X/Twitter Header Designer

Create X (Twitter) header images with avatar overlap preview and safe area guides.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What X/Twitter Header Designer does and how it behaves

X's profile banner is a 1500 by 500 pixel image (3:1) that the profile picture overlaps at its bottom-left corner, and on phones X shows only a centered strip of it. This tool builds the banner on a canvas in that exact ratio and overlays two things while you work: a translucent circle marking where the avatar will sit, and guides for the areas that survive the mobile crop. The mistake most people make is putting text or a logo in the bottom-left corner, where the avatar hides it on the finished profile.

How the result is produced

Header-sized canvas

The design area matches X's recommended banner size of 1500 by 500 pixels, so what you make is already the correct shape and resolution. Source images that do not fill that ratio are fitted or cropped to cover it, and the finished image is saved at full size, ready for upload in X's profile settings rather than left to the site's own crop.

Avatar and safe-area overlay

A translucent circle is drawn over the banner's bottom-left corner, the spot where the profile picture covers the header on a desktop profile, and anything beneath it is flagged as hidden. Separate guides mark the region that stays visible when phones crop the banner to its centered view. The preview is a model of X's standard layout, not a rendering of your live profile.

Good uses

Designing a launch or rebrand banner when your name, tagline, or handle must sit somewhere the profile picture will not cover it, and you want the placement checked before you export.
Reusing an existing photo or marketing graphic as a header and checking whether the important part survives the bottom-left avatar overlap and the phone's centered crop.
Iterating on a layout before upload: moving elements inside the safe areas, checking the preview, and exporting at the correct size so the site does not re-crop your work.

Limits and checks

The avatar guide reflects X's standard desktop layout; X changes its interface without notice, and avatar size varies with it. The guide points at likely trouble, not guaranteed trouble, so glance at your real profile after uploading.
The desktop preview cannot show what phones do: X crops the banner to a centered view on mobile, so content at the far left or right, even outside the avatar zone, can disappear. Trust the mobile-safe-area guide rather than the full-width view.
X compresses and downscales uploads, and fine text that looks crisp in the design preview can blur after upload. Export at the recommended dimensions rather than a much larger image, and re-check the live profile, since the preview cannot show compression artifacts.

Common questions

What size should my header be?

X recommends 1500 by 500 pixels, a 3:1 ratio, and that has been the standard for years. Uploading larger just gives the site more to compress, which can soften text and edges. Dimensions are the kind of thing X changes without fanfare, so check the X Help Center before a major design push.

Why did my logo disappear from my uploaded banner?

Most likely it sits in the bottom-left corner, where the profile picture overlaps the banner on desktop profiles. Move it toward the upper-left or the right side, clear of the corner, and check the tool's avatar-zone preview again. Content at the far left or right edges can also vanish on phones, which show only the banner's center.

References and verification

The behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.