Size of Cover Image for ESRI story Map

[AshleighReeves]

I am having trouble finding what size I need to make my image in order to fit correctly in the cover image photo area of my story map. I can find info on what size the image needs to be when inserted into the story map but I can't seem to find anything on the cover image. Below is a link to the story map I am referring to. 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/63d4accccd0e4c40bbbc3fcc3d5ea129

[JamiDennis · Accepted solution]

it's going to stretch to fill the space of whatever your visitor is viewing the storymap on so I would suggest not using text in your image as it will most likely be cut off on someone's viewing device/resolution regardless. Instead put the text in the title text box image, like I've done on this Story Map: 

[OwenGeo]

@AshleighReeves -- There isn't one specific size for cover images because the way your image is presented depends on the size and aspect ratio of your reader's web browser window. Depending on the reader's setup more or less of your image may be cropped out.

It's not a best practice to have title text in your cover image. The recommended way to build a cover is to use one of the cover layouts and use a photograph rather than an image with your title/subtitle text. Have you tried the FULL cover option that overlays text over an image?

If you do want to go with something like your current treatment, you'll need to make sure the text in your cover image is nowhere near the edges of the image so that when your story gets viewed on different devices and different sized browser windows the text in the image is never cropped out. Be sure to use Preview mode to test out what your story will look like on different devices and screen sizes. Also, make sure you enter the title, subtitle, and thumbnail for your story in the Share card tab in story settings or else people will see blank information when your story is shared on social media sites.

[SusanCarl]

I am unable to create a full screen cover image as shown on the Wetlands, Waterbirds, and Water story.  The Design button gives me a choice of Top, Split, or Card.  I've seen blog posts where it looks like the design choices were (at one time) Minimal, Side by Side, and Full, with the Full placing an image behind the title.  Is this no longer an option?

[OwenGeo]

@SusanCarl -- Sounds like you are using the personal storytelling product StoryMaps.com. The minimal, side-by-side, and full cover options are available in the professional version, ArcGIS StoryMaps. 

For more information about these two products, see Storytelling Solutions for Professional or Personal Use (esri.com).

[leahmaps]

If we can't have an exact size, can we get a ratio for each of the options? That way, if we can not get a dimension for pixel by pixel, we can choose ones that would be scalable based on aspect ratio.

[OwenGeo]

@leahmaps -- Unfortunately, there is no such ratio for us to provide because stories don't scale, they are responsive. That means the content layout changes depending on the viewer's screen size and aspect ratio.

You can observe this if you open the story builder and with any of the cover options enabled, drag the bottom corner of your browser window around to resize it to various shapes. You'll see that the media panel on each cover style changes aspect ratio to fit the available space. 

The best options for cover images are photographs that can be cropped around the edges without losing any critical piece of the image. You can also set a focal point on the most important location in the photo to ensure that it is always visible.

Take a look at our gallery for lots of examples of great cover images: ArcGIS StoryMaps Gallery | Examples from the StoryMaps community

If you have a particular image that you are trying to use and can't, could you share that with us so we can better understand what look you are going for?