RatioSlateOverlay guide
Instagram Reels safe zone
Preview a Reel still with an overlay for the profile and action rail, the caption, and the lower call to action.
Images are processed locally in your browser.
Direct answer
What the amber bands mean
Reels are full-screen 9:16. RatioSlate’s Reels preset is 1080 × 1920. Meta’s business guidance says to keep important elements inside a safe zone because profile details, captions, actions, and CTAs occupy the edges. This page draws our conservative overlay for that advice. The numbers are a preview guide, not a Meta specification sheet.
Quick reference
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920 |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 |
| Top inset | 8% of frame height |
| Right inset | 16% of frame width |
| Bottom inset | 20% of frame height |
| Left inset | 5% of frame width |
| Status | RatioSlate working guide, not an official spec |
Safe-zone source and method
Conservative guide for profile, action, caption, and call-to-action areas. Meta recommends keeping key elements in the safe zone.
Meta for Business — Instagram and Facebook Reels adsThe overlay on this page
This page's RatioSlate overlay guide reserves 8% at the top, 16% on the right, 20% at the bottom, and 5% on the left. Those four numbers are top, right, bottom, and left insets. They are a working preview guide, not a published official specification.
Platform controls move. App version, phone size, account state, ads, and interface experiments all change what covers the frame. Treat the amber bands as a conservative check, then confirm the final frame in the app before you publish.
Conservative guide for profile, action, caption, and call-to-action areas. Meta recommends keeping key elements in the safe zone.
Edges a Reel preview should clear
On a Reel, the right side carries the profile avatar and the action column. The lower portion carries the username, caption, audio, and often a call to action. A headline set too low disappears behind that stack even when the crop itself is correct. The top inset is there for the camera, the account switcher, and other persistent chrome, which is usually thinner than the bottom but still unsafe for a logo.
This is a different problem from an Instagram feed post. Feed portrait is 4:5, commonly 1080 × 1350, and it does not use this overlay. If you are protecting a face for both a feed post and a Reel, you are making two crops. The feed crop is shorter. The Reel crop is full screen, and only the Reel crop needs these bands.
How to use the tool
Read the four insets in the table, then look at the empty frame. Open your still and move the focus point until the face, the product, and any required words sit in the clear center. Leave the overlay on while you compare the Reels tile with TikTok and Shorts. The insets change when you change the guide. The exported pixels do not contain the overlay.
Export the Reels preset when the preview is honest. Check the result in Instagram’s own preview afterward. Account type, sticker tools, and ad placements can add chrome this guide does not draw.
Same canvas, different guide
TikTok, Reels, and Shorts exports in RatioSlate are all 1080 × 1920, which is 9:16. The overlay insets are not the same. Switch guides when you switch apps, including from the links on this page. The 9:16 page explains the proportion at other sizes. The 1080 × 1920 page explains this pixel grid without pretending the three interfaces are identical.
Examples
No file yet
The empty frame on this page already draws the overlay. Amber is the area to treat as unsafe. The label in the clear center marks the working safe area.
With your image
Open a JPG, PNG, or WebP. Put the focus point on the subject, keep type inside the clear center, and export the 1080 × 1920 frame. The download does not include the amber bands.
Frequently asked questions
Is the feed 4:5 crop the same as a Reel safe zone?
No. 4:5 is a shorter portrait feed frame. This guide is only for the full-screen 9:16 Reel canvas.
Where do the percentages come from?
They are RatioSlate’s working overlay, informed by Meta’s advice to keep key elements in a safe zone. They are not published as an official inset table.
Are these insets an official platform standard?
No. 8% top, 16% right, 20% bottom, and 5% left are the RatioSlate overlay guide for this page. App version, device, and account state can move the real interface. Verify in the app.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Image decoding, reframing, and export happen locally in your browser. The site does not receive your image file.
Which image formats can I use?
You can open JPG, PNG, and WebP images, then export JPG, PNG, or WebP files in supported browsers.