AspectRatio

Common Aspect Ratios - Complete Reference Table

Most aspect ratio questions are answered by a handful of numbers. This page collects them in one table - the ratio, its decimal value, the resolutions that use it and where you meet it - so you can identify any shape you are handed and know its family at a glance.

Quick answer: The ratios worth knowing: 16:9 (1.78) video and screens, 9:16 (0.563) vertical video, 4:3 (1.33) legacy and tablets, 3:2 (1.5) photography, 1:1 squares, 5:4 (1.25) prints, and 2.39:1 cinema scope.

The reference table

Ratios are written width:height; the decimal is width ÷ height. Landscape shapes have decimals above 1, portrait shapes below 1, and 1:1 is exactly square.

Landscape ratios

  • 3:2 = 1.500 - 35 mm film, DSLR/mirrorless photos, 4×6 prints
  • 16:10 = 1.600 - some laptop panels (1920×1200)
  • 16:9 = 1.778 - HD/4K video, YouTube, TVs, monitors (1920×1080)
  • 1.85:1 = 1.850 - cinema 'flat' format
  • 21:9 ≈ 2.333 - marketing name for ultrawide monitors
  • 2.39:1 = 2.390 - cinema scope (anamorphic)

Square and portrait ratios

  • 1:1 = 1.000 - Instagram posts, avatars, album covers
  • 5:4 / 4:5 = 1.250 / 0.800 - 8×10 prints, Instagram portrait posts
  • 4:3 / 3:4 = 1.333 / 0.750 - legacy TV, iPads, phone sensors
  • 2:3 = 0.667 - vertical DSLR photos, 4×6 prints upright
  • 9:16 = 0.563 - TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Stories (1080×1920)

Families and near-misses

Many resolutions are close to a famous ratio without being exact: 1366×768 (1.7785) is a rounding of 16:9 forced by cheap manufacturing; ultrawide '21:9' panels are actually 2.37-2.39; and 1.85:1 cinema is only 4% wider than 16:9. When precision matters - broadcast delivery, anamorphic projects, print - check the real decimal rather than trusting the label. The comparator tool shows exactly how far apart two ratios are.

Which one should you use?

Follow the destination: video for YouTube and TV is 16:9; vertical social is 9:16; photography masters stay at the camera's native 3:2 or 4:3; print follows the paper. When you control the format, 16:9 remains the safest general-purpose choice because every screen can show it without bars.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main video aspect ratios?
16:9 for standard video and streaming, 9:16 for vertical short-form, 1:1 for feed clips, and 1.85:1 / 2.39:1 for cinema. Everything else is a niche or legacy variant.
What ratio are phone photos?
Phone camera sensors are natively 4:3 (both orientations), while phone screens are close to 2:1 - which is why untouched photos never fill a phone wallpaper. Most phone cameras also offer 16:9 and 1:1 crop modes.
Is 2.35:1 the same as 2.39:1?
They are the same family: 2.35:1 was the historical anamorphic standard until 1970, when the industry standardised on 2.39:1 (often rounded to 2.40:1). Today's scope films are 2.39:1.

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