What is the best resolution and size for NFT

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Key notes

  • If you have been planning on creating NFTs, do read this guide to find out the right resolution and size for it.
  • The file size plays a major role since various platforms have set limitations with respect to it.
  • Also, do not hesitate to learn how to create NFTs for free.
Best resolution and size for NFT

You may have heard of NFT from friends or read about it on social media and wanted to create one. But, do you know what is the ideal resolution or size for an NFT and the limitations set by various platforms.

Most people don’t, and they just go around aimlessly trying to make a fortune only to realize these important aspects later. Apart from that, it’s also necessary that you choose the right platform.

In the following sections, we will tell you how to create an NFT, the resolution and size for it, along the other relevant information. By the time you reach the end of this article, you should have a fair understanding of the whole process and the intricacies involved.

NFTs have become a rage in recent years with more and more people joining the wagon. Both the number of creators and buyers have swelled in recent years.

Some purchase NFTs to support budding artists, many for investment, and others as a hobby. The increase in demand led to a surge in prices. As an example, an NFT GucciGhost was initially listed at $200 about a year ago, the current owner is demanding $16,300 for it.

GucciGhost NFT (Source: NiftyGateway)

But, one of the reasons why people are actually buying NFTs is the craze around it. It’s new, something we have never seen before, it’s an art, which attracts a lot of buyers. Besides, you must remember the hype around cryptocurrency during its initial years.

Whether NFTs will be a success, only time will tell! But one thing that can be said for certain is that it’s already a rage worldwide.

What resolution and size should I choose for the NFT?

Generally speaking, there’s no fixed size or resolution but it all depends on the platform that you are using for creating NFTs. Each of these have a separate maximum file size, a list of compatible formats, and in some cases, resolution as well.

Though after going through several forums and blogs, we were able to identify what users, both creators and buyers, generally prefer.

A creator typically aims to keep the file size well under the maximum limit and to facilitate faster upload. On the other hand, buyers tend to purchase NFTs with high picture quality.

We have listed some of the common platforms, along with the compatible formats and maximum supported size for NFT:

PlatformSupported FormatsMaximum File Size
OpenSeaJPG, PNG, GIF, MP3, MP4, SVT, WebM, GLTF, WAV, GLB, OGG100 MB (50MB recommended)
MintableAll image and video formats are supported3 GB
RaribleJPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, MP3, MP4, 10 MB
KnownOriginJPG, PNG, GIF, SVG, WebP, MP 4, WebM, GLB75 MB

The above table lists out the maximum file size and supported formats, however, how do you choose the best resolution and size for NFT?

While some of the popular ones have kept the resolution to as low as 336 px square (for CryptoPunks), or at 631 px square (for Bored Ape Yacht Club), one of the costliest NFT to be ever sold by Beeple had a resolution of 21,069 px square.

Everydays: The First 5000 Days by Beeple sold for a whopping $69.3 million (Source: Twitter)

But, keeping the NFT resolution at 1080 px square and lower should do the trick for most without affecting the picture quality. Even if you go for higher resolutions, do make sure that it meets the maximum size criteria.

When it comes to size, try to maintain a proper balance between it and the picture quality. Also, do keep in mind that the lower is the size, the quicker will be the upload process.

Though, a common misconception amongst many is that larger size NFTs require the user to pay a higher gas fee. The gas fee depends on the traffic and the size of the contract. The file size only affects the gas fee when its metadata is stored on-chain.

What do I do if the file size of NFT is large?

Many users have faced this dilemma where the size of the file is large and compressing it affects the quality. This happens especially with the videos.

To combat this problem, several platforms allow users to add unlockable content to their NFT which can be accessed once a user makes the purchase. The hidden unlockable content is only available to the buyer and not the others.

This way, though the clarity is not exceptional for the displayed one, the buyer will get the downloadable link to the high-quality NFT file. This strategy will help users who create NFT files in video formats, or in some cases images and GIFs as well.

But, not all platforms offer this feature. So make sure to check that the platform you are using has an unlockable content option available.

Can I create an NFT for free?

One of the most common questions asked by users is whether or not they can create an NFT for free? And, the answer is Yes.

There are various platforms that allow users to create and list NFTs for free, though you will be charged a fee when it’s sold. One such is the lazy minting process by OpenSea, one of the oldest and most popular platforms for minting, listing, and selling NFTs.

Bored App Yacht Club sold at $1.3 million (Source: NFT’S STREET)

Earlier, users had to pay a gas fee due to the involvement of high-energy consuming computers at work. These systems verify every transaction happening on the blockchain.

This posed a major challenge to those creating NFTs for the first time since it also charged them for failed transactions. But, with the option to create NFTs for free, many more are expected to follow suit.

In the above sections, you found out the best size and resolution for NFTs along with some popular platforms. The process may seem intricate at the moment, but once you start creating NFTs, you are expected to learn a lot of things along the way.

In case you invest or trade in cryptocurrency, check out the best apps to monitor their live prices.

Tell us what size and resolution you choose for your NFT in the comments section below. Also, do drop in a comment if you have any recommendations.

More about the topics: NFT