Glossary/M
Master
What it meansThe one finished, approved version of an ad from which every other size and version is made. It holds the decisions (the words, the product, the look, the offer) so that each size only has to fit them to a new shape, and a change made to it is a change to the whole set.
- Also called
- Key visual, hero, master file
- Applies to
- Every set of sizes and versions
- Set by
- The team making the ad
What a master holds
- The parts: photo, logo, headline, price or offer, button, legal line.
- The decisions: which words, which product shot, which colours, in what order of importance.
- The layers: each part separate in the file, so it can be placed again on every shape.
A master is not a size. It is the source of the sizes, and it is usually made at the shape most of the plan shares and at the largest resolution the plan needs.
Which size to make it
| If most of the plan is | Make the master | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Stories and Reels1 | 9:16 at 1440×2560 | Meta lists 1440×2560 for both |
| Feed2 | 4:5 at 1440×1800 | Meta lists 1440×1800 for the Feed |
| Display banners3 | At the largest listed size | Banners are shown at their exact size |
Make it at the largest resolution you need, so no size is ever scaled up from it: scaling up loses sharpness, and scaling down does not.
What it means in practice
Get the master approved before making the sizes: every size inherits its decisions, so a change after the sizes exist is a change to all of them. Keep its layers, because a master flattened into one picture can only be cropped, never laid out again.
Common mistakes
- Making sizes before the master is approved.Every note on the master then has to be made on every size.
- Flattening the master.Without layers, each size can only be a crop.
- Making the master small.Every larger size has to be scaled up from it.
Sources
- Image ad specs on Instagram Stories, Meta Ads Guide. 9:16, 1440×2560, and the 14% / 35% / 6% safe zone.Checked 25 Oct 2026
- Image ad specs, Facebook Feed, Meta Ads Guide. 4:5, 1440×1800.Checked 25 Oct 2026
- Uploaded display ads specifications, Google Ads Help. Every uploaded image ad size, GIF, JPG or PNG, and 150 KB at most.Checked 26 Oct 2026