What is a Pixel Ratio?
Pixel Ratio (Pixel Aspect Ratio or PAR) describes the relationship between the width and height of a pixel in a digital image. It is a mathematical ratio of the individual pixels that constitute an image.
For square pixels, the pixel aspect ratio would be 1:1, whereas, for rectangular pixels, the pixel ratio would be 4:3 or 16:9.
Since the pixel aspect ratio represents the proportions of a digital image and not its size, different images have the same aspect ratio irrespective of their sizes. For instance, a 480×480p image will have an aspect ratio of 1:1—the same as a 1080×1080p image.
The Role of Pixel Ratio
- Pixel aspect ratios promote optimal viewing experiences on different devices by ensuring videos and images are displayed best.
- It is a key determinant of how videos will appear on wide-screen monitors, mobile devices, etc.
- High-quality images, graphics, illustrations, and videos on your website enhance your overall UX design and boost engagement.
- Disoriented images that are squashed or poorly edited negatively impact on-site visitors and prevent optimal usability.
How to set the pixel aspect ratio?
- A host of online aspect ratio calculators can help you calculate the correct aspect ratio of images for the best results.
- Plenty of video editing tools like Photoshop and Canva also have a library of templates for social media posts, stories, banners, etc.