Which video shape to use for a social post
How 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, and 4:5 differ, and how to choose a shape before you render a branded video.
The shape of a video decides where it fits. A widescreen file looks small in a vertical feed. A tall file letterboxes on a landscape player. Pick the shape for the placement, then render. Do not resize a finished file and hope the type still fits.
The four shapes Zablyn renders
- 9:16 is the tall frame. Studio labels it for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts.
- 16:9 is widescreen, for a player or a site embed.
- 1:1 is square, for a feed post that should not be cropped.
- 4:5 is a portrait feed post, taller than square and shorter than 9:16.
In Studio you choose the shape with the brief, before the look. The same story can be rendered in more than one shape. Layouts place the text. You do not set pixel positions, which is what keeps a headline inside the frame when the shape changes.
Match the shape to the placement
- Name where the file will actually appear: a vertical feed, a square feed, a portrait feed, or a widescreen player.
- Pick that shape in Studio, or set the same frame in Cut if you are trimming a clip you already have.
- Read the type on a phone-sized preview. If the headline wraps badly, change the words or the layout, not the export size after the fact.
- Export the MP4. It is filed under Exports. One project can be exported more than once, including several shapes.
Brand should travel with the shape
Set the name, logo, colours, fonts, and voice in Brand once. New videos start from that setup. The name shows at the top of a scene when there is no logo. A PNG or SVG with a transparent background works best for the logo.
A tall video and a widescreen video can share those colours and that voice without sharing a layout. That is the point of rendering each shape, rather than cropping one master file.
What the shape does not decide
A 9:16 export is the right file for a TikTok, Reel, or Short. It does not mean Zablyn posts it there for you. Posting from the app currently sends to LinkedIn. Other networks can still be written, planned, and scheduled.
For the writing side of the same story, read how to turn one story into posts for several networks.