Add a border to a photo, without uploading it
Borders for photos in any colour: a clean white frame, a Polaroid edge, rounded corners, or a border that fits the whole picture into an Instagram post. Free, and done on your own device.
Drop an image here
or paste it, or pick a file
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Your image never leaves your browser — read and framed on your own device, and nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else.
How to add a border to a photo
- Step 1
Add the photo
Drop it in, paste it, or pick a file. JPG, PNG, WebP and iPhone photos all work, and the photo stays on your device.
- Step 2
Pick the shape
Even for a classic frame, Polaroid for a deep bottom edge, or Square and Portrait to fit the whole photo into an Instagram post without cropping.
- Step 3
Choose width and colour
Four widths, each a share of the photo's shorter side so it looks the same on any size of photo. White, black, cream, grey or any colour you pick.
- Step 4
Preview, then download
Check it side by side with the original, then save it as a JPG. Round the photo's corners first if you want a softer look.
A border that fits Instagram without cropping
Most people add a border for one reason: Instagram cut their photo. Meta's image specification only allows feed images between 4:5 and 1.91:1. An iPhone shoots 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9, and held upright the last two are taller than 4:5, so the top and bottom get trimmed.
The Portrait 4:5 shape pads the photo out to exactly 4:5, the tallest shape the feed shows, so it fills the most screen and loses nothing. Square 1:1 does the same for the classic square grid. Either way the border is at least your chosen width on every side, and the photo sits in the middle.
The same spec caps images at 1440 pixels wide and 8 MB, and Instagram scales anything bigger down itself. If you want control over that, shrink the framed photo with the image resizer or the image compressor. For a grid post across three tiles, add the border first, then cut it with the image splitter.
Shapes available: Even (same width all round), Polaroid (deep bottom edge, for a caption), Square 1:1 (whole photo in a square post), Portrait 4:5 (whole photo in a 4:5 post).
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a border to a photo for free?
Add the photo here, pick a shape, a width and a colour, and press Download. It runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install and the photo is never uploaded. You need a free Leaxor account to use the tool.
How do I add a border to a photo to fit Instagram?
Choose Square 1:1 or Portrait 4:5. The tool pads the photo out to that shape with your border colour, so the whole picture shows in the post instead of being cropped. Instagram only accepts feed images between 4:5 and 1.91:1, which is why a tall phone photo gets cut off without one.
How do I add a white border to a picture?
Pick White as the colour and Even as the shape, then choose how thick you want it. Thin is about 2% of the photo's shorter side, Wide about 15%.
What is it called when you put a border on an image?
In framing it's a mat (or passe-partout): the card between the picture and the frame. In photo editing the same thing is usually called a border or padding, or extending the canvas. A plain white one on a photo is often just called a white border.
What is the best free app for adding borders to photos?
You don't need an app for it. This page adds the border in your browser on a phone or a computer, in any colour, with Instagram-fit shapes. If you'd rather use an app you already have, most photo editors can do an even border, but few will pad a photo to exactly 4:5 for Instagram.
Can I make a Polaroid-style border?
Yes. The Polaroid shape gives equal sides and top with a bottom edge about three and a half times deeper, which is where a Polaroid has its writing space. Cream reads more like the real thing than pure white.
Does adding a border lower the photo's quality?
No. The photo is drawn at its own resolution and only gains pixels round the edge. It's saved as a high-quality JPG, which is also the only image format Instagram's publishing system accepts.
Can I add a border on my iPhone or Android phone?
Yes. It's a web page, so it works in your phone's browser with no app. On an iPhone the Download button opens the share sheet, where you can save the photo to Photos.
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