Choosing the Right Panorama Aspect Ratio
Choose panorama dimensions for flat, partial, and full 360 delivery without stretching horizons or wasting image detail.
Match the ratio to the destination
A normal flat image can use a crop chosen for its composition. A partial panorama can be wide without pretending to contain a complete sphere. A full 360 equirectangular image uses a projection and dimensions expected by an interactive viewer rather than by a print layout.
Ask where the image will be viewed before exporting. The same scene may need a full spherical master and a separate rectilinear crop for a website card or print.
- Interactive full 360: export the viewer's supported equirectangular format.
- Partial wide view: crop to the captured field.
- Print or social crop: make a rectilinear derivative.
Avoid stretching and accidental cropping
Use proportional resizing and crop after the projection is chosen. Stretching width or height to fit a template changes circles, people, and vertical architecture; it does not create a valid panorama.
When cropping a spherical master, keep an untouched original. A crop can remove the wraparound relationship or the nadir and should be treated as a new flat derivative unless the destination explicitly supports partial spheres.
Export and test dimensions
Check the pixel dimensions after export, not just the editor's canvas label. Confirm that the file is not being automatically resized twice by an image editor and a hosting platform.
Open the output in the actual destination. If a viewer displays a full sphere as a narrow strip or bends the horizon, verify its projection and metadata requirements before changing the aspect ratio.
- Preserve the master at its native stitched dimensions.
- Resize with locked proportions.
- Use separate names for spherical masters and flat crops.
- Check the final pixel dimensions and orientation.
Common mistakes and a final checklist
Do not assume that every wide image is a 360 image, and do not add empty pixels to force a target ratio. Canvas padding can be useful for a design layout but is not captured panorama content.
Run this final check:
- Identify flat, partial, or full-spherical delivery.
- Choose projection before cropping.
- Resize proportionally and export a derivative.
- Verify dimensions, metadata, and orientation.
- Review the image in its real destination.