particular platform needs. This is important because there are some instances an artwork may not initially fit a certain platform and would need appropriate cropping. But this will give possible users an easy time cropping.
Ah, the magic of social media – the wonderland where your digital art can shine its true worth (or, let’s be frank, sometimes the criticism which it does not). But even before you put down your masterpiece for the world to see, a few things need to be understood about optimizing one’s digital art for posting on Instagram, Pinterest, and the like.
So, don’t worry, for this is not going to be the boring type of guide laced with jargon and in-depth technicalities; rather, it is a friendly, easy-to-follow way on how you can make artworks to match any feed, even when you’re in the process of learning your hashtags. So, let’s dive in!
1. Understand Your Platform Requirements
Before you even start creating, it is critical for one to understand the technical aspect of it all really. Each social media platform has its own accepted dimensions where a picture best uploads, and in the event that you attempt to upload an image using a different size, it could be distorted or compressed (that is just not the way people enjoy viewing images).
Here are some general guidelines for popular platforms:
- Instagram: The sweet spot for Instagram posts is a 1080×1080 px square image for regular posts. For stories, go with 1080×1920 px (vertical). A more artistic or landscape image can be done with a 1080×566 px horizontal image.
- Pinterest: Pinterest loves vertical images. Aim for 1000 x 1500 px or ratios pretty close to 2:3 to present that pin nice and sharp.
- Twitter: The perfect size is 1,200 by 675 pixels (again, 16:9) for those images in a tweet.
- Facebook: For a good-looking post, go for 1200 by 630 pixels.
Again, these are guiding values, and you must refer to the specific guidelines for every social media platform until you upload your post. But this should set you straight on the right path.
Pro Tip: If you are dealing with a multi-purpose image, then create your art at the highest resolution and resize it for such requirements. In fact, this is necessary considering that there are really some cases wherein artwork does not currently suit some platform and thus need cropping. But this way, users will find it easy to crop it.
clean. So opening things up, get right into action or ‘The First Impression: Thumbnails Matter’. Try to grab attention in two seconds on social media. Thumbnails (that is those little preview images that come up on your feed) need to wow immediately. If your artwork isn’t eye catching at that smaller size, chances are it may get overlooked.
- Keep the details strong: Go for clean lines and bold colors that stand out, even shrunk down to a tiny thumbnail. Intricate details could get lost, so think big shapes and overall feel instead.
- Use contrast: Make sure there’s a lot of contrast between your subject and background so that it pops. If your character wears a light-colored outfit on a light background, they disappear at first glance.
Pro Tip: Step back and squint at your thumbnail – if you can still easily tell what the image is about, it also catches your eyes, so you’re doing something right!
4. Prioritize Mobile Design:
Social media is no longer a space for more than 80% of its users to engage in tons of browsing through their phones and mobile devices. Thus, all those points being raised about how your works would happen to be appreciated on a toddler screen really do matter. Strong colors and detail so small that they may not even appear good when viewed through the screen.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Check on your phone: Always preview your art on your phone before posting it. If the art looks blurry or unclear, it may need some tweaks.
- Use bold contrasts and big fonts that are easy to read: If you’re adding text to your artwork, make sure the fonts are legible even on small screens.
- Have a simple background: A very disorganized background makes it hard to see the subject, even in a small screen. By having a simplified background, the emphasis will be where it was meant to be.
Pro Tip: It is all about making the viewing experience simple and pleasant for your audience. Simple and catchy, just the way it has been readable.
4. Consistent Color and Style
When you desire to attract followers on social media, consistency will ever catch the key. A compact line of colors and styles enables your work to become recognizable and lends it that professional edge in an entire feed.
- Color schemes: Choose a particular palette that goes well with your art, and maintain that color scheme within all your posts. It can be warm tones, such as oranges and reds, or cold tones such as blues and greens. No matter what it is, consistency from post to post will get your fans to recognize that it is actually your work.
- Artistic style: Whether you’re one for digital painting, vector art, or pixel art, try to keep your style so that your fans will recognize your work the minute they see it. It doesn’t have to be perfect; just consistent! W.
Pro tip: Do you want to do an amazing eyeball Instagram grid? Be sure to stick to a small part of the color palette or even create a pattern of repetition through posts to increase the visual appeal.
5. Proper File Size and Quality Matters
They are very choosy when it comes to photos-theyre words in the social media world, like if your file is oversized, they shove it, quite literally compressing it, and thus sucking away all the quality. When too small, they make the image pixelated and fuzzy.
- Optimize your files: JPEG for regular artwork; PNG is best with transparent backgrounds. PNG may give better high-quality results when having many colors and gradients.
- Avoid over compression: Compress reasonable to the file size but not too low. A good-quality image is what will showcase your art at its best.
Pro Tip: Optimize online tools or simply save as “save for web” with Photoshop to get your image size wonderfully small, and that will not affect the quality. It’s like magic for your art!
6. Make the Best Use of Hashtags and Captions
Well, your artwork is all prepped up and optimized. Now, it’s high time to share it. Don’t just hit the button; use the right hashtags and captions to make most visibility of it.
- Hashtags: Hashtags are like your ticket to seeing a broader audience. Use relevant hashtags into your niche. But do not make it overuse; keep it at 5 to 10 relevant hashtags per post. Like in that example where you post a design of a character, hashtags like #CharacterDesign, #DigitalArt, or #ArtOfTheDay would help a person find your works.
- Captions: Write captions that engage your audience. For example, ask some questions or write about the story behind that particular piece with a fun fact in a nutshell. The more interactive a caption is, the greater the chance that people will engage with your post.
Pro Tip: Don’t just copy-paste a group of hashtags. Instead, mix and match them according to the content of your post. Keep your captions fun and casual, but don’t forget to crack the egg and ask your followers to engage (like, comment, share, etc. ).
7. Post Consistently, Not Spammy
Regular Posting: It’s critical in creating audiences; however, frequent posts make your followers feel overwhelmed. You have your regular posting schedule, whether once daily, several times weekly, or even just once a week, and stay with it.
Pro Tip: Avoid flooding multiple posts on a day to followers. It’s best to remain consistent in posting and allowing your audience to digest each of them before releasing the next.
inal Thoughts: Make Your Art Shine on Social Media
Now you have gotten all the tips that you could collect to create social media-friendly digital art. Be it on Instagram, Pinterest, or any other medium of sharing your pieces, optimizing your work to that medium will definitely help you stand out in the competitive world of digital art online.