Canva Safe Zones for Instagram: Sizes for Posts, Carousels, Stories and Reels
Canva shows you the canvas, and Instagram later lays its interface over it. The username row, caption, buttons and the crop in the profile grid cover parts of your design. As far as we checked, Canva has no Instagram zones of its own on the canvas (as of October 2026). With the numbers below and a guide layer you see them anyway, before you export.
The numbers at a glance
| Format | Size | Keep this out of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| Feed post and carousel, 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | 50 px margin all round. On slide 1 about 250 px at the bottom and about 80 px at the top. In the profile grid about 34 px drop off on each side. |
| Story and Reel, 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px | Top 13 percent (250 px), bottom 21 percent (403 px), the icon column on the right (16 percent of the width, from 30 percent of the height). |
| Meta ad as Story or Reel | 1080 × 1920 px | Top 14 percent (269 px), bottom 35 percent (672 px), 6 percent (65 px) on each side. |
Instagram changes its interface from time to time. The numbers are guides, and they are the same as in the Safe Zone Checker tool.
How to set up the guide layer in Canva
- Create the design in the right format: 1080 × 1350 for feed and carousel, 1080 × 1920 for Story and Reel.
- Upload the matching file from the guide pack, for example slide-4x5-safe-zones-1080x1350.png. It has exactly the page size and snaps to the edge.
- Lock it, so you do not move it while you design.
- Place type and faces only in the free area. A background may fill the red areas, anything important does not belong in them.
- Before you download, duplicate the page, leave the guide layer on the copy only, and download just the clean page. Or delete the guide layer.
Canva's own margins only help halfway
In Canva you can show page margins from the View menu, an even frame around the page. That helps against text at the edge. It does not know that more is covered at the bottom than at the top, or that the profile grid crops the sides.
Where Instagram covers things in the feed
Three things work together. The profile grid shows your image at 3:4 and clips the sides of a 4:5 post. In the feed, the username sits at the top and the caption, icons and slide dots at the bottom, directly on your pixels. On top of that comes edge clipping on small screens. A headline in the middle third survives all three. More in the article Safe Zones, Explained in Pixels.
Story and Reel: the icon column
On 1080 × 1920 the app covers strips at the top and bottom and lays a column of icons over the right side: heart, comment, share. Headlines and calls to action belong between those zones. For Meta ads the strips are larger, which is why there is a separate tool, the Meta ads safe zone checker.
Check first, then build
The Safe Zone Checker lays the zones over an image you drop in, and saves a check image you can show a client or a colleague. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-in, and your image never leaves your device.
Safe zones in Postd
In the Postd editor the safe zone view sits on the canvas as an overlay you can switch on and off. You keep no guide file and delete nothing before you export. Pro costs €6.99 a month or €69 a year, and you can open the editor without an account.
FAQ
How much margin should I leave on Instagram posts?
At least 50 pixels from every edge at 1080 × 1350. On the first slide of a carousel, leave about 250 pixels free at the bottom and about 80 pixels at the top, where the username row, caption and buttons sit.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels and Stories?
At 1080 × 1920 keep the top 13 percent and the bottom 21 percent free, plus the icon column on the right. For Meta ads as Story or Reel, Meta asks for 14 percent at the top, 35 percent at the bottom and 6 percent on each side.
Does Canva have safe zones for Instagram?
As far as we checked, Canva shows no Instagram-specific zones on the canvas, as of October 2026. You can show page margins or upload a guide layer. Check Canva's help center to see whether that has changed in your version.
Why is my image cropped in the profile grid?
The profile grid shows every image at 3:4. A post at 4:5 is a little wider, so about 34 pixels on each side get cut. Put anything important in the middle.