RatioSlateOverlay guide
TikTok safe zone
Check a 1080 × 1920 frame against a TikTok overlay guide before the right-hand buttons and the lower caption cover the subject.
Images are processed locally in your browser.
Direct answer
What the amber bands mean
This guide is for a TikTok cover or still that will be shown in the full-screen vertical player. The canvas is 9:16 at 1080 × 1920. The amber overlay is RatioSlate’s working map of the edges TikTok commonly uses for navigation, actions, and captions. It is not TikTok’s published pixel specification.
Quick reference
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920 |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 |
| Top inset | 9% of frame height |
| Right inset | 18% of frame width |
| Bottom inset | 22% 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 common top controls, right-side actions, and lower captions. TikTok UI can vary by device and post type.
TikTok Creative Center — Safe Zone guidanceThe overlay on this page
This page's RatioSlate overlay guide reserves 9% at the top, 18% on the right, 22% 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 common top controls, right-side actions, and lower captions. TikTok UI can vary by device and post type.
What usually competes with the picture
The right edge is the crowded one. Like, comment, share, and bookmark controls stack there, which is why this guide’s right inset is the largest of the four. The bottom band leaves room for the caption, the audio credit, and the description that sits on top of the video. The top band leaves room for the Following / For You row and other page chrome. The left inset is intentionally smaller. A face or a logo pushed into the right or bottom band is the failure this page is meant to show you.
TikTok’s own Creative Center describes a safe zone because those controls are not optional decoration. The percentages here are our conservative reading of that problem, frozen as a preview. They will not track every UI test TikTok ships. If a sticker, a subtitle burn-in, or a product label matters, keep it inside the clear center and still watch the in-app preview.
How to use the tool
Look at the diagram before you upload. Then open the still, click the subject, and confirm the subject sits in the clear center of both the original crop box and the current-crop tile. The guide turns on with this page. You can switch the same image to the Reels or Shorts guide without exporting a second interpretation by accident: the export is the crop, and the overlay stays on the preview.
When the frame is right, export the TikTok preset at 1080 × 1920. If you also need a feed portrait, that is a 4:5 file, not a second TikTok safe zone.
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
Why is the right inset larger than the left?
The guide reserves more space on the right because TikTok’s action stack usually lives there, and more space at the bottom because captions and audio credits sit low. The left side is comparatively open.
Does this replace the 9:16 calculator?
No. Come here to see what the TikTok interface may cover. Use the 9:16 page for the proportion, and the 1080 × 1920 page for the pixel grid.
Are these insets an official platform standard?
No. 9% top, 18% right, 22% 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.