How To Make Your Photos Stand Out in Instagram

Ryan Barnett · November 27, 2024

 

It's no secret that Instagram is a visual platform, and getting noticed can be challenging. But here's the good news! With a few simple changes, it is possible to make your photos stand out even more. One of the easiest ways? Now, you can customize your background colors! It brings the focus to your pictures and also shows the kind of person you are.

In this guide, we will share easy, useful tips on how to make attractive backgrounds using plain and gradient colors. If you are trying to enhance your stories or give your feed a makeover, the following tips can help you get your followers' attention. So, are you ready to learn how to make your photos stand out on Instagram? Let's go!

Table of Contents

  1. 01 Part 1: Personalizing Background Colors
  2. 02 Part 2: Adding Photos as Backgrounds
  3. 03 Part 3. Advanced Customization with External Tools

Part 1: Personalizing Background Colors

Solid Colors

One of the most basic techniques is to give your subject a solid background. This is neat and minimalistic and does a wonderful job of capturing attention.

How to Add a Solid Color to Your Stories:

  • Start with a Story

Open Instagram and select the photo or video you want to share.

  • Pick the Pen Tool

Click the draw button at the top of your screen (it looks like a pen).

  • Choose a Color

Select a color from the palette at the bottom, or tap the color to select from more options.

  • Fill the Screen

To do this, simply press and hold the screen at any given area, and your chosen color will be spread across the background.

  • Make It Creative

Want to take it up a notch? Once the screen is filled, go to the eraser tool. Use it to reveal areas of your photo that are hidden by the color. It can be used to make fun shapes, draw attention to certain areas, or simply give it a special touch. It’s like drawing, but even better!

Gradient Colors

If solid colors are the minimalist’s dream, gradients are the bold statement-makers. They add a splash of drama and uniqueness to your posts.

Using Instagram’s Built-in Gradients:

  • Upload your photo in Stories

Use text or stickers to create gradient effects. Instagram automatically blends colors for certain elements, giving perfect visuals without much effort.

Pro Tip: Bring in Custom Gradients

Need something that can’t be found on Instagram? No problem!

  • You can make or download gradient backgrounds on a design app such as Canva or Adobe Spark.

  • You can save the gradient to your phone and place your picture or text over it when you post it on Instagram.

Here you go! You have a polished Story in minutes.

Part 2: Adding Photos as Backgrounds

One of the best ways to make your Instagram Stories pop and give them a personal or branded feel is to use pictures as the background. Custom image backgrounds are a perfect tool if you want to display your personality, advertise your products, or simply make your posts beautiful. Here is a simple and efficient way to do it.

Using Custom Images

It makes your Stories look more professional and put together when you use custom images as backgrounds. Here’s how you can upload and set an image as a background:

Step-by-Step Guide

  • Choose Your Background Image

Choose a great image relevant to the theme of your Story. It can be a scenic photo, company logo, or patterned design.

  • Upload the Image to Instagram Stories

First, launch Instagram, swipe right to create a new story, and then tap the image icon to upload the picture.

  • Add Your Main Content

When your background image is uploaded, you can add other elements, including text, stickers, or even photos. To add more images, you can simply click on the sticker icon, or to add the main content, you can use the “Add Media” button.

  • Adjust the Placement

You can move and resize your content by clicking and dragging it. Ensure your main subject is centered without getting lost in the background.

Tips for Proper Sizing

For the excellent results, ensure your image is sized correctly before uploading:

  • Instagram Stories work best with images sized at 1080px by 1920px (a 9:16 aspect ratio).

  • If cropping or resizing your image, ensure key elements aren’t too close to the edges; Instagram’s inter may cut them off.

  • Resize and adjust your image for Stories using Canva, Photoshop, or mobile apps like Over.

Examples of Branding and Personalization

It is useful when creating stories for promotion, branding, or other themed content. Here are some creative ideas to make your Stories more engaging:

  • Brand Promotions

You should use your brand colors, logo, or any graphics associated with your campaign as the background. For example, you may create a clean layout with your brand and a big ‘SALE’ text if you are having a sale. Then, place the product images or the offer details on top.

  • Personalization

Post a picture from your camera roll that you like as a profile picture. It could be a close-up of your desk, a beautiful landscape from your recent trip, or even an object that holds significance to you. This helps to make your Stories more personal and, therefore, more engaging to your audience.

  • Themed Highlights

Design specific backgrounds for specific content. For instance, if you are posting about fitness tips, you should use a picture of fitness equipment or an inspiring outdoor shot as your base.

  • Event Announcements

Promote events with a background that complements the theme of the upcoming events. For instance, if you are advertising a party, you can use an image of balloons or confetti as the background and add text details.

Custom images as backgrounds can greatly enhance your Instagram Stories. They are ideal for providing depth, emphasizing your message, and making your content look more professional and attractive. So go ahead and have some fun; your followers will appreciate the more effort you put in!

Part 3. Advanced Customization with External Tools

Enhancing your Instagram Stories has never been simpler with insMind. This powerful tool is perfect for everyone, from beginners to professionals. Here's a detailed guide to help you understand its powerful features and how to use them effectively.

Features of insMind

This tool quickly erases the background and gets your focus on the subject. It is great for product shots or any clean or minimalistic design.

It is easy to replace or add professional backgrounds, be they color, pattern, or high-quality custom picture.

This tool upscales and improves image resolution without compromising quality, making it perfect for achieving clear images.

You can delete unwanted objects or distractions from your pictures within seconds.

To create unique posts, you can add stickers or use artistic filters such as watercolor, sketch, neon, etc.

  • Collage Maker

Create engaging collages for promotions, mood boards, or storytelling using templates.

Detailed Guide on Using insMind for Customizing Instagram Stories

Customizing Instagram Stories with insMind is a game-changer for creating unique, eye-catching content. The best feature of this tool is the Add Stickers to Photo option, which helps boost engagement by adding fun, creative, or branded elements to your visuals. Let’s discuss a detailed guide for using this feature effectively.

  • Add Fun Stickers to Boost Engagement

Stickers are more than just a decorative item, it's a powerful tool! You can use it to make your reel powerful and enhance instagram stories. Stickers help grabbing attention, communicate the right emotions, and make your overall content interactive. 

Demonstration image showing a photo before and after adding Stickers to Photo using the insMind tool

Why Stickers Matter in Stories

Stickers are not only a form of art for decoration. They help make your stories live, interesting, and easily understandable to the target audience. They help:

  • Boost Audience Interaction

Stickers make viewers tap, reply, or share your Story.

  • Enhance Branding

Stickers help to emphasize your brand identity by sticking logos, slogans, or unique designs.

  • Add Personality

Using fun stickers adds some liveliness to your content, giving it a personal touch

How to Use insMind’s Add Stickers Tool

  • Access the Platform

Visit insMind and select the "Add Stickers to Photo" tool from the menu.

  • Screenshot showing how to access the Add Stickers to Photo Tool in the insMind interface

  • Upload Your Image

Drag and drop the photo you want to customize or select it from your device.

Screenshot demonstrating the process of uploading a photo to the Add Stickers to Photo Tool in insMind

  • Choose Stickers

Browse pre-designed sticker options, including emojis, icons, seasonal elements, and branding tools.

Alternatively, upload your custom stickers to align with your brand’s identity.

Image show casing the process of Choosing Stickers to a photo using insMind

  • Customize Placement and Size

Drag the sticker to your desired position, resize it by dragging, and rotate as needed.

Screenshot demonstrating the customization of a photo using insMind

  • Layer Effects

Stickers are great, especially when you add several to create a creative layout and incorporate text or other design elements.

  • Rotate Your Photos for a Fresh Perspective

You would think that rotating your photos is minor, but it can change how the viewer looks at them. A rotation by a few degrees or a completely different approach to the picture often transforms an ordinary image into a lively, artistic, or even ironic one. Rotation of a photo could be used to align the horizon in a picture with a lot of detail or to add a creative twist to an image by flipping it.

Using the Rotate Image Tool of insMind, getting the right angle is as simple as that. This tool allows you to rotate your photos vertically or horizontally. Simply upload your image, adjust the rotation, and download the final results in seconds.

Demonstration image showing a photo before and after Rotating using the insMind tool

  • Apply Stunning AI Filters for a Professional Touch

Everyone loves to make their photos look unique, and adding filters is one of the easiest ways. insMind’s AI Filter tool is a whole new way of making your photos look unique using artificial intelligence. Filters are a must-have for improving your visuals – they can transform ordinary pictures into beautiful works of art, help to create a certain style for social media or branding, and add a certain flair to your content with artistic effects such as anime, watercolor, or sketch. 

Demonstration image showing a photo before and after applying AI Filters using the insMind tool

For a business-like and formal look or a fun and artistic touch, insMind’s AI Filters are a perfect tool to help you enhance your photos the way you want.

  • Create a Clean, Crisp Background

The photo's background is just as necessary as the subject, and a clean and clear background is a game changer. It helps draw the audience's attention to the subject, enhances the presentation's appearance, and makes the visuals presentable, whether you're shooting a product, creating content for product photography, social media content, or personal projects.

This can be done with the help of the insMind Background Removal Tool, which makes it very simple. Using the power of AI, you can easily cut out or delete the backgrounds of images, giving you total creative control without needing design expertise.

Conclusion

To make your photos pop on Instagram, you don’t need to be a professional, nor do you need expensive tools. From using solid or gradient background colors to personalized images and even advanced external tools like insMind, there is a lot one can do. This means ordinary photos can be interesting through features such as background eraser, AI filters, and creative stickers. For artistic flair, branding consistency, or personal expression, these guidelines will help you create a memorable feed. Start experimenting today!

Ryan Barnett

I'm a freelance writer with a passion for editing and designing photos. Here at insMind, I strive to educate users on image creativity, photography, and enhancing product photos to help grow their businesses.