Your pin has about half a second to stop a scrolling thumb — and most pins lose that fight before anyone reads a word. Here are seven image hacks I use on every client account, each one something you can change on your next pin in under five minutes.
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- A 2:3 vertical pin at 1000 x 1500 fills more screen and gets more attention than a square.
- Your headline belongs in the top third so it survives every crop and overlay.
- Two fonts and one focal point beat a busy pin every time.
- Warm colors and strong contrast make your words readable on a small phone screen.
- Test one change for two weeks before judging it — Pinterest rewards patience.
- Refresh your best pins instead of deleting them; proven ideas deserve a second life.
Hack 7: Refresh your best pins every few months
Take your top-performing pins and make a fresh version — new photo, new headline, same link. Post it as a new pin.
Why it works: Pinterest rewards fresh, relevant images, and a proven idea deserves a second life. You already know people like the topic, so you are just giving it a better face.
Example: a recipe pin that did well in spring got a summer makeover with brighter light and a new headline. It brought in fresh traffic without us writing a single new recipe.
Common mistake: deleting the old pin. Leave it up. It keeps working while the new one finds its audience.
The Hacks, Step by Step
- 1Resize to 1000 x 1500
Set every pin to the 2:3 vertical ratio so it fills more of the feed and earns more attention per scroll. - 2Move your headline to the top third
Keep your main words where they stay visible and are seen first, above Pinterest's own buttons. - 3Choose two fonts and stick to them
One bold headline font, one simple supporting font, used on every pin for instant recognition. - 4Pick one focal point
Decide the single thing you want noticed and let everything else support it. - 5Boost contrast and warmth
Use warm tones and strong text contrast, then check it on your phone at arm's length. - 6Change one thing at a time
Test a single element for at least two weeks so you learn what actually works. - 7Refresh your winners
Rebuild your best pins with a new photo and headline every few months and keep the originals live.
Your image is the headline — if the picture does not earn the click, nothing else you wrote matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should a Pinterest image be?
Use 1000 x 1500 pixels, the 2:3 vertical ratio. It fills more of the feed than a square and gives your text room to stay readable.
How much text should I put on a Pinterest pin?
Keep it to a short headline and one supporting line. A clear, brief message reads at a glance, while a wall of text gets skipped.
Do colors really affect Pinterest performance?
Yes. Warm, high-contrast images stand out against Pinterest's mostly white feed and keep your text readable on small screens.
How long before I know if a pin is working?
Give it at least two weeks. Pinterest is slow to warm up, so judging a pin after a few days will mislead you.
Should I delete old pins that did well?
No. Leave them up and create a fresh version alongside them. The old pin keeps working while the new one finds its audience.
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