What size is a Reel cover?

The cover is exported in 9:16 at 1080 × 1920 pixels. The profile grid shows a 3:4 thumbnail cropped at the center, which is why the tool can also export a 1080 × 1440 version.

Is my video uploaded?

No. The video is read by your browser on your device to let you pick a frame. Nothing is sent to a server.

Can I use a photo instead of a frame from the video?

Yes. You can start from a photo and add a title, guides and the same export options.

Can the tool trim or edit my Reel?

No. It does not edit, cut or export video. It only creates the cover image.

Reel Cover Maker, Pick a Frame and Add a Title, Free

A Reel cover is the image Instagram shows for your Reel before it plays, and the thumbnail it keeps in your profile grid. The Reel cover maker in SwipeAtelier lets you pick the exact frame from your video with a slider, or start from a photo, add an optional title, and export a 9:16 cover at 1080 × 1920, plus an optional 3:4 version at 1080 × 1440. The video is read on your device and never uploaded.

Why make a custom Reel cover

Instagram lets you choose a cover image for a Reel, and the profile grid shows a 3:4 thumbnail of it, cropped at the center. A frame grabbed at random can be blurry, or cut a face or a title in half once cropped. Choosing the frame yourself and checking the crop keeps your grid clean and makes each Reel recognizable.

What the Reel cover maker does

Exact frame from a video: open a video and move the slider to the image you want, or open a photo instead.
Optional title: the 8 fonts of the editor, size, color, bold and vertical position.
Background band behind the title, with its own color and opacity, to keep text readable on a busy image.
Guides: the 3:4 frame of the profile grid thumbnail, and the approximate Reel safe zones where the interface covers the picture.
Export: a 9:16 cover at 1080 × 1920 as JPEG, and optionally its 3:4 version at 1080 × 1440, cropped at the center.

The tool does not edit, trim or export video: it only reads your video to let you pick a frame.

How to make a Reel cover

Open the Reel cover maker.
Open your video and move the slider to the frame you want, or open a photo.
Type a title if you want one, then choose its font, size, color and weight.
Move the title up or down, and add a background band if the image behind it is busy.
Turn on the 3:4 grid frame and keep the subject and the title inside it.
Check that the title stays clear of the safe zone overlay.
Export the 9:16 cover, and the 3:4 version if you want it. On mobile, the share sheet saves them to Photos.

In Instagram, add the 9:16 image as the cover of your Reel.

Tips for a cover that works in the grid

Keep the title short and large: the grid thumbnail is small.
Center the important part. The 3:4 crop removes the top and bottom of the 9:16 image. The Instagram sizes guide lists both dimensions.
Use the same font and band color on every cover for a consistent profile.
Safe zones are approximate, since the interface varies with the phone and the caption. For a closer look at a full video, use the Reels safe zone checker.

To see how the new cover fits with your other posts, drop it into the Instagram grid planner. The Reel cover maker is one of the free Instagram tools of SwipeAtelier: no account, no ads, works offline after the first visit.