Notion is a popular all-in-one workspace tool, but its image behavior isn't always obvious. Covers get cropped unexpectedly, inline images look blurry on retina screens, and large file uploads slow down page loading for your team. This guide covers every Notion image type with exact recommended sizes and practical tips for 2026.

Notion Image Sizes — Quick Reference

Page cover: 1500×600 px recommended (2.5:1 ratio) — PNG or JPEG, max 5 MB
Page icon (custom image): 280×280 px — PNG with transparent background or JPEG
Inline / block images: 1200–1500 px wide — JPEG for photos, PNG for screenshots and diagrams
Gallery view thumbnails: 800×600 px minimum — consistent aspect ratio looks best in grid layout
File upload limit: 5 MB (free plan), unlimited (Plus, Business, and Enterprise plans)

Page Cover Image

The page cover is the wide banner image displayed at the very top of a Notion page. It is one of the most visible design elements in any Notion workspace. Notion crops the cover image vertically on desktop — it shows only a horizontal strip — so keeping your main subject in the vertical center of the image is important.

Recommended size: 1500×600 px (2.5:1 aspect ratio)
Minimum width: 1500 px — narrower images appear blurry when stretched
Formats: PNG or JPEG
Max file size: 5 MB
Notion allows you to drag the cover image up or down to reposition the visible crop — so you don't need to pre-crop the image exactly

If your source image is wider than 1500 px or has a different aspect ratio, use the image cropper to trim it to 2.5:1 before uploading, then use the in-app reposition to fine-tune the visible area.

Page Icon (Custom Image)

The page icon appears in the Notion sidebar next to the page title, in the page header above the title, and in any parent page's linked reference. Notion supports emoji icons (no upload needed) as well as custom image uploads.

Recommended size: 280×280 px
Display size on screen: approximately 40 px
Formats: PNG with transparent background (best for logos); PNG or JPEG for photos
Design tip: keep the design simple and bold — fine text or intricate details disappear at 40 px

Use the image resizer to scale your logo or icon to exactly 280×280 px before uploading. PNG with a transparent background integrates cleanly with both Notion's light and dark themes.

Inline and Block Images

Images embedded in Notion page content are called block images. They display at the full content width or at a narrower width depending on whether you're using a full-width page layout. Notion compresses uploaded images automatically, so always upload the best-quality source file and let Notion optimize it for delivery.

Full-width block: max display width ~1200 px
Narrow content width: max display width ~700 px
Upload at 1200–1500 px wide for retina/HiDPI clarity on all display sizes
JPEG for photos — target 100–300 KB per image for fast page loading
PNG for screenshots and diagrams — preserves sharp edges and text

For photo-style images, use the image compressor to bring file size under 300 KB before uploading. This keeps Notion pages loading fast for collaborators, especially on slower connections.

Gallery View Images (Database)

When you use a Notion database in gallery layout, each item displays a thumbnail image. Notion uses the full-resolution uploaded image when you click to open the lightbox, so uploading at a reasonable base resolution covers both views.

Minimum recommended size: 800×600 px
Consistent aspect ratio across all gallery items looks much better in grid layout — decide on 4:3, 16:9, or 1:1 and stick to it
Use the image cropper to standardize aspect ratios across a batch of gallery images

File Upload Limits

Free plan: 5 MB per file
Plus plan: unlimited file size
Business and Enterprise plans: unlimited file size

If you are on the free plan, compress images over 5 MB before uploading using the image compressor. JPEG photos can usually be compressed to well under 5 MB without visible quality loss.

How Notion Compresses Images

Notion automatically compresses and optimizes images when they are uploaded, especially PNG files. A 2 MB PNG may be stored as a ~400 KB compressed version on Notion's servers. This means:

Always upload the best quality source — Notion's compression will handle delivery optimization
Uploading a pre-compressed, low-quality image and then having Notion compress it again can result in double compression artifacts
For JPEG photos, you can pre-compress to your target quality once with the image compressor, then upload — Notion will not re-compress JPEG quality significantly below what you set

Performance Tips for Notion Pages

Target under 300 KB per inline image — large images slow down page loading for all collaborators, not just you
Use JPEG instead of PNG for photos — PNG photos can be 5–10× larger than an equivalent JPEG at the same visual quality
Convert photographic PNGs to JPEG — if you have PNG screenshots that contain mainly photographic content (not text or sharp lines), convert them to compressed JPEG for a large file size reduction
Avoid embedding very large images just for a cover or decorative use — a 5 MB cover image adds noticeable load time every time the page opens
Gallery databases: standardize image dimensions across all gallery items for a cleaner, more professional layout

How to Optimize Images for Notion

Identify the image type: page cover, icon, inline block, or gallery thumbnail
Resize to the recommended dimensions using the image resizer
Crop to the correct aspect ratio if needed using the image cropper (2.5:1 for covers, 1:1 for icons)
Compress photos to under 300 KB using the image compressor
Upload to Notion — drag to reposition covers, and let Notion handle final delivery optimization