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Discord
Discord profile pictures
Discord renders an avatar at 40 pixels beside a message. Almost nothing survives at that size except a single bold mark.
Discord profile picture at its real ratio. Hover to animate. Previews are watermarked.
- Avatar
- 300x300, rendered at 900x900 for a clean downscale
- Server icon
- 512x512, with a 256x256 copy for bots and listings
- Animated avatar
- GIF at 20fps over 3.2s, needs Nitro
- Animated icon
- GIF at 16fps over 3.2s, needs boost Level 1
About discord profile pictures
Avatars and server icons are the two Discord assets rendered most often and designed for least carefully. Both get cropped to a circle. Both get shown at a fraction of their upload size: an avatar at around 40 pixels in the message list, a server icon at around 48 in the server rail. Everything that follows from those two facts is counterintuitive if you are judging the file on your desktop at full size.
What works is one mark, strong contrast against Discord's dark grey, and an even margin so the circular crop takes background rather than part of the symbol. What does not work is a server name, a detailed scene or anything with thin strokes. These are laid out at display size and scaled up rather than designed large and shrunk, which is why they still read in a crowded member list.
The animation rules differ between the two, and it is worth knowing which you are buying. An animated server icon unlocks at boost Level 1, the first and cheapest tier, and is genuinely effective because it is the only moving thing in a column of still circles. An animated personal avatar needs Nitro on the account. Both ship as a still as well, cut from the same frame, so the branding is identical whether or not animation is available to you.
Formats in this category
| Format | Size | Still render | Animated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord profile picture | 300×300 | 900×900 | GIF to 9.5MB |
| Discord server image | 512×512 | 1024×1024 | GIF to 7.8MB |
Technical notes
Discord profile picture, 300x300
User Settings, Profiles, Avatar
- Animated avatar requires Nitro
- Always cropped to a circle
- Rendered at 900x900 and delivered at 300x300 for a clean downscale
Discord server icon, 512x512
Server Settings, Overview, Server Icon
- Animated icon unlocks at boost Level 1
- Cropped to a circle, so corners are always lost
- Rendered at 512x512, displayed at 48 in the sidebar
Designs
Anime Rooftop Anime
from $12Anime Rooftop rendered as anime artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 filesAnime Rooftop Grunge
from $12Anime Rooftop rendered as grunge artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 filesAnime Rooftop Painted
from $12Anime Rooftop rendered as painted artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 filesAnime Rooftop Photoreal
from $12Anime Rooftop rendered as photoreal artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 filesArcade Grid Anime
from $12Arcade Grid rendered as anime artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 filesArcade Grid Grunge
from $12Arcade Grid rendered as grunge artwork, with live motion, drifting particles and a chromed wordmark. Every format in the catalogue, still and animated.
20 formats, 46 files
Questions
What size should a Discord profile picture be?
300x300 is a safe upload. Discord crops to a circle and renders at about 40 pixels beside a message, so keep it to one bold mark with an even margin.
How do I get an animated Discord avatar?
Nitro on your account. Without it Discord accepts only the still, which ships with every pack from the same frame as the animation.
Is a server icon the same file as an avatar?
No. The icon is 512x512 and set in Server Settings; the avatar is 300x300 and set in User Settings. Both are in the Discord Pack, laid out separately for their own crop.