourth dimension) you lot demand to know to prep your vertical photos for Facebook:

  • Go to Image Size (Image/Image Size) and resize to 900x600 px
  • In the Paradigm Size options, be sure that "Resample" is checked and "Bicubic (smooth gradients)" is selected in the pulldown, click Ok
  • Go to the Save For Spider web role (File/Salvage For Spider web)
  • Select the format: PNG-24
  • Uncheck "Transparency"
  • Uncheck "Interlaced"
  • Cheque "Embed Color Profile"
  • Check "Convert to sRGB" and use "Cyberspace Standard (No Color Management)" from the pulldown
  • Embed Metadata as you encounter fit in the adjacent pulldown menu
  • Relieve your file in a folder on your bulldoze, ideally your repository of Facebook ready versions

NOTE:  Using the aforementioned process above, except sizing your cover imprint paradigm to 851x315 px, you tin upload a crisp and articulate PNG every bit your Page'south comprehend paradigm.

Quickie visual in case it helps ya out:

Next, and this is crucial, you demand to know where this file works on Facebook and where information technology doesn't. If you lot don't know this stuff up front, you will try to do them and then you'll be aroused at me, so make mental notes of these:

  • Upload to anywhere on your Profile: Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload to any Group:Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload to a Message you're sending: Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload via any mobile device: Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload via any other site, app or platform into Facebook: Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload full resolution anywhere on Facebook at all: Facebook compresses and resizes your images. Bad.
  • Upload a RAW file, Facebook kicks back an mistake stating that it does not back up that format. Really bad. And stupid.

​Feeling limited? Fear not, considering Facebook knows that business concern Pages need to be able to show images clearer, and without getting compressed, and that is what you lot can exploit. But you lot have to follow the rules they've laid out in guild for it to piece of work:

  • Create a new Album in your Page, and name information technology whatever you lot like ("Portfolio" is a common choice)
  • Click to view the Album
  • Click on "Add together Photos"
  • Select the vertical PNG file yous but saved
  • As it starts to upload, make certain the bottom left checkbox "High Quality" is checked
  • Let the upload finish, then continue

If you did everything correctly, your image should have been accepted by the Facebook Page system as a PNG-24, and unchanged. As such, it should look amazing (or how it looked when you saved it on your drive, at the very to the lowest degree).

Every bit for horizontal images, all the same considerations utilize, but I strongly recommend these settings:

  • Go to Paradigm Size (Image/Image Size) and resize to 2048 px wide (this is not just accustomed by Facebook for your Page, but also allows for more resolution available for those viewing your images on a computer display. Makes for epic landscapes)
  • In the Paradigm Size options, be sure that "Resample" is checked and "Bicubic (polish gradients)" is selected in the pulldown
  • Become to the Salvage For Web function (File/Save For Spider web)
  • Select the format: JPEG
  • Quality: 100 (because why the hell not, information technology's not your server space. You can, however, apply as low equally 75-lxxx with no obvious quality difference)
  • Blur: 0 (don't ask)
  • Uncheck "Progressive"
  • Uncheck "Optimized"
  • Check "Convert to sRGB" and apply "Net Standard (No Color Management)" from the pulldown
  • Embed Metadata equally you run into fit in the next pulldown bill of fare
  • Save your file in a folder on your bulldoze, ideally your repository of Facebook ready versions
  • Exercise the same upload process to an Album on your Page as stated above
  • Revel in the epic quality of your images on Facebook

Try this out, and permit me know if information technology works for you. If yous have whatsoever doubts about the results I get with this, check out my Facebook Page portfolio (warning: glamour) and browse around. You'll find minimally compressed JPGs and super clear PNG-24 files everywhere.

Important: When browsing Facebook via any mobile device, all bets are off. Facebook uses a dissimilar aspect of its file commitment system, compressing data (including and especially images) on-the-fly as yous download (view) them via mobile. Basically, nothing I reviewed in this article will directly impact your mobile Facebook feel. The good news is, JPG compression is less noticeable on a mobile device, for the most part. So, don't panic.

UPDATE 12/21/xiv: Further experimenting with uploading to my Facebook Folio has yielded a new consequence. I uploaded a PNG-24 straight, to my timeline on my Page, and it remained unchanged (stayed equally a PNG). This is different than my experiences before, so I am exploring why this suddently worked on this particular image. I theorize file size has something to do with it.

UPDATE 2/ten/15: It seems Facebook has changed its Photo Uploader interface. As of this week, I noticed the "High Quality" checkbox is at present, in fact, in the upper left and not the bottom left as I mentioned to a higher place.

UPDATE 4/xx/sixteen:  I've confirmed (by repeated tests yielding the same upshot 100% of the time) that uploading a PNG file to your Page that is more than 1MB will cause the file to exist converted to a JPG (and subsequently over-compressed). I found that if I tried a 960x640 PNG that concluded up 1.1MB, I could simply make information technology 900x600 and information technology would be just beneath the 1MB limit, and therefore not get converted to JPG. Recollect, PNG is "lossless compression", not "no compression", significant that while no quality is lost upon saving as PNG, the file size is adamant by the overall complexity (number of colors used, etc) of the file.

UPDATE 5/ix/17:  In that location seem to be somewhat conflicting reports on whether or not 2048px long side JPG files piece of work, equally either horizontal or vertical. Many photographers take encountered tons of problems trying this, and others claim it works every fourth dimension. Try it out and see what happens for you lot if you want larger verticals.

UPDATE 3/v/19:  Currently I am uploading every image I add together to Facebook at 2048px long side, as a minimally compressed JPG, with consequent success. So far, I accept not encountered an issue with this approach for virtually a year, and find the results to be quite good, fifty-fifty on my Profile. On occasion, some images seem negatively affected, but for the virtually part this has worked well since early on 2018 from what I have seen. It is my belief that Facebook has expanded their capacity capabilities exponentially, and tin can be more generous with file sizes these days.

If there is a glaring error on any of this information, be sure to point information technology out in a smug comment below!

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Source: https://fstoppers.com/originals/how-i-upload-my-photos-facebook-or-photographers-guide-photo-formats-web-49658

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