Free Instagram Story & Reel Cover Maker with Safe Zones (1080×1920)

Free tool

Instagram Story & Reel cover maker with safe zones

Instagram Stories and Reels are 1080×1920 pixels (9:16), but the app draws its own interface over the top and bottom of every frame — profile bar, progress indicators, reply field, caption, audio and the right-hand icon column. This free cover maker shows those safe zones while you edit, previews the 3:4 crop that appears on your profile grid, lets you add a title, and downloads a pixel-perfect cover or a transparent safe-zone overlay for Canva, Figma and Photoshop.

How to make a Story or Reel cover

1Choose Story or Reel cover, then upload a photo (vertical works best) or paste one.
2Drag and zoom the photo so faces and text sit inside the safe zone — the red bands show where Instagram's UI will cover the image.
3Turn on the 3:4 profile-grid guide to make sure the cover still reads well as a thumbnail, and add a title with a pill or box background if you like.
4Download the 1080×1920 cover as JPG or PNG. Designing elsewhere? Download the transparent safe-zone overlay instead.

Everything for covers that survive Instagram's UI

✓Exact 1080×1920 (9:16) output for Stories and Reels
✓Story and Reels UI safe-zone overlays while you edit
✓Profile grid (3:4) and feed (4:5) crop guides with live thumbnail preview
✓Fill or Fit with zoom, drag, rotate and flip; blurred, gradient or solid background
✓Title text with three fonts, colors, alignment, position and pill/box backgrounds
✓Transparent safe-zone overlay PNG for Canva, Figma and Photoshop
✓Phone preview with the real interface bands
✓Private: photos never leave your browser, no signup, no watermark

Frequently asked questions

What is the Instagram Story size?

1080×1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. Keep important content away from the top ~250 px and bottom ~340 px, which Instagram covers with the profile bar and the reply field.

What is the Instagram Reel cover size?

Also 1080×1920 (9:16). On your profile grid, Instagram shows only the center 3:4 of the cover (1080×1440) — so keep the title and subject in the middle. In the feed, Reels appear as 4:5.

What is the Reels safe zone?

The area not covered by Instagram's interface: roughly the top 140 px (header), bottom 420 px (username, caption, audio) and the right-hand 190 px column (like, comment, share icons). This tool overlays those bands while you edit.

Can I use the safe-zone overlay in Canva?

Yes. Download the transparent 1080×1920 overlay PNG and drop it on the top layer of your Canva, Figma or Photoshop design, then hide it before exporting.

Are the guides included in the download?

No. The red safe-zone bands and crop guides are only shown while editing. The downloaded cover contains just your photo and title.

Need a grid splitter, a photo frame or a profile picture next? Explore the full Instagram toolkit.

Open the Instagram toolkit