Aspect Ratio Calculator

The table below lists every major aspect ratio you will encounter in video production, photography, web design, and social media. Use it as a quick-reference when choosing dimensions for your project.

Table of Contents

• Common Aspect Ratios Reference Table
• Video Aspect Ratios (16
  , 4
  , 21
  )
• Photography Aspect Ratios (3
  , 4
  , 1
  )
• Cinema Aspect Ratios (2.35
  , 2.39
  , 1.85
  )
• Social Media Aspect Ratios
• How to Calculate Aspect Ratio
• How to Resize Images While Keeping Aspect Ratio
• Practical Applications
• Related Calculators

Aspect Ratio Comparison Chart

This comprehensive table covers all standard aspect ratios used in video, photography, cinema, and digital media. The decimal value lets you compare how wide or tall each format is relative to a square (1.0).

Video Aspect Ratios (16

, 4

, 21

)

16

4

21

Photography Aspect Ratios (3

, 4

, 1

)

3

4

1

Cinema Aspect Ratios (2.35

, 2.39

, 1.85

)

2.35

2.39

1.85

Social Media Aspect Ratios

Each social media platform has preferred dimensions for images and video. Using the correct aspect ratio prevents cropping, black bars, and low-quality scaling. Below is a platform-by-platform breakdown.

• YouTube — 16
  (standard video), 9
  (Shorts)
• Instagram — 1
  (1080×1080, square post), 4
  (1080×1350, portrait post), 9
  (1080×1920, Stories & Reels), 1.91
  (1080×566, landscape post)
• TikTok — 9
  (1080×1920, full-screen vertical)
• Facebook — 1.91
  (link preview), 1
  (feed image), 9
  (Stories)
• Twitter / X — 16
  (post image), 3
  (header banner at 1500×500)
• LinkedIn — 1.91
  (link preview), 1
  (feed post)

Tip: When creating content for multiple platforms simultaneously, shoot in 9

vertical and crop to 1

or 4

for feed posts. This gives you the most flexibility from a single recording session.

How to Calculate Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio Formula

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between width and height. You can express it as a simple division or as a simplified integer ratio:

Decimal Ratio = width ÷ height

To get the simplified integer ratio (e.g., 16

Simplified Ratio = (width ÷ GCD) : (height ÷ GCD)

Step-by-Step Calculation Example

Given: A display with dimensions 2560×1440 pixels.

1. Compute the decimal ratio: 2560 ÷ 1440 = 1.778
2. Find the GCD of 2560 and 1440. The GCD is 320.
3. Divide width by GCD: 2560 ÷ 320 = 8
4. Divide height by GCD: 1440 ÷ 320 = 4.5
5. Multiply both by 2 to get integers: 16 : 9

Result: 2560×1440 has a 16

Finding Aspect Ratio from Pixel Dimensions

Any resolution can be reduced to its aspect ratio by following these steps:

1. Enter the width and height in pixels (e.g., 1920 and 1080).
2. Calculate the GCD of the two numbers. For 1920 and 1080, the GCD is 120.
3. Divide width by GCD: 1920 ÷ 120 = 16
4. Divide height by GCD: 1080 ÷ 120 = 9
5. The aspect ratio is 16
   .

This method works for any pair of dimensions. For example, 2560×1600 has a GCD of 160, giving 16

Quick shortcut: Divide width by height on a calculator. If the result is approximately 1.78, the ratio is 16

. If it's approximately 1.33, it's 4

. If it's 1.5, it's 3

. Memorizing these decimal values lets you identify common ratios at a glance.

How to Resize Images While Keeping Aspect Ratio

When you resize an image, video, or design element, you need to keep the original aspect ratio to prevent stretching or squashing. The formula is straightforward:

new_height = original_height × (new_width ÷ original_width)

Example: Resize a 1920×1080 image to 1280 pixels wide while preserving the 16

1. new_height = 1080 × (1280 ÷ 1920)
2. new_height = 1080 × 0.6667
3. new_height = 720

The resized image is 1280×720, which is still 16

Quality tips:

• Always resize down from a larger original when possible. Upscaling introduces blur and artifacts.
• Most image editors (Photoshop, GIMP, Figma) have a "lock aspect ratio" toggle — keep it enabled to avoid accidental distortion.
• For web images, export at 2× the display size for sharp rendering on Retina and high-DPI screens.

Practical Applications

Understanding aspect ratios is essential across a wide range of creative and technical disciplines:

• Video production and editing — Match your timeline settings to the delivery platform (16
  for YouTube, 9
  for TikTok).
• Web design — Use the CSS aspect-ratio property to create responsive containers that maintain proportions at any viewport width.
• Photography — Crop images to standard print ratios (3
  for 4×6, 5
  for 8×10) before sending to the printer.
• Social media marketing — Prepare platform-specific assets in bulk (1
  feed, 4
  portrait, 9
  stories) to maximize engagement.
• Print and graphic design — Calculate scaled dimensions for posters, banners, and signage while keeping logos and photos proportionally correct.
• Monitor and TV shopping — Compare screen shapes: a 34-inch ultrawide (21
  ) and a 32-inch standard (16
  ) have very different viewing experiences despite similar diagonal measurements.

For a deeper dive into aspect ratios across video, photo, and social media, read our Complete Guide to Aspect Ratios.

Related Calculators

If you found the Aspect Ratio Calculator useful, these related tools may also help with your project:

• Scale Factor Calculator — Calculate the scale factor between two dimensions or convert between model and real-world sizes.
• Percentage Calculator — Compute percentages, percentage change, and percentage difference for any values.