Wrong image aspect ratio in a recruiting post? Fix it

Your recruiting post looks right in your design file, but the platform crops the photo, cuts off a person, or adds empty space around it. This usually means the image shape does not match the shape of the post placement.

You can make a new version for the correct frame without stretching faces or losing important details. First check the post's target dimensions, then recompose the image in the Photo Editor and inspect the platform preview before publishing.

Fix the image ratio

1. Check the destination and placement for your recruiting post. Look for the recommended image dimensions or aspect ratio for that exact placement. A feed post, story, and profile image may use different shapes, and recommendations can change.
2. Compare the recommended shape with your image. The aspect ratio is the width compared with the height. For example, a 4:5 image is taller than it is wide, while a 16:9 image is much wider than it is tall. You can compare the two ratios without resizing: divide each image's width by its height.
3. Make a copy of the original image, then open the copy in the Photo Editor. Recompose it for the target shape. Keep the person's face, job title, logo, and any other essential details inside the frame.
4. Save or export the new version and check it in the destination's preview. Look at the image on both a phone-sized view and a larger screen if available. Do not publish until important faces and text remain visible.

Keep your original file unchanged. You may need a different crop for another placement, and starting from the original gives you more room to adjust than editing an already cropped copy.

What the result means

The whole image fits, with empty space around it

The platform is fitting the full image inside a frame with a different shape. The empty areas are often called padding or bars. Nothing is missing, but the result may look unfinished. Recompose the image for the target shape, or use the space deliberately with a simple background that suits the post.

The platform cuts off the edges

The placement is filling its frame by cropping the image. This can remove the sides of a wide photo or the top and bottom of a tall one. Move the subject and any text toward the center, or choose a less tightly framed source photo. Leave room around faces because previews can crop slightly differently across devices.

Faces or objects look stretched

The image was resized to the frame without preserving its proportions. Stretching changes the shape of people, logos, and other objects. Undo that change and fit or crop the image while keeping its original proportions. A crop removes part of the image; it does not distort what remains.

The design looks right in the editor but wrong in the post preview

The platform may apply a crop, add a frame, or display the image in a different placement than you expected. Check that you selected the correct post type and upload the version made for that exact shape. If the platform offers a positioning or preview control, use it to check the final frame before publishing.

How to fix a crop that still looks wrong

1. Confirm the exact placement. Check the image requirements for the place where the post will appear, not just a general recommendation for the platform. If you are publishing in more than one placement, prepare a separate image version for each shape.
2. Give the subject more room. Start with a source photo that has some space around the person. A close-up may not crop well into a wide banner, even if the face is centered. If you have another photo from the same shoot, compare it before trying to force the crop.
3. Move essential details inward. Keep faces, logos, and text away from the edges. Leave a visible margin around each item rather than placing it right against the frame, where small differences in cropping can cut it off.
4. Use empty space on purpose. If a portrait photo must go into a wide frame, you can place it on a wider background rather than stretching it. A related background color or a softened version of the photo can make the unused area feel intentional. Keep the background quiet so it does not compete with the recruiting message.
5. Make a version without text. If the platform keeps cropping a job title or logo, consider putting the essential wording in the post itself and keeping the image focused on the person or workplace. This avoids relying on text that may fall outside the visible frame.
6. Check the final upload before publishing. Upload the revised image as a draft or preview, then inspect the platform's actual display. If it still cuts off a detail, adjust the composition and upload another version. Do not assume that a file with the right pixel dimensions will be positioned correctly automatically.

Choose a crop that suits the post

The right aspect ratio depends on the intended placement, not on one universal size for recruiting images. A square frame gives the subject similar space across and down. A portrait frame gives more room to show a person standing or to include a taller scene. A landscape frame can show a workplace, a team, or a person with space beside them for design elements.

Before cropping, decide what the image needs to communicate. For a staff portrait, keep the face prominent and avoid cutting through the head or shoulders. For a workplace photo, keep the main people and relevant setting within the frame. If the post includes a logo or job title, make sure those details remain readable at the size people will see on a phone.

Avoid enlarging a small image to fill a larger frame if it makes the photo visibly soft. A correct ratio does not guarantee good quality: the source image also needs enough detail for its displayed size. If you only have a tightly cropped original, look for a wider source photo rather than inventing missing parts of the scene.

The Photo Editor works with images in your browser. Photos and project files stay on your device.