Aesthetic Instagram Story Background Templates
A good story template saves you from starting every story on a blank screen. Below are 36 Instagram story templates, from aesthetic and black backgrounds to business, fashion, food and beauty stories. We also cover the exact Instagram story size and dimensions, and how to design an Instagram story step by step.
Every template on this page:
- Vertical Instagram story format, 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
- Layered PSD files with editable text and colors, and smart objects for your photos
- Opens in Adobe Photoshop or in Photopea, a free browser editor
- Free fonts. Preview photos are not included in the download.
Contents
What is an Instagram story template?
An Instagram story template is a ready-made vertical design, sized for stories, with the layout, fonts, colors and shapes already in place. You swap in your photo and text, export a JPG or PNG and post it. A story background template is the same idea with the focus on the backdrop: a color, texture or frame you can reuse behind different photos and messages.
Templates keep your stories consistent, so a business or personal brand looks the same every day without designing from scratch. Most packs on this page include several matching designs: a cover, a quote, a product or offer, and a call to action.
Instagram story size and dimensions
The Instagram story size is 1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical ratio. That is the full screen of a phone held upright. Instagram accepts smaller files (down to about 600 x 1067 px), but 1080 x 1920 px gives sharp results on every phone.
| Format | Size in pixels | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram story | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Instagram reel | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Instagram post, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Instagram post, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 |
Safe zones: keep about the top 250 px and the bottom 340 px free of text and logos. The top is covered by your profile picture, name and the progress bar, and the bottom by the reply field and stickers. Put headlines and buttons in the middle 1080 x 1330 px area.
Need square or portrait feed posts too? See our Instagram post templates and Instagram carousel templates.
Aesthetic and minimal story backgrounds
Soft neutrals, black and white photos, gold lines and plenty of empty space. These are the aesthetic Instagram story backgrounds that work for daily posts, quotes and personal brands, including several black and dark sets.
1. Daily Fashion Collection
Cream, sage and dusty mauve panels with serif headlines like “Autumn Collection” and “Elegant Style”. A calm, earthy palette for boutiques and lifestyle accounts.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
2. Daily Life Trend
White, taupe and black frames with thin serif type and lines like “Everyday Living”. Minimal and editorial, with lots of room around each photo.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
3. Lauren Style
Chocolate brown, cream and caramel panels with “Luxury” and “Best Style” headlines. A warm neutral set for premium fashion and beauty brands.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
4. Brown Leather
Black backgrounds with black and white fashion photos, small serif captions and a “70% off” page. A dark, moody story background for menswear and leather goods.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
5. Midnight Sale
Charcoal black stories with thin teal circles and lines around simple “Sale” and “Pre-order now” headlines. A minimal black template that lets the text do the work.
6 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
6. Minimalist Geometric
White backgrounds with small blue and yellow circles, stripes and blocks. Clean, airy and easy to reuse for announcements and tips.
6 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
7. Green Botanical
White stories with brush-edged cutouts of dark green leaves and portraits, plus small serif titles like “The Gardens”. Natural and quiet, for plant shops and slow-living accounts.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
8. Classic Moment
Brown kraft paper textures, old photos, a typewriter and a camera. A vintage scrapbook look for photographers, cafes and memory posts.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
9. Daily Simply
Dark slate stories with black and white diamond shapes and short lines like “Keep your life simple”. A graphic black and white template for fashion and quotes.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
10. Chic Quotes
Tan, cream and black story backgrounds with serif quotes and short sayings. Made for daily quotes and thoughtful captions.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
Business and marketing stories
Instagram story templates for business: service intros, tips, hiring posts and agency promos. Most use a strong brand color, a portrait and a clear button area.
11. Business Post
Navy, red and grey panels with business portraits and headlines like “Join Our Company” and “Introduce Our Service”. A classic corporate look for consultancies.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
12. Business Growth
Orange and navy stories with yellow stars and titles like “Business Growth Tips” and “Global Marketing”. Friendly and bright for courses and coaching.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
13. Corporate Story
Black stories with white sparkles, yellow shapes and lines like “We help you achieve your dreams”. A bold dark template for coaches and wellness brands.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
14. Creative Business
Light grey and yellow layouts with half-circle photo frames and titles like “Creative Business Plan” and “Target Market Research”. Good for agency tips and service lists.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
15. Digital Marketing Agency
Black stories with lime green accents, “Join now” buttons and headlines like “Digital Assistant”. A sharp, modern set for marketing agencies.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
16. Digital Business
White, navy and yellow stories with circle and diamond photo frames and titles like “Creative Digital Business” and “Business Class”. A large pack for regular business posting.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
17. Green Goods
Sage green company stories with “About Us”, “Our Team”, “What We Do” and “Join with us” pages. Works like a mini company profile in your highlights.
6 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
18. Hiring Digital Marketing
Black, white and tan stories with “We are hiring” and “Digital Marketing” headlines and team photos. Ready for job posts and agency news.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
Fashion and sale stories
Fashion stories for Instagram: new arrivals, lookbooks and discount promos. These sets have big sale headlines, price tags and space for model photos.
19. Y2K Fashion
Neon blue, green and purple stories with checkerboard borders, starbursts and “Big Sale” and “New Style” headlines. A loud Y2K look for streetwear and young brands.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
20. Fashion Store
Terracotta and white stories with thin arch frames, sun lines and titles like “The Store” and “New Product”. Elegant and warm for boutiques.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
21. Fashion Sale, Black and White
Black and white photos with neon green accents, arrows and lines like “Save this Monday” and “Special Offer”. Edgy and urban.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
22. Hype Beast
Black and white street photos with lime green slashes, barcodes and “New Arrival” and “Big Sale” headlines. Made for sneaker and streetwear drops.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
23. Bohemian Style
Olive and lime green stories with soft model photos, script titles and “Big Sale 50%” tags. A fresh boho look for summer collections.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
24. Modiste
Deep teal, white and mustard stories with serif type, quotes and “Flash Sale” and “Best Seller” pages. A classic boutique set with 15 designs per the preview.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
25. Vintage Style
Teal and yellow brush strokes around fashion photos, with a script “Vintage” title and quote pages. Playful and retro for clothing and accessory shops.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
Food, cafe and restaurant stories
Story templates for menus, daily specials and new dishes. Each one has room for a large food photo and a price or offer.
26. Food Post
Mustard and white stories with bakery photos and handwritten titles like “Foodies”, “Croissant” and “Cake”. Cozy and homey for bakeries and cafes.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
27. Daily Food Vlogger
Dark green stories with bright food photos and pages like “Best Menu” and “Healthy Salmon”. Good for healthy food bloggers and salad bars.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
28. Burger
Red brush strokes, burgers, fries and red price stickers like “$15” and “65%”. A bold fast-food set with 15 designs per the preview.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
29. Coffee Time
White stories with coffee photos in brush-stroke frames and lines like “Morning Coffee” and “Robusta Coffee”. Made for coffee shops and roasters.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
Beauty and skincare stories
Soft colors, close-up portraits and product shots for salons, skincare and jewelry brands.
30. Brush Beauty Skin
Terracotta and peach brush strokes around skincare portraits, with lines like “Glow Your Skin Now”. Warm and natural for skincare brands.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
31. Beauty Saloon
Blush pink and nude stories with arch frames, line-drawn flowers and “80%” offers. A soft, feminine set for beauty salons.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
32. Daily Beauty
Dark teal and cream stories with jewelry and portraits and titles like “Natural Diamond” and “More Beauty”. Elegant for jewelry and accessory shops.
7 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
Interior, travel and wedding stories
Story templates for other niches: home decor, trips and weddings.
33. Interior Design
Deep red and white stories with room photos, red frames and pages like “Design Tips” and “New Product”. For interior designers and furniture shops.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
34. Big World
White stories with big landscape photos and script titles like “Summer Trip”, “Solo Vacation” and “Love Nature”. Made for travel bloggers and tour operators.
6 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
35. Journey
Dark and white stories with travel photos and script lines like “Let’s go to Somewhere” and “Welcome Summer”. A journal-style travel set with 15 designs per the preview.
1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
36. Happy Wedding
Burnt orange and white stories with bride and flower photos and titles like “Quality Equipment” and “Great Photos”. For wedding photographers and planners.
15 stories · 1080 x 1920 px · layered PSD · Photoshop or Photopea (free)
How to design an Instagram story
- Start at 1080 x 1920 px. Open a story template or a new 9:16 file so nothing gets cropped.
- Pick one message per story. A new product, a quote, an offer or a tip. If you have more to say, add another frame.
- Choose a background. A full photo, a solid brand color or a soft texture. Darker or calmer backgrounds make white text easier to read.
- Add a short headline. Use big, bold type in the middle of the screen, outside the top 250 px and bottom 340 px safe zones.
- Use your brand colors and fonts. Keep the same two or three colors and one or two fonts on every story.
- Leave room for stickers. Plan a clear spot for a link, poll, question or countdown sticker you will add in the Instagram app.
- Export and check on a phone. Save as JPG or PNG, then preview it on your phone before posting.
Promoting the same campaign on Facebook? Pair your stories with one of our Facebook cover templates.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Instagram story?
1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical ratio. Keep text out of the top 250 px and bottom 340 px so the profile bar and reply field do not cover it.
What are Instagram story dimensions in inches or ratio?
Instagram works in pixels, not inches. The ratio is 9:16, so any size with that ratio works, but 1080 x 1920 px is the standard.
Can I edit these story templates without Photoshop?
Yes. The files are layered PSDs, and they open in Photopea, a free browser-based editor that reads Photoshop files. You can change text, colors and photos there and export a JPG or PNG.
Where can I find aesthetic Instagram story backgrounds?
See the aesthetic and minimal section above. It includes neutral, botanical, vintage and black story backgrounds that you can reuse behind your own photos and text.
Are there Instagram story templates for business?
Yes. The business section has templates for service intros, tips, hiring posts and company “About Us” stories.
Are the photos included?
No. Preview photos are for display only. Drop your own or licensed stock photos into the smart objects.
Looking for more Instagram designs?
Browse the full collection of Instagram story, post and carousel templates.