Guide
How to create a LinkedIn banner
To create a LinkedIn banner, start from a 1584 × 396 px page, keep your words in the right-hand two thirds because your profile photo covers part of the left, say in a few words what you do or offer, and upload it as a PNG or JPG. MyCanvasDesign opens a LinkedIn banner page free in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
The banner behind your LinkedIn profile photo is the widest space on your profile, and many people leave it as the default pattern. A good one tells a recruiter or a client in a glance what you do and why it matters. This guide covers the size, where LinkedIn covers it, what to put on it and how to upload it.
At a glance
- Size
- LinkedIn banner, 1584 × 396 px
- Time
- 20 to 40 minutes
- You'll need
- A line about what you do, your colours or a wide photo you like, and your website if you have one.
Create a LinkedIn banner in seven steps
Decide what the banner should say
A banner works hardest when it adds something your headline doesn’t: what you help people with ("Bookkeeping for small cafés and shops"), proof such as an award or a key number, or a next step ("Book a free call at …"). Pick one message. A banner is a sign, not a CV.
Open a 1584 × 396 page
Choose "Open a LinkedIn banner page": 1584 × 396 px is the size LinkedIn recommends for a personal profile’s background photo, a wide 4:1 strip. A company page cover is a different shape, 1128 × 191 px; type that in as your own size if the banner is for your business page.
Keep clear of your profile photo
Your round profile photo sits over the left side of the banner, lower down, and on a phone the banner is shown smaller with the photo overlapping it. Turn on the rulers and drag a guide about a third of the way across (530 px): keep words and faces to the right of it, and away from all four edges, because phones and some screens trim the banner.
Choose a background that stays calm
A simple background lets the words stand out: a brand colour, a pattern of a few shapes or icons, or a wide photo of your workplace or city with a dark rectangle over it at about 40% opacity to calm it down. Keep the left side plain, since your photo covers it anyway.
Set a few words large
Use one line of eight to twelve words at about 60 to 80 px, and an optional smaller line under it at 32 to 40 px. A clean font such as Inter, Montserrat or Poppins, in white on a dark background or dark on a pale one, still reads when the banner is shrunk on a phone.
Add a logo or contact detail if it helps
A small logo towards the right, kept clear of the edge, your website, or a couple of icons for what you do (select each and change its Line colour to match) can finish the banner. Keep it to one or two extras: a banner full of logos and links looks busy and is hard to read on a phone.
Download it and upload it to LinkedIn
Download a PNG at 1×, which gives exactly 1584 × 396 px, or a JPG if the design is mostly photo. On LinkedIn, open your profile, choose the camera or pencil icon on the background, upload the file and adjust its position. Then check your profile on your phone and move words further right if the photo covers them.
LinkedIn banner ideas
Most good LinkedIn banners use one of a few simple ideas. Pick the one that fits where you are in your career, and make it yours with your own colours and words.
- What you do
- One line about who you help and how, on a brand colour. The simplest banner, and often the best.
- Proof
- An award, a qualification or a number that matters ("120 small businesses helped"), as long as it is true and you can back it up.
- Your workplace
- A wide photo of your studio, kitchen, workshop or city with a darker layer over it and one line of text.
- Looking for work
- The role you want and two or three key skills ("Open to UX design roles: research, prototyping, accessibility").
Company pages and other headers
A LinkedIn company page uses a different cover, 1128 × 191 px. Type it in as your own size on the dashboard and follow the same rules: the company logo already sits on the left, so keep words in the middle and right, and keep them few.
If you also use X (Twitter), its header is 1500 × 500 px. Add a page for it in the same design, set its size in the page settings, and copy your banner’s words and background across, so your profiles match wherever people find you.
LinkedIn banner mistakes to avoid
The most common problem is text hidden behind the profile photo, especially on phones. Others are words too small to read once the banner is shrunk, too many messages at once, an out-of-date job or offer, and a small picture stretched to fit, which looks blurry. Design at the full 1584 × 396 px, check it on your phone after uploading, and update it when your work changes.
Questions about creating a LinkedIn banner
What size is a LinkedIn banner?
For a personal profile, 1584 × 396 px, a 4:1 strip. A company page cover is 1128 × 191 px. MyCanvasDesign opens the personal size from the dashboard; type the company size in as your own.
Why is my LinkedIn banner cut off on my phone?
The app shows the banner smaller, with your profile photo overlapping it. Keep words in the right-hand two thirds and away from all four edges, then check it on your phone.
What should I put on my LinkedIn banner?
One clear message: what you do and who for, a piece of proof, or the role you are looking for. Add your website or logo only if there is room.
Should I use PNG or JPG for a LinkedIn banner?
PNG keeps words and flat colours sharp; JPG makes a smaller file for a banner that is mostly a photo. Both upload fine.
Can I make a LinkedIn banner for free?
Yes. MyCanvasDesign is free in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark, and it opens a page at the right size for LinkedIn.