There is nothing like owning a space in the world of social media that is entirely personal. Having an account that other users are drawn to all because of something so small like the Tumblr header size is rather special.
Tumblr may not be the first platform people think of when it comes to social networks, but it’s over 300 million user-ship in 2024 shows it’s quite a force to be reckoned with.
And knowing how to stand out right from the get-go with the proper header size and format is crucial!
Table of Contents
- What is the Purpose of a Tumblr Header?
- The 411 on the Tumblr Header Size You Need
- Tips to Make Your Tumblr Banner Size
- The Behind the Scenes Look at Header and Theme on Tumblr
- How to Tell if the Header is the Wrong Size?
- Making Magic: How to Have a Smaller Header
- Helpful Apps to Create Catchy Headers
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Purpose of a Tumblr Header?
A Tumblr header or banner is the first thing a user sees on an account as it is right on top of the page.
The “brand” identity is established through the header’s theme that ultimately reflects the personality of the page’s owner.
Banner
This is the focal design that is at the very top of the page. Users who come upon the page are instantly looking at this image, which is rendered as the first impression. The picture and the Tumblr header dimensions themselves often set the mood for the content the posts feature and can be customized by the account’s user as they see fit.
Header Image Logistics
When users would like to use a photo for their background, the proper file format is JPG, PNG, or even GIF, which is a moving design. This backgrounder will have to be manipulated through image software and will most likely be integrated with a title and subheading if the user wishes. The general rule is: less is more, and catchy is key!
Tones and Themes and Tricks
Picking a theme on Tumblr is similar to choosing a theme on other website building services. The theme a blog writer picks can have default settings. The best way to keep the site personal is by clicking the “Customize” button in the right-hand corner upon login and selecting the option to change the photo.
The Backend
Header images are usually the metadata for a Tumblr site and become intertwined within the blog’s tags. In this way, a writer can find their image to be correlated with a tag by being called “image:Header.” This backend allows the site to define the Tumblr header dimensions through easy-to-use and intuitive tags, so coding is simple and can be used throughout the theme and body of the webpage.
Proper Format Etiquette
Those who wish to buff up their Tumblr design game can turn to CSS, where headers are easily solidified with ID #header. This certain code gives a user more leeway in creating different dimensions to a photo through width and length repositioning. By playing around with other options like float properties, a Tumblr header size can come out right.
The 411 on the Tumblr Header Size You Need
As with many social platforms, the Tumblr header size for pictures depends on an individual’s device. For a desktop, for example, the best dimension would be 3000 x 1055 px, while 640 x 360 px is much better suited for a Tumblr mobile header size.
The easy part is that establishing the correct size for a desktop will automatically translate into the photo configuring the right size for a phone.
Caring about the Tumblr banner size is important and is not something to overlook. Because this is the first impression a potential reader has of the blog, it’s crucial for the pixels to not be too dilated or badly proportioned, or that takes away the credibility and digestibility of the site.
Tumblr Profile
The Tumblr icon size should be 128 x 128 px and is also known as the Tumblr avatar. Another type of branding content, this picture continues to show the theme and personality of the account.
User Dashboard Details
The default page when logging into Tumblr is the dashboard where each post within blogs someone follows will appear. Dashboard image display sizes include 540 x 840 px for a picture post and 300 x 810 px for a “tall” photo post.
Photoset Image Sizes
A photoset for Tumblr has to be 540 px wide if it’s only one image or 268 px for two. For three images, the platform displays 177 px pictures on the left and right but 178 px for the photo in the middle.
Text and Link Posts
A text post should have 540 px wide pictures, while inline photos can be 300 px wide. A link post should have images that are 540 px wide.
Audio and Album Art
When posting audio, often the blogger posts the album art cover as the photo. In this case, the size of the picture should be 169 by 169 px.
Tips to Make Your Tumblr Banner Size Better
So far, the concept sounds simple: make the banner personality-filled while also ensuring the proper dimensions for the social media platform.
That’s correct, but there’s a little more to it, especially when it comes to customizing the Tumblr banner size.
Check out these helpful tidbits:
- Use horizontal pictures and edit them ahead of time in a 16 by 9 px ratio
- If the desired image is vertical or square, reposition it within Tumblr and select “stretch header image”
- Don’t go over 10 megabytes for any photos or over two megabytes for GIFS
The Behind the Scenes Look at Header and Theme on Tumblr
The banner a user chooses sets the mood for the account and establishes the voice and connectivity with an audience.
Establish Opportunity for Engagement
Whether it be through adding a website URL, a social profile link to Instagram or Facebook, or an email address, establishing a relationship from the get-go can keep audiences coming back. These contact opportunities also show that the blog writer is looking for a personalized relationship with readers rather than a laissez-faire approach.
Establish Brand Identity
Keep everything consistent. If providing another website or social platform link (like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter), be sure these URLs maintain the same identity so a reader or user can associate and remember the brand for what it is.
How to Tell if the Header is the Wrong Size?
If there exists any of the following issues, the header image is the wrong size and needs to be updated:
- Increased bounce rate
- A low-quality pixelated image
- Sides of the image are cut off
- The image appears one way on mobile and another way on desktop
- Users express a negative or confusing experience
Making Magic: How to Have a Smaller Header
Tumblr header image dimensions don’t always cooperate, and large images end up being cropped when made to fit into constraints.
So, here are some simple steps to decrease the header dimensions:
- First, download and save to desktop the desired header image
- Open up any image resizer site
- Select “Resize image” and uncheck “constrain proportions”
- Enter the desired size and download the new image
- Log in to Tumblr and click “Settings” for the blog
- Within the theme section, select “Customize” and then “Appearance”
- Select “Logo image” and upload the new saved graphic
- Check to be sure the new dimensions have the desired effect
Helpful Apps to Create Catchy Headers
Creating a header image should be inspiring and creative. 2024 is the year where innovation, originality, and self-expression will be welcomed with open arms, so why not have a little fun?
Numerous online applications are free and easy to use so that entrepreneurs and writers, including Tumblr bloggers, can have the resources they need to help their brand stand out. Check out the top three apps for making a Tumblr banner below.
Crello
Crello is home to templates, stock photos, and team collaboration features, even with the free account. With an easy interface, it allows the user to have unlimited folders and storage and access to photos and videos to increase the pop of the header or other media tools. Each design is easily resized.
Canva
Canva is a free online application where creators can craft a design for postcards, brochures, flyers, headers, and other media content pieces galore. With an array of resources at the creator’s disposal — ranging from customizable templates, shapes, graphics, different font and text sizes as well as quirky colors — any header will come out looking modern and hip.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark helps brands truly hone in a voice, emphasizing logos and customized colors and fonts for videos, web pages, and headers alike. Ideas turn into visual stories within seconds through templates, icons, preset designs, and the Spark Library assets. If a user has multiple blogs, Adobe Spark makes it very easy to switch between brand materials with one simple click.
Some Samples for Inspiration
The best headers have well-proportioned dimensions, just the right use of white space, interesting typography, memorable content, and bold colors.
And these headers are already in existence and are easily accessed for free! Take a look at some of the best Tumblr banner images that just pull the reader in:
Artofdarkness.co
This Tumblr account is home to captivating paintings that go through a carousel as they pull audiences in. Meaningful, purposeful, and right on theme with the tone of the brand; these headers can demonstrate that art, serenity, and depth are values of this brand identity.
Graphicdesignandtattoos.com
This site knows how to handle white space to center in the blog’s image to the audience’s focal point. The typography is as edgy and relaxed as the media content and flows well with the pictures so that the brand remains top-of-mind as the user scrolls. The whole page becomes a cohesive set rather than an unbalanced puzzle of photos.
Loveyourchaos.tumblr.com
Minimal, memorable, and vibrant, this brand knows how to hone in one theme and one theme only. Sometimes the concept “less is more” is essential to keep readers intrigued, and this example can do so with the original color of the moon and keeping its shot crystal clear and, quite simply, beautiful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Change Your Tumblr Header to a GIF?
Sometimes, bloggers want their header to be a moving image — a GIF — in order to create an amusing or more interactive effect. Here are the simple steps to change a header or even the background into a GIF.
- Head over to the Themes section in the Tumblr account.
- Select “Update” on the Header or the Background of “Appearance.”
- Select the desired GIF.
- Be sure to click “Save”.
How Do You Put Together an Aesthetic Header?
The best way to make a design aesthetically pleasing is by using the aforementioned apps above to craft an original and stunning header that is unique and special to the brand.
In using the apps above, follow these steps to construct a great banner:
- Choose a format to make the graphic in.
- Pick a preset template that best resembles the brand.
- Customize within the template different colors, icons, and shapes.
- Upload and drag in any personal content.
- Save to desktop.
- Post to Tumblr.
The Devil is in the Details
At the end of the day, making a Tumblr site stand out is easy in 2024, once a user knows their options, media resources, and tricks to solidify dimensions and themes.
This part of the site is what jumpstarts the whole introduction to its branding — essentially, the header is the fun part!
So, go ahead and indulge in playing around with a design — its effects and color schemes — and be sure to share in the comments any tidbits learned along the way!
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