Asset Resize (Global)

Resizing is not stretching. Every ratio needs re-composition so the hierarchy still works. One good master becomes 10+ variants — the single biggest time saver in design production, and the first job after a campaign ends when winners get repurposed at D+2.

Information gathering

Read the asset list (41-campaign-asset-list-global) if available. If information is missing, ask up to 4 questions:

1. What is the master? Link to the source file (Canva, Figma, Adobe Express), plus its original size and channel.
2. Which channels and sizes are needed? List them all, or pull them from the asset list.
3. Which elements cannot be lost? Text, CTA, logo, faces, product — is anything sitting close to an edge?
4. Is cropping content allowed, or must everything stay in frame?

Principles

1. Always resize from the master. Never resize an already-resized file — quality degrades each pass.
2. Critical elements are never cropped at any size — focal point, CTA, and logo stay intact.
3. Each ratio needs its own strategy. One approach does not fit all.
4. If the content will not fit, escalate to the lead to decide what to drop. Do not decide unilaterally.
5. Repurpose winners immediately after the campaign (D+2) — context fades fast.
6. Update the status in the asset list as each size is completed.

Workflow

1. Analyze the master

Identify the focal point; the safe distance of each element (text, CTA, logo) from the edges; and what CAN be cropped (background, texture) versus what CANNOT (message, faces, product, CTA).

2. Pick a strategy per target size

Strategy	When	How
Scale and crop	Close ratios (1:1 to 4:5, 16:9 to 1.91:1)	Keep the layout, trim background
Re-compose	Moderately different ratios (1:1 to 16:9, landscape to cover)	Move elements to fit the new frame, preserving hierarchy
Rebuild	Very different ratios (1:1 to 9:16, feed to email)	Build fresh on the new canvas, keeping concept, colors, and copy

3. Resize in priority order

Do the primary channel size first (usually 1:1 feed), then work down the priority column of the resize map.

4. Check, name, upload, update

Run each file against the final checklist, name it to convention, upload it to the right subfolder, and update the asset list status.

Standard size matrix

Social

Type	Dimensions	Ratio	Channel	Note
Square feed	1080x1080	1:1	Facebook, Instagram	Build this first
Portrait feed	1080x1350	4:5	Instagram, Facebook	Occupies more of the mobile screen
Story / Reels	1080x1920	9:16	Meta Story, Reels	Safe zone 250px top and bottom
TikTok video / cover	1080x1920	9:16	TikTok	Safe zone 150px top / 300px bottom, ~140px right
YouTube Shorts	1080x1920	9:16	YouTube	Same safe zones as Reels
Facebook cover	820x312	~2.6:1	Facebook Page	Cropped on both sides on mobile — keep content centered
LinkedIn post	1200x627	~1.91:1	LinkedIn	Also accepts 1080x1080
LinkedIn document	1080x1080 or 1200x1500	1:1 or 4:5	LinkedIn	Exported as PDF
Pinterest pin	1000x1500	2:3	Pinterest	Vertical only; taller pins get truncated
YouTube thumbnail	1280x720	16:9	YouTube	Keep the bottom-right clear for the duration overlay
X post image	1200x675	16:9	X	Center-crops in timeline previews

Ads (Meta)

Type	Dimensions	Note
Feed ads	1080x1080	Serves both Facebook and Instagram
Story / Reels ads	1080x1920	Keep content roughly 14% off the top and bottom edges
Carousel	1080x1080	2 to 10 cards
Link banner	1200x628	Right-column and audience-network placements

Email and web

Type	Dimensions	Ratio	Typical strategy
Email header	600x200	3:1	Rebuild
Email hero	600x400	3:2	Scale and crop
Website hero desktop	1440x600	2.4:1	Re-compose
Website hero mobile	375x300	5:4	Rebuild
Blog featured image	1200x630	1.91:1	Scale and crop (also serves Open Graph)

Documents

Type	Dimensions	Use for
Slide deck 16:9	1920x1080	Presentations, pitch decks
A4 portrait / landscape	210x297mm / 297x210mm	Printed reports and proposals
US Letter	8.5x11in	US print deliverables

Safe zones and platform crop behavior

Placement	Safe zone	Crop behavior
Meta Story / Reels (1080x1920)	Keep text and CTA out of the top 250px and bottom 250px	Profile and caption UI sit in those bands; the middle ~1420px is reliably visible
TikTok (1080x1920)	Top 150px, bottom 300px, right ~140px	Right-side icon rail and caption block overlay the frame
Meta Feed 1:1 / 4:5	20px on each edge	Little cropping, but thumbnails center-crop to 1:1 in some surfaces
Facebook cover (820x312)	Center ~640px	Mobile crops both sides aggressively
LinkedIn (1200x627)	40px on each edge	Feed preview may letterbox; avoid edge-tight type
Pinterest (1000x1500)	60px on each edge	Bottom band can be covered by the title overlay in some views
YouTube thumbnail (1280x720)	Bottom-right ~120x40px clear	Duration badge overlays that corner
Email (600px)	20px inner padding	No crop, but many clients scale images down — keep type large

Re-composition rules

Landscape or square to vertical (to 9:16):

• Logo: keep the position defined in the brand guideline (commonly bottom-right)
• Headline: move to the top third
• CTA: always in the bottom third but above the safe-zone band
• Respect the story and TikTok safe zones above

Square to email (600px):

• Increase type size where the new width makes it too small
• Simplify the visual — drop secondary elements
• CTA button at least 44x44px

To cover formats (Facebook, LinkedIn banner):

• Pull the core content toward the center — the sides get cropped on mobile
• Never set type near the edges

To Pinterest (2:3):

• Add vertical breathing room rather than stretching; Pinterest tolerates more text than Meta
• Put the value proposition in the top third — that is what shows in a scrolling grid

Output structure

File name: asset-resize-[campaign]-[YYYYMMDD].md

# Resize Map — [Campaign name]

## Master design
| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Master file | [source link] |
| Original size | |
| Focal point | |
| Elements that cannot be lost | |

## Resize map
| Size | Ratio | Channel / use | Strategy | Priority | Status |
|------|-------|---------------|----------|----------|--------|
| 1080x1080 | 1:1 | Meta Feed + Ads | Scale and crop | High | |
| 1080x1350 | 4:5 | Instagram portrait feed | Re-compose | High | |
| 1080x1920 | 9:16 | Story / Reels / TikTok | Rebuild | High | |
| 1200x628 | 1.91:1 | Link banner | Scale and crop | Medium | |
| 1200x627 | 1.91:1 | LinkedIn | Scale and crop | Medium | |
| 1000x1500 | 2:3 | Pinterest | Rebuild | Medium | |
| 1280x720 | 16:9 | YouTube thumbnail | Re-compose | Medium | |
| 600x200 | 3:1 | Email header | Rebuild | Medium | |
| [add per the asset list] | | | | | |

## Re-composition notes per size
- [size]: [which elements move, what is cropped, safe-zone caveats]

Naming and folders

• File name: [Campaign]_[Channel]_[Size]_[Version]_[Status].jpg
• Example: SpringLaunch_Meta_1080x1080_v1_APPROVED.jpg
• Folders:

/[Brand]/Campaigns/[CampaignName]/Assets/Final/
  Meta/  TikTok/  LinkedIn/  Pinterest/  YouTube/  Email/  Website/  Archive/

Final checklist

• Every size in the resize map is complete
• No image is distorted — scale proportionally, never stretch
• No text is cropped; every channel safe zone is respected
• Logo present and in the correct version at every size
• CTA still legible at the smallest size
• Type still readable on mobile after resizing (>=14px displayed)
• Files named to convention with the correct status tag
• Uploaded to the correct channel subfolder
• Status updated in the asset list

Related skills

• 41-campaign-asset-list-global: the list of required sizes comes from the asset list; write the status back to it.
• 42-image-brief-global: the master is produced from the image brief; adaptation rules belong in that brief when multiple sizes are planned.
• 45-design-tool-brief-global: production direction for building each resized version.
• 48-quick-visual-brief-global: once a quick variant wins, resize it into the remaining sizes.
• 21-ads-audit-global: identifies the winners worth repurposing after a campaign (mark at D+1, resize at D+2).
• 46-brand-guideline-global: logo placement, minimum type size, and spacing when re-composing.

Quality checklist

• Master analyzed: focal point, protected elements, croppable areas
• Every target size has an explicit strategy (scale and crop / re-compose / rebuild)
• Priority order is clear — the primary channel is built first
• Channel safe zones applied from the matrix above
• Cases where content will not fit were escalated to the lead
• Every version resized from the master, never from an export
• Final checklist completed before reporting done