How it works
The canvas is 1080×1920, but the interface eats both ends: roughly the top 250 px carry the profile row and the bottom 250 px the reply bar. Anything you need read has to sit in the central 1080×1420.
Stories are re-encoded aggressively. Flat colours and solid type survive it; soft gradients tend to band. If a background must be a gradient, add a little grain — it hides the steps.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is the safe area?+
Roughly the central 1080×1420 of the 1080×1920 canvas. The top strip carries the profile row and progress bars, the bottom one the reply field and any sticker prompts.
Can I use a photo that is not 9:16?+
Yes, but Instagram will either crop it or pad it. Resizing to 1080×1920 first lets you decide which part survives instead of leaving it to their automatic crop.
Why does my gradient look striped?+
Story compression is aggressive and smooth gradients are what it handles worst — the result is visible banding. A little noise over the gradient breaks the steps up and survives the encoder.