Practical 3:4 (recommended)
Recommended1080×1440 3:4
Strongest practical ratio for two-column feed footprint. Also the common habit for many video covers.
Use in toolXiaohongshu (RED) · Image size
Xiaohongshu Note Cover Size
Xiaohongshu (RED) note covers compete in a two-column waterfall. Prefer 3:4 (try 1080×1440); square works for some looks. Video covers often reuse the same 3:4 habit.
Browser crop · stays on your device
Crop your Xiaohongshu note cover
1080 × 1440
Add a photo to crop
Upload a photo or flat graphic—or try the sample—then keep the hook inside the mid band before you download.
Size specs
Prefer 3:4 for the waterfall. Square is optional. Video covers on RED often use the same 3:4 still habit as note covers.
Publish
Export this for Xiaohongshu (RED) upload.
Clearer 3:4
1242×1656 3:4
Same 3:4 habit with more pixels when the source is sharp.
Use in tool| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical 3:4 (recommended) Recommended | 1080×1440 | 3:4 | Strongest practical ratio for two-column feed footprint. Also the common habit for many video covers. | Use in tool |
| Clearer 3:4 | 1242×1656 | 3:4 | Same 3:4 habit with more pixels when the source is sharp. | Use in tool |
What Xiaohongshu (RED) shows
Reference sizes and crops—not always separate upload files.
Square cover (alternate)
1080×1080 1:1
Works for minimalist / product fronts. Usually claims less waterfall height than 3:4—prefer 3:4 when in doubt.
Use in tool| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square cover (alternate) | 1080×1080 | 1:1 | Works for minimalist / product fronts. Usually claims less waterfall height than 3:4—prefer 3:4 when in doubt. | Use in tool |
RED note covers win as tiny 3:4 stamps—square is optional
Xiaohongshu (also searched as RED or RedNote) shows notes in a dense two-column waterfall. Your cover is judged as a small vertical card long before someone opens the note. Soft phone dumps and landscape vacation shots letterboxed into the column look unfinished next to sharp 3:4 competitors.
1080×1440 (3:4) is the practical default many creators ship. 1242×1656 keeps the same ratio with more detail. Square 1080×1080 works for some product or minimal looks, but usually claims less height in the waterfall—use it on purpose, not by accident.
Video covers on RED often follow the same 3:4 still habit for the feed card even when the video itself is 9:16. Crop a clear 3:4 cover here, then match vertical video framing in your editor. Live stream entry cards are taller 9:16—use the live cover guide for those.
International creators often reuse Instagram 4:5 posts. Close, but not identical—re-crop to 3:4 so the hero is not trimmed oddly. Profile backgrounds (~1000×800) and circular avatars are different uploads.
Good vs weak crop
Same feed frame—keep the subject inside the margin phones actually show.
Stops the scroll in two columns
- Bold 3:4 subject
- Hook clear at thumb size
- Short high-contrast title if needed
Soft landscape dump
- Wide photo with huge empty bars
- Micro text only on the rim
- Live 9:16 forced into a note card
Before you upload
Tick these off against your crop preview—nothing is saved.
Related surfaces compared
Similar-looking slots often use different ratios—do not reuse one export for all of them.
Note cover (3:4)
1080 × 1440
This page default. Strongest waterfall footprint.
Note cover (square)
1080 × 1080
Alternate on this page—less height in the feed.
Video cover still
Often 3:4
Many video cards reuse the 3:4 habit—crop here.
Live cover
1080 × 1920
9:16 live entry—separate guide.
Profile background
1000 × 800
Homepage 5:4—not a note cover.
| Surface | Typical size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Note cover (3:4) | 1080 × 1440 | This page default. Strongest waterfall footprint. |
| Note cover (square) | 1080 × 1080 | Alternate on this page—less height in the feed. |
| Video cover still | Often 3:4 | Many video cards reuse the 3:4 habit—crop here. |
| Live cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 live entry—separate guide. |
| Profile background | 1000 × 800 | Homepage 5:4—not a note cover. |
Design for the two-column waterfall first
Most discovery happens as a stamp between other notes. If someone cannot tell the topic from a small phone thumb, the open rate suffers even when the inside photos are beautiful.
- One clear subject beats a busy collage.
- Keep faces and products away from the extreme corners.
- Short on-image titles only—paragraphs fail at thumb size.
Video covers often share the 3:4 note habit
A video file may be 9:16 in the player, but the feed thumbnail on RED is frequently cropped or presented closer to the note-cover ratio. Export a dedicated 3:4 cover still here so the waterfall card stays intentional.
Going live is different: live entry cards commonly want full 9:16. Use the live cover guide for stream art—do not force a note cover into that slot.
- Live cover size — 1080 × 1920 (9:16)
- Match multi-image note slides to the same 3:4 habit when you can.
3:4 vs square vs landscape
3:4 usually wins feed height. Square can look clean for product packs. Landscape often shrinks in the waterfall—use it only when the scene must stay wide, and expect a smaller stamp.
- Default: Practical 3:4 (1080×1440).
- Optional: Square 1080×1080.
- Avoid letterboxed landscapes when a 3:4 crop exists.
File requirements
JPG suits photographs. PNG suits flat graphics and bold titles. Prefer sRGB. Keep weight reasonable for mobile uploads.
- Recommended
- 1080 × 1440 px (3:4)
- Clearer 3:4
- 1242 × 1656 px
- Square alternate
- 1080 × 1080 px
- Video cover habit
- Often same 3:4 still
- Formats
- JPG or PNG (sRGB)
Common mistakes
- Uploading a landscape blog hero with letterboxing.
- Copying Instagram 4:5 without a fresh 3:4 crop.
- Using a live 9:16 still as a note cover without re-cropping.
- Micro captions that vanish in the waterfall.
How to use the crop tool
Upload a photo, choose Practical 3:4 (1080×1440), keep the hook inside the mid band, then download. Switch to Clearer 3:4 or Square only when that look is intentional.
- Zoom until the subject fills most of the frame.
- Prefer short titles if words sit on the image.
- Judge success at phone thumb size after publish.
After you download
From this download to a live upload in a few minutes.
- 1
Download the 1080×1440 (or square / clearer 3:4) JPG or PNG from the tool.
- 2
In Xiaohongshu / RED, create or edit a note (or set a video cover still) and upload the file.
- 3
Preview the two-column feed on a phone—judge the thumb, not only the editor canvas.
- 4
If the hook vanishes at thumb size, simplify and re-export.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Xiaohongshu note cover in 2026?
Prefer 3:4—try 1080×1440, or 1242×1656 for a clearer file. Square 1080×1080 is an optional alternate with less waterfall height.
What size is a Xiaohongshu video cover?
Many video feed cards follow the same 3:4 still habit as note covers (try 1080×1440). Live stream covers are usually 9:16—see the live cover guide.
Is Xiaohongshu the same as RED or RedNote?
Yes—Xiaohongshu is widely called RED / RedNote internationally. Same product; same cover habits on this guide.
Can I reuse an Instagram post as a note cover?
Reuse the photo, then re-crop. Instagram often uses 4:5; Xiaohongshu note covers here target 3:4.
Does Xiaohongshu have a profile background?
Yes—a homepage background around 1000×800 (5:4). That is not an X-style 3:1 banner. See the profile background guide.
Can I crop Xiaohongshu note covers in the browser?
Yes. This guide includes an in-browser crop—files stay on your device until you download and upload to Xiaohongshu yourself.