Quick answer: A blurry image on social media has a small set of causes, and almost all of them are fixed at export time, not on the platform. This page lists the four causes and how to fix each.

Cause 1: The source image is too small

The platform upscales a small image to fill its display size, and upscaling makes it blurry.

  • Fix: export at the target size or larger, in the right ratio. X single images are 1200 × 675; Instagram posts are 1080 px wide; the full size table covers the rest.
  • If you have a 600 × 400 screenshot, don't stretch it to 1200; recapture the screen at 2x or use the smaller asset in a designed card.

Cause 2: JPG compression on text

A JPG exported at low quality smears text, lines, and UI borders. This is the most common "soft screenshot" problem.

Cause 3: The image is stretched

Stretching a 1:1 image into a 16:9 card distorts the pixels and the UI.

  • Fix: keep the original aspect ratio; recompose rather than stretch. The ratio basics are in what is aspect ratio.
  • When the source ratio doesn't match the platform, either place the image in a designed card or rebuild at the correct ratio.

Cause 4: The platform recompresses after upload

Social platforms re-encode every image. If the upload is already low-quality, the second compression makes it worse.

  • Fix: upload at the exact target size in PNG for text, and avoid multiple save-as steps. Each re-save of a JPG adds compression.

Cause 5: Retina and 2x screens

A 1200 × 675 image displayed on a 2x retina screen is sampled from the same pixels; the feed handles this, but tiny text still looks soft.

  • Fix: keep text large and bold. Text that is readable at 100% on a 1200 px canvas survives the feed; small text doesn't.

Cause 6: Browser or email scaling

The image may be displayed at a different width from the file, which can cause slight softness.

  • Fix: use the image at its natural width, and set the width and height attributes rather than scaling it in the browser.

A quick diagnostic

  1. Open the original file on your machine. Is it sharp? - If no, the source is the problem. - If yes, the issue is the upload or the display.
  2. Check the file format. Text cards should be PNG.
  3. Check the dimensions against the target size.
  4. Check the ratio.
  5. Re-export once and upload the new file, then clear the platform cache (the OG debuggers handle the link card cache).

What doesn't fix blur

  • Applying sharpening in a photo editor. A blurred source can't be sharpened back.
  • Re-uploading the same small file.
  • Changing the file extension to .png. The file still contains the low-quality pixels.
  • Saving the same image five times as JPG.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my screenshots blurry on X but not on my computer? They were probably exported as JPG or at a size below 1200 wide. Re-export as PNG at the target size.

Why does Instagram blur my photo? Instagram recompresses to 1080 px wide. Upload at 1080 px or larger at the correct ratio; PNG for text cards.

Why is the OG image blurry in the link card? The og:image is too small or too compressed. Replace it with a 1200 × 630 PNG and clear the cache with the platform debugger.

Can I fix an image that's already small? Not without the original. Recapture or rebuild at the correct size.

How does the launch kit avoid this? Neatico exports every platform card at its exact target dimensions in PNG for text, so the source file is already the correct size and format.

Start with the source. If the original is sharp, the export settings are almost always the answer.