Tumblr Profile Photo

Featured in

The perfect Tumblr profile photo

While it’s true that quality content is what attracts other Tumblr users to your posts, being among those having aesthetic Tumblr profile pictures will prove to be an added advantage to your blog! You can greatly simplify things for yourself by opting for an online photo editing tool like PhotoAid. PhotoAid will not only give you valuable tips on how to take good Tumblr profile pictures but also check whether the photos you took correspond to the correct Tumblr profile pic size and other requirements.

How to take an impressive Tumblr profile photo

There are a few things that are good to keep in mind when taking cool Tumblr profile pictures. Obviously, there are no real requirements per se; however, there are still some points that are good to know and can make all the difference!

Photo Quality

As already mentioned above, Tumblr is a microblogging website, so there is absolutely no need to hire a professional photographer or go to a photo booth. Still, a photo of good quality, especially as a business, can boost your profile and help you reach more users. The easiest way of ensuring the quality of your picture is good is by asking a friend, colleague or relative to take a picture of you. Of course, if you do not have anyone around you at the moment, you can also take a picture yourself. It’s recommendable though to use a tripod or some other object to stabilise your phone and ensure the photo is not blurred.

Proper lighting

Remember this: Natural lighting is your best friend when it comes to taking profile pictures. How much effort you seemingly put into your picture can make a huge difference in how it is perceived by other Tumblr users. If you choose to take a picture for your Tumblr profile indoors, make sure to stand facing a window so your face is well lit out and the risk of having shadows in or around your face is minimised. Having proper lighting is closely interconnected with the photo quality, so be sure not to underestimate it! Another option would be to simply go outside and take your profile photo outdoors in the streets, a park or a garden.

Find a proper background

Having a nice background on your picture is a sure way to make your photo stand out and spark other users' interest. Try avoiding cluttered or messy backgrounds (unless they fit your blog thematically). Think about what kind of background would nicely complete your profile. A minimalistic photo with an artistic touch, something fun, or perhaps an image of you with a beautiful landscape? Whatever you choose, make sure it represents you and complements your overall profile.

Choose a nice outfit

You don’t need to dress up for your Tumblr profile picture, but choosing an outfit that fits your background and the overall mood of your profile is a great way to round off your Tumblr profile. Get inspired by searching the net for aesthetic Tumblr profile pictures. See anything you like? Tumblr is a great page to express your creativity and showcase your artistic side: with a profile photo you can do just that!

Using filters

While it’s true that filters can be fun to play around with and might also fit your profile, using too many filters on a normal headshot photo is perhaps not the best idea as you might seem a bit fake. Wrongly retouching it might also make it look a bit strange- it’s better to go for a natural look. This really depends on what kind of profile you have though, and how you want to present yourself to the world of Tumblr.

Find a flattering angle

This point is unique for everyone: Pose in a natural way that best highlights your facial features. Try several angles and different lightings, and choose the photo you are most happy with.

Smile

Smiling can work wonders when it comes to profile pictures! People smiling on profile pictures seem a lot friendlier and approachable than people choosing not to smile. So smiling might earn you some extra clicks and page visits!

Technical aspects of taking a Tumblr profile picture

Let’s go through a few technical aspects needed to be kept in mind when taking a Tumblr profile photo. First off, you will need to make sure that the photo you take also looks good in a square, since that is the shape Tumblr profile pictures are uploaded and displayed in, and you do not want pieces of your picture to be cut off that you originally intended to have in the picture! In the worst case, Tumblr will render it in a way that will make your image look distorted.

Your uploaded avatar will need to be about 128 x 128 pixels- make sure it’s not smaller in size or else it mightn’t look good on your profile or posts that other people see of you. Tumblr supports 4 file formats for profile photos: JPG, GIF, PNG and BMP.

6 Common Tumblr profile photo mistakes

Here are some mistakes you should avoid making when taking a Tumblr profile photo:

Your face is hard to recognise because of bad lighting or accessories like caps or hats that create shadows.
Your image was uploaded using the wrong format. Remember that Tumblr accepts JPG, GIF, PNG and BMP images.
The lighting in your photo is bad.
Your uploaded photo is smaller than 128 x 128 pixels.
Your profile picture does not fit your profile. Make sure they harmoniously complete each other!
Your background is boring. While true that you are the most important thing in a profile picture, an interesting background is sure to grab more attention and create a good first impression.

Using our Tumblr profile photo editor

If you want to make sure that your Tumblr profile picture looks great and can easily compete with other profile photos out there, use a photo editor like PhotoAid to create your profile picture. PhotoAid will not only give you useful tips on taking a Tumblr profile picture but will also check that the Tumblr profile picture size is correct and the dimensions and file format correspond with the Tumblr guidelines.

An additional plus is that you can easily remove your background (no tech skills needed!) if you are not happy with it, and have it either replaced by a background offered by the app or upload your own background. This can save you a lot of stress and time, as the picture will be ready in a record-breaking 3 seconds!

How do you change the background of your Tumblr profile picture?

Changing your background with our photo tool is very simple! Firstly, go to either the App Store or Google Play Store and download PhotoAid. Choose a photo you like your face on and upload it to our app. PhotoAid will offer several backgrounds, colours and patterns for you to choose from. If you have your own, you can upload it here. Then just let the AI technologies do their thing! In 3 seconds, you can get a preview of your new profile picture. If you like it, you can download it. If not, take the picture again- you have unlimited tries.

Tumblr profile photo mobile app

PhotoAid is very easy to download and a great option for anyone wanting to take quick Tumblr profile photos the efficient way whilst not missing out on the creative aspects! If you use an iPhone, you can get it from the App Store, whereas Android users can get it from the Google Play Store. If you need a profile picture for one of your other social media accounts, you can also make these using our app.

Last update: 12/4/22

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ What is Tumblr and how does it work?

Tumblr is a popular American micro-blogging platform on which users can post short blogs, photos, videos, chats excerpts, GIFs, audio files and links. By following other bloggers, you will get their blogs added directly to your feed which you can see then on your dashboard.

❓ Can you post anything on Tumblr?

You can upload text, quotes, photos, GIFs, videos chats, audio files and links as a Tumblr post.

❓ Is Tumblr good for businesses?

Definitely! Tumblr is a great tool to reach a larger number of potential customers, get into direct contact with them and gain more overall visibility.

❓ How do I capture a good Tumblr profile picture?

If you pay attention to these key points, you will be sure to take a great Tumblr profile picture:

Find a proper background.
Make sure your photo isn't any smaller than 128 x 128 pixels
Take the picture from a flattering angle.
Choose a nice outfit.
Search for a place with proper lighting!
Smile!

❓ Does Tumblr support PNG for profile photos?

Yes! Tumblr supports 4 file formats for profile photos: JPG, GIF, PNG and BMP.

❓ Can you create a Business Account on Tumblr?

Yes! Simple press on "Get started" and type in your business email address. The following steps are the same as for a normal account: type in your username and create a secure password.

❓ How do I take an aesthetic Tumblr profile picture?

For taking an aesthetic Tumblr profile picture, you will need to make sure the lighting is good and your face is posed at a flattering angle. Choose a unique background that matches your profile and overall theme and make sure your outfit fits the mood.

❓ How do I get started on Tumblr?

As a Tumblr newbie, start off by pressing "sign up". Then, type in your unique username, email address and secure password. Let Tumblr know of some of your interests so your feed is optimised to whatever you find the most fascinating! Start following bloggers with inspiring content. These will show up on your dashboard alongside your own posts! Lastly, make sure to customise your Tumblr profile to make it uniquely yours!

❓ Is there a word limit to Tumblr posts?

No, at the moment Tumblr posts can be as long as you wish them to be.

❓ How do I change my avatar picture on Tumblr?

Changing your profile (aka avatar) picture on Tumblr is very simple. You just need to go to your dashboard and press the "account" button. After the corresponding menu has dropped down, click on "edit appearance". You will see your profile avatar in the middle of your screen- click on it, then go on "choose photo", upload your favourite avatar picture and you're done!

❓ How can I change the background of my Tumblr profile picture?

There are several ways to change the background of your Tumblr profile picture, the easiest though is by using a photo tool like PhotoAid. Simply upload the photo you would like to have as your profile picture to the app or website. Then you can either choose from the numerous backgrounds offered by PhotoAid or upload your own. Now you can lean back and relax: The AI-technology will the replace your background with the new one in only 3 seconds and you're done!

About the document

What is Tumblr?

Tumbler is a popular American microblogging platform on which users can post short blogs as well as other smaller pieces of content like photos, videos, chats, GIFs, audio files and links. Since its release in 2007, Tumblr boasts a huge range of features and tools for staying up to date with all things that interest and inspire you. You are guaranteed to find what you are looking for, whether it’s the latest modern works of art, memes, cat videos, environmental protection tips or mars exploration news.

How to use Tumblr

When creating a Tumblr account for the first time, it is only natural that the platform seems a bit overwhelming and confusing. Let’s walk through the most important steps together!

Setting up a Tumblr account

Setting up an account is pretty simple. Open up Tumblr in your browser and press on “sign up”. Then, give Tumblr your email address, unique username and password. In addition, you will be asked to confirm your age and go through the typical test proving that you are not a robot.

Now, Tumblr will want to know a bit about you so that the posts that land in your feed match your specific interests. Type some keyword into the search bar of topics, artists or companies that interest you. When browsing through the millions of blogs, you can choose to follow certain bloggers. If you do, their posts will appear on your customizable dashboard, which you can then share, comment on, like and reblog again. You can see it as a kind of notice board on which all your interests and inspirations are gathered in one. In addition, the dashboard is also the place for you to upload your own short blog posts, quotes, images, links and the like. If you plan on posting the same content on other social networking platforms, you have the option of linking your Tumblr account for example with your Facebook or Twitter account.

For posting your own content, press the blue pen icon located at the top of the page on the right. You can then choose what type of post to upload. Unlike Twitter’s 250 character limit for Tweets, Tumblr users are free to write as much as they like.

Other functions that Tumblr offers are direct messaging, an inbox collecting your messages, a personal activity feed and the Explore page.

Tumblr for business

While it’s true that most of the accounts on Tumblr are private ones, there is also the possibility of creating a business account. This is a great opportunity for companies to gain more visibility, reach a larger number of potential customers and get into direct contact using the Ask Feature. How about partnering up with top influencers, advertising with eye-catching marketing posts, creating a strong network around your products and achieving more brand recognition? All of this is possible with Tumblr and will bring your business up to date in no time at all! The key to success here is organised content planning.

By connecting your Tumblr account to the free Google Analytics tool, you will gain extra insight into your visitors’ preferences, which posts resonate the most with users and what kind of content is reposted the most often. To do that, simply create a Google Analytics Account, go to Property Settings and copy your Tracking ID. Then go back to Tumblr and type the Tracking ID into the space designated for Google Analytics. In addition to that, you can perform competitor analysis to boost your own posts and create more quality content tailored exactly to your visitors.

Some tips on microblogging

While there are no rules for microblogging per se, you should know about a few guidelines to heighten your chances of reaching other bloggers with similar interests.

Don’t overdo it with the hashtags! Hashtags are vital for making your microblog easier to find and more organised. Think about what you wish the main theme of your account to be, and which hashtags best fit your post. Going for popular hashtags or ones that are too general will make your blog harder to find.
Queue your posts to make your blog more consistent and readable. Simply prepare some posts beforehand and select the time you want them published.
Do not reblog longer microblogs as links. Users prefer reading reblogged content directly on your page, so avoid sending them away from your profile with a link.
Customize your profile page: By personalising your profile page, your posts will look more orderly. Go for a theme that corresponds with your posts.
Upload a unique profile picture that represents you and attracts other users' interest towards your blog.

Do not underestimate the importance of the last point! A profile picture is the first thing other users see when they scroll through profiles and blogs. By leaving a good first impression, you will increase your chances of attracting other users to your blog. And this exactly is where we come in! By using an online photo tool like PhotoAid, you can take a creative Tumblr profile picture that will fit your specific needs and fits the size and requirements of a Tumblr profile pic.