A pin is 2:3 and a story is 9:16, so posting a pin straight to Instagram stories either crops it or leaves flat bars above and below. This tool centers the whole pin on a 1080 × 1920 story, fills the background with a blurred copy of the pin or a color you choose, and adds rounded corners and a soft shadow so it looks placed on purpose.
An optional caption sits above or below the pin, inside the area Instagram does not cover with its own buttons. Add the link sticker in Instagram after you upload. The pin image stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
Keep clear of the story safe zones
Instagram overlays the profile name at the top of a story and the reply bar at the bottom. This tool keeps the pin and caption between roughly 250 pixels from the top and 340 pixels from the bottom, so nothing important sits under those controls. Leave a little space below the pin for the link sticker.
If your pin has small text, raise the pin size slider so the words stay readable on a phone screen, and lower it when you want more of the background and caption to show.
Ways to use pins in stories
Share a new pin with a "Tap the link to read the post" caption, collect a week of pins as a series of stories, or post a pin and ask followers to vote on a sticker. Matching the background to the pin keeps your story looking consistent.
Going the other way? Turn an Instagram post into a pin with the Instagram to Pinterest converter, or make a new design with the idea pin maker.