Twitter Card Size & Dimensions: Summary vs Large Image

You designed a beautiful card image. On Facebook it fills the feed. On LinkedIn it looks sharp. On X… it gets cropped to a sliver, or shrunk to a thumbnail nobody notices in the timeline.

The problem is almost always size. X renders card images at a strict 2:1 aspect ratio — not the 1.91:1 that Facebook and LinkedIn use, and not the 16:9 that most design templates default to. If your image does not match, X either crops it (cutting off your carefully placed text) or shrinks it into the small summary format.

Here are the exact dimensions X wants for each card type, the file limits, and how to generate a compliant image in about thirty seconds.

Twitter Card sizes at a glance

Card type	Recommended size	Aspect ratio	Minimum	Maximum	Format
summary_large_image	1200×600	2:1	300×157	4096×4096	JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF
(twitter card image format: JPG recommended for smallest file)
summary	512×512	1:1	144×144	4096×4096	JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF
app	Set by app store	—	—	—	Auto from store
player	Set by video	16:9	—	—	Video format

For blogs, landing pages and product pages, use summary_large_image at 1200×600. That is the native 2:1 ratio X’s developer documentation specifies, and it fills the timeline edge to edge with no cropping.

Twitter Card image dimensions: why 1200×600 and not 1200×630 or 1200×675

This is where most guides get it wrong about the twitter card aspect ratio — or at least, where they stop checking. Three numbers float around:

1200×630 (1.91:1) — the universal Open Graph standard, and the default og image size X falls back to when no twitter-specific tags are present. Facebook recommends it, LinkedIn renders it perfectly, and most SEO plugins output it by default. X accepts it but center-crops to 2:1, trimming 15 pixels from the top and 15 from the bottom. Usually harmless, but if your design has text near the edges, those 30 pixels are gone.

1200×675 (16:9) — the “video-friendly” ratio. Many third-party guides recommend this because it matches standard video thumbnails. X also center-crops this to 2:1, removing 37 pixels top and bottom. More cropping than 630, and the extra height is wasted.

1200×600 (2:1) — X’s actual native ratio. No cropping, no wasted pixels, pixel-perfect rendering. This is the number in X’s developer documentation: “Images for this Card support an aspect ratio of 2:1.”

What we found: when we corrected our own site from 1200×675 to 1200×600, the difference was subtle on desktop but noticeable on mobile — the timeline card filled edge-to-edge without the faint letterboxing that the cropped version had. If you are already using 1200×630 everywhere, the crop is minor and probably safe. But if you are generating a new image specifically for X, use 1200×600.

Summary vs Summary Large Image: which to use

X supports two image-based card formats, and the difference is dramatic:

Summary card (small thumbnail, 1:1 ratio)

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ [🖼] Your Title Here             │
│ [🖼] yoursite.com                │
└──────────────────────────────────┘

A compact card with a square thumbnail on the left. The image is small — roughly 100×100 pixels in the timeline — so detailed graphics become unreadable. Text-based logos or simple brand marks work best.

Set it with:

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" />

Use when: the text matters more than the visual, or you want a less intrusive presence in the timeline.

Summary card with large image (the twitter large image size is 1200×600)

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │                              │ │
│ │     Your Full-Width Image    │ │
│ │         (1200×600)           │ │
│ │                              │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ │
│ Your Title Here                  │
│ yoursite.com                     │
└──────────────────────────────────┘

A full-width image above the title. This format dominates the timeline, takes up more vertical space, and consistently earns higher engagement than the summary card. If your image is designed for it (big text, strong contrast, clear subject), the large format is the default choice.

Set it with:

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />

Use when: you have a real image that sells the click. Blog posts, product launches, landing pages — almost everything.

Our recommendation: use summary_large_image with a 1200×600 image unless you have a specific reason not to. The engagement difference is measurable.

How to check your Twitter Card size (before posting)

1. Paste your URL into the OG Image Checker — it loads the actual image behind your og:image or twitter:image tag and measures its pixel dimensions.
2. Check the X preview card — the tool renders your card as X would, so you can see whether the image fills the timeline or gets cropped.
3. Scan the audit warnings — the tool flags images that are too small (under 300×157), too large (over 5 MB), or far from the 2:1 ratio.

The same check also renders your card for Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Telegram and Reddit — so you can verify the image works on every platform, not just X. For a deeper reference covering all eight platforms, see our OG Image Size Guide.

How to resize or create a correctly sized Twitter Card image

The OG Image Generator ships with a 1200×600 preset specifically for X cards, alongside the universal 1200×630 and LinkedIn’s 1200×627.

1. Pick a template — eight options, from centered headline to split layout to bold statement.
2. Type your title and brand — the tool renders in real time.
3. Select the “X (Twitter) · 1200×600” preset from the size dropdown.
4. Export as JPG — typically 50–150 KB, well under X’s 5 MB limit and WhatsApp’s ~300 KB threshold.

Everything runs in your browser — no account, no watermark, and the image never leaves your machine. If you want inspiration for what a good card looks like, browse our examples gallery with 26 real brands.

Common Twitter Card size mistakes

Using 1200×630 everywhere and assuming it is fine. It mostly is — X crops 30 pixels total. But if your headline text sits within 20 pixels of the top or bottom edge, it will get cut. Keep a 40-pixel safe margin, or switch to 1200×600 for pixel-perfect rendering.

Using a square image for summary_large_image. X does not letterbox — the twitter card crop removes everything outside 2:1, which means you lose 50% of your vertical content. If your image has a person’s face in the center, the crop may work. If it has text, it will not.

Using a 1:1 logo for the large card. Brand marks work in the small summary thumbnail but look empty and generic in the full-width format. The large card needs a real visual — a headline, a product shot, an illustration.

Forgetting the file size. X refuses images over 5 MB. PNG files at 1200×600 can easily hit 500 KB–2 MB depending on complexity. Export as JPG quality 80–85 to land at 50–150 KB with no visible quality loss.

Testing only on desktop. X on mobile renders cards at different widths. An image that looks fine on a 1920px monitor may crop differently on a 390px iPhone. The OG Image Checker renders the X card in the timeline format so you can verify before posting.

The safe-zone rule (if you must use a non-native ratio)

If you are stuck with 1200×630 (because your CMS plugin outputs it and you cannot change it), follow this rule: keep all text, logos and critical visual elements at least 40 pixels away from the top and bottom edges — this is your safe zone. X will crop approximately 15 pixels from each side to reach 2:1, so a 40-pixel margin gives you comfortable headroom.

For a deeper explanation of how X handles the OG fallback, see our Twitter Cards: The Complete Guide.

FAQ

What is the correct Twitter Card image size?

1200×600 pixels for summary_large_image — a strict 2:1 ratio per X’s official documentation. X accepts 300×157 minimum, 4096×4096 maximum, and 5 MB file limit. For the summary card, use a 1:1 square of at least 144×144.

What is the difference between summary and summary_large_image?

Summary shows a small square thumbnail beside the title; summary_large_image shows a full-width image above the title. The large format earns significantly more engagement and is the default choice for blogs and product pages.

Is 1200×675 or 1200×600 the right size for X?

1200×600 is X’s native 2:1 ratio from the official developer docs. 1200×675 (16:9) also works because X auto-crops to 2:1, but 1200×600 is the exact fit with zero cropping.

What format should a Twitter Card image be?

JPEG or PNG universally. WebP and GIF also accepted. Keep under 5 MB (and ideally under 1 MB for fast loading, or under 300 KB if the image also needs to work on WhatsApp).

How do I make a correctly sized Twitter Card image?

Use the OG Image Generator with its 1200×600 X preset — pick a template, type your title, export. Free, in-browser, no signup.