---
title: "X"
subtitle: "The header loses its corner to the avatar, and the timeline crops the rest"
description: "How the brand will show up on X: the profile photo, the 3:1 header with its avatar overlap, and 16:9 in-stream post images, authored ahead of launch."
author: "Studio"
section: "Touchpoints"
layer: "core"
subsection: "Social"
order: 3
status: "published"
access: "team"
brand: "internal"
---

The channel isn't live yet. These guidelines exist so launch day starts on-brand instead of from scratch. X's catch: the avatar punches into the header's lower-left corner, and the timeline recrops any post image that isn't 16:9. The studio team owns it.

## Identity here

- **Logo**: the avatar variant fills the profile photo; X clips it to a circle and floats it over the header. Variants and clear space: [4.1 Logo](/brand/logo.html).
- **Colour**: header and post graphics carry the brand palette: [4.2 Colour](/brand/color.html).
- **Type**: designed post images use the brand type roles: [4.3 Typography](/brand/typography.html).

## Specs

| Asset | Size | Safe area | Format | Max weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile photo | 400×400 (1:1) | circular crop, centre the mark | JPG/PNG | 2 MB | no animated GIF |
| Header | 1500×500 (3:1) | avatar overlaps the lower left; edges crop on mobile, keep the message centred | JPG/PNG | ~5 MB working cap | 3000×1000 export reads sharper on high-DPI |
| Post image (single) | 1600×900 (16:9) | exact 16:9 fills the card uncropped | JPG/PNG/GIF/WebP | 5 MB | other ratios get cropped in the timeline |

_Specs verified against platform documentation: 2026-07-05._

X publishes the profile-photo rules but not a firm header cap. The ~5 MB figure is the current working consensus. The reliable rule is geometric: 3:1 header with the lower-left surrendered to the avatar, 16:9 post images or the timeline chooses the crop.

## Templates & assets

Header and post-image blanks (with the avatar overlap marked) get commissioned from design when the channel activates. Each frame below holds its format at the exact ratio until the template lands.

<div class="demo-preview is-joined is-centered">
  <img class="format-preview" src="/image/1500x500" width="1500" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="">
</div>
<div class="demo-caption">
  <p>Header, 1500×500 (3:1)</p>
</div>
<div class="demo-preview is-joined is-centered">
  <img class="format-preview" src="/image/1600x900" width="1600" height="900" loading="lazy" alt="">
</div>
<div class="demo-caption">
  <p>Post image, 1600×900 (16:9)</p>
</div>

## Don't

<div class="grid cols-2 gap-m">
  <div class="card dont-card">
    <img class="dont-card-media" src="/image/800x450" width="800" height="450" loading="lazy" alt="">
    <div class="dont-card-icon">{{icon:close-circled}}</div>
    <h4 class="card-title">Don't use the header's lower left</h4>
    <p class="card-description">The profile photo floats over that corner on every profile view. A logo or tagline placed there is permanently covered.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="card dont-card">
    <img class="dont-card-media" src="/image/800x450" width="800" height="450" loading="lazy" alt="">
    <div class="dont-card-icon">{{icon:close-circled}}</div>
    <h4 class="card-title">Don't post off-ratio images</h4>
    <p class="card-description">Anything that isn't 16:9 gets cropped by the timeline, and the timeline doesn't know where the logo is. Export at 1600×900 and keep the framing.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="card dont-card">
    <img class="dont-card-media" src="/image/800x450" width="800" height="450" loading="lazy" alt="">
    <div class="dont-card-icon">{{icon:close-circled}}</div>
    <h4 class="card-title">Don't put a lockup in the circle</h4>
    <p class="card-description">The profile slot is a circular crop, floated over the header. A horizontal lockup loses its ends and its balance. The avatar variant is built for this crop.</p>
  </div>
</div>