Step 5 of 6·6 min read
Banner & Profile Photo
Your visual layer is the only part of your profile someone judges in under 1 second.
Why this matters
The visual layer is judged in under a second
Before anyone reads your headline or About section, they see your banner and your photo. That visual layer either earns you the rest of the attention or loses it.
Most people leave the LinkedIn default banner (the empty blue gradient) and a photo from 2017. This step fixes both in 10 minutes.
Key principle
Profile photo rules: face, light, recent
A clear, well-lit photo of your face. Not your dog, not a logo, not a 2017 vacation photo. Cropped from the shoulders up. Background not too busy. Recent (last 2 years). That's it.
Profile photo: 5 quick rules
Face takes up about 60% of the frame
Crop tight. Full-body shots, dating-app distance shots, and group photos all read as 'low effort'.
Soft, even light
Window light during the day is free and looks great. Avoid hard sunlight, harsh shadows, or under-exposed indoor shots.
One person (you)
Even if cropped well, group photos make the viewer wonder which one you are. Don't make them work for it.
Background should not compete
Plain wall, blurred outdoor, soft office background. Anything visually busy distracts from your face.
Recent
If your photo doesn't look like you when you walk into a meeting, it's costing you trust. Update every 2 years minimum.
Key principle
Banner dimensions: 1584 × 396 pixels
LinkedIn banners are always 1584 × 396 pixels (4:1 ratio). Anything else gets stretched, cropped, or fuzzy. Save in PNG for sharp text, JPG for photos. Keep file size under 2MB.
What to put in your banner
Three good options: (1) a clean visual of your work or company, (2) text describing what you do and a clear CTA ("I help SaaS founders fix trial conversion. Email me."), or (3) a brand-aligned visual that says nothing literal but feels intentional. The worst option: keep the default LinkedIn blue gradient.
Free design templates to start from
These are pre-sized at LinkedIn's exact 1584×396 banner dimensions.
Canva: LinkedIn Banner Templates
Hundreds of free banner templates pre-sized for LinkedIn. Drag, swap, export.
Browse templatesFigma: LinkedIn Cover Templates
Community templates if you prefer Figma. Free to remix.
Open Figma communityUnsplash: Free banner photography
If you want a photo background, Unsplash has free, high-resolution images licensed for commercial use.
Browse photos