---
name: linkedin-design
description: Create LinkedIn visual assets (banners, post images, PDF carousels, infographics, profile cards) via Canva MCP or code-generated PNG/PDF, with correct dimensions, safe zones, and mobile rules. Use when the user wants any static graphic destined for LinkedIn. Not for interactive HTML carousels with per-slide PNG export: use linkedin-carousel-generator. Not for video: use remotion-social-clips.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: TechTide AI (Alex Cinovoj)
  provenance: original
  category: Design & Motion
---

# LinkedIn Design

LinkedIn crops aggressively and most viewers are on a phone. Every asset lives or dies on three things: exact dimensions, safe zones, and mobile readability. Get those right before touching style.

## Routing

| Asset | Spec | Production path |
|---|---|---|
| Profile banner | 1584x396, content in center 1200x300, bottom-left clear | Canva or Pillow |
| Company banner | 1128x191 | Canva or Pillow |
| Post image | 1080x1350 portrait (max feed space) or 1080x1080 | Canva or code |
| Carousel / document post | 1080x1350 per slide, export as PDF | Code (reportlab) or Canva |
| Infographic | Tall portrait, sectioned | Code preferred |
| Profile photo | 400x400 min, circle crop, face 60-70% of frame | n/a |

Full spec table (all formats, file sizes, crop behavior): read references/specs.md before producing any format not memorized above.

## Design rules that decide outcomes

1. Center-weight banners. Mobile shows only the center ~60% of width.
2. Keep the banner's bottom-left quadrant empty. The profile photo covers it on desktop.
3. One headline plus one subline max on banners. Contrast at least 4.5:1.
4. Carousels ship as PDF, not images. LinkedIn renders PDF pages as swipeable slides at higher quality.
5. Slide 1 is the hook, final slide is the CTA, one idea per slide, 8-12 slides.
6. Carousel text at 28px minimum, inside a central safe area with 80px padding on all sides.
7. Sans-serif for anything read on mobile.
8. Same palette and type across banner, posts, and carousels. Brand consistency is the compounding asset.

## Production paths

### Canva MCP

1. Search existing templates: `search-designs` / `search-folders`.
2. Multi-slide content: `request-outline-review`, wait for approval, then `generate-design-structured`.
3. Edits: start an editing transaction, apply operations, preview the thumbnail, get approval, then commit (or cancel).
4. Brand kits: `list-brand-kits`, pass `brand_kit_id` into generation for consistent branding.
5. Use custom dimensions from the spec table; do not accept preset sizes that differ.

### Code generation

When Canva is unavailable or exact control matters:

- Banners and post images: Python + Pillow at exact pixel dimensions. Render text-heavy art at 2x and downscale.
- Carousels: build each 1080x1350 slide, then assemble one multi-page PDF (Pillow `save_all` or reportlab).
- Fonts: use locally available high-quality fonts (Outfit, Work Sans, Instrument Sans class for modern; a serif like Lora for warmth; a mono like JetBrains Mono for data). Verify the font file exists before rendering; a silent fallback to a default font ruins the asset.

Theme presets (5 ready palettes with font pairings, from founder-tech to warm-authority): read references/themes.md when the user has no brand colors.

## Caption pairing

The asset ships with a text companion. First 210 characters are the hook (visible before "see more"), end with a question, 3-5 hashtags. Offer to write it with every asset.

## Verification

Open the final file at 100% and at ~30% zoom (phone simulation). Expect: headline readable at 30%, no critical content outside the safe zone, no text in the banner's bottom-left. For carousels, run `pdfinfo` (or open the PDF) and expect one page per slide at 1080x1350 and file size under 10MB. Any miss: fix the layout, re-export, recheck.

## Completion checklist

- [ ] Dimensions exactly match the spec for the target format
- [ ] Safe zones respected (center 60% banners, 80px padding carousels)
- [ ] Contrast at least 4.5:1, text at mobile-readable sizes
- [ ] Correct file format (PDF for carousels, PNG for text art, JPEG for photos) and under size limits
- [ ] Checked at mobile scale, no spelling errors
- [ ] Hook on slide 1 / banner headline, CTA on final slide
- [ ] Caption offered

Any box unchecked: not done. Fix or say so.

## Good vs bad

- Bad banner: logo far left, tagline far right, credentials bottom-left. Mobile crop leaves an empty center; desktop hides the credentials under the profile photo.
- Good banner: headline and one-line value prop dead center within 1200x300, logo small top-right, bottom-left intentionally empty.

## Footguns

- Uploading a carousel as multiple images instead of one PDF kills the swipe format. Always merge to PDF.
- Designing banners on desktop proportions: they look fine until a phone crops 40% of the width. Check the center-60% crop explicitly.
- Pure white (#fff) backgrounds glow against LinkedIn's feed chrome. Use a tinted off-white.
- Preset "presentation" sizes (1920x1080) are not LinkedIn carousel sizes. Force 1080x1350 or 1080x1080.