Instagram story backgrounds

Story backgrounds at 9:16, 1080 × 1920, with the strips Instagram covers with your name and the reply bar marked.

Make a story background Every size

1080 × 1920 · First download free, no account · No watermark

1080 × 1920

Instagram's full-screen story size. The studio's 9:16 frame is the same shape.

Sunset Instagram story background with its safe zones marked — Clear of the app
Your name and the progress bar sit over the top, the reply bar over the bottom. Leave about 250 px clear at each end for text and stickers.
Instagram story: 1080 × 1920 pixels.

Studio frame: 9:16
First download: 608 × 1080
4K export: 1215 × 2160

Six to start from

Rendered at 9:16 by the studio's own renderer. Each opens there at this size, ready to change and export.

A background for text stories

Instagram's own text backgrounds are flat colour. Upload a gradient as the story instead, then add text and stickers on top in the app: it looks designed and takes the same ten seconds.

Make a set for highlights

Export the same palette with a few seeds and use them as the backgrounds of your highlight covers. The row of circles on your profile turns into one family.

Phone wallpapers too

9:16 is the shape of a phone screen, so every background here doubles as a lock-screen wallpaper.

Other sizes

The same studio, set to another place a background goes.

Questions

What size is an Instagram story?

1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio. Use the studio's 4K export (1215 × 2160) and Instagram scales it down; the first, account-free download is 608 × 1080, too small for a story.

Where should text go on a story?

Inside the middle, with about 250 pixels clear at the top and bottom, where Instagram draws your name, the progress bar and the reply field.

Is it free to download?

Yes. The first download needs no account: 608 × 1080 at 9:16. A free account exports 5 4K images a month, 1215 × 2160 at this ratio, with no watermark.

Can I use my own colours?

Yes. Every example opens in the studio at 9:16. Change the palette (paste your brand's hex codes), the style, the grain and the blur, then export.

Make a story background now

The studio opens at 9:16, 1080 × 1920's shape. Shuffle until it feels right, then export.

Open the studio