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Ratio

The ratio helper keeps a box at a fixed aspect ratio whatever its width, which is perfect for media placeholders, thumbnails, galleries and banners. Pick ratio-1x1, ratio-4x3, ratio-16x9 or ratio-21x9, or set any ratio with the --ui-aspect-ratio variable.

1The four built-in ratios

ratio-1x1, ratio-4x3, ratio-16x9 and ratio-21x9 next to each other, filled with a plain div.

1:1
4:3
16:9
21:9

2Video placeholder

A 16:9 poster image with a centred play button, ready for a video player of your choice.

Video poster

3Square product thumbnails

ratio-1x1 with object-fit-cover gives every product the same tile, whatever the photo size.

Brand sprint

Brand sprint

Explainer animation

Explainer animation

Social kit

Social kit

Launch campaign

Launch campaign

Packaging design

Packaging design

Landing page

Landing page

4Cinematic hero banner

ratio-21x9 for a wide banner with a headline overlay.

We make good brands great

We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you.

5Map placeholder

A 4:3 box reserved for a map, showing the address until the map loads.

Nova Flow261 Market Square, Auckland

6Custom 3:2 photo

Any ratio works with the --ui-aspect-ratio variable: 2 / 3 = 66.67% for classic photo prints.

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3:2 · Why motion matters for modern brands

7Portrait team cards

A 3:4 portrait ratio (133.33%) for team photos in cards.

Freya Fischer

Freya Fischer

Backend Engineer

Nadia Duarte

Nadia Duarte

Customer Success

Lea Tanaka

Lea Tanaka

Content Writer

8Vertical stories

A 9:16 ratio (177.78%) for phone sized stories or short clips in a scrolling row.

Story by Arjun AlvarezArjun
Story by Zoe MensahZoe
Story by Kai PatelKai
Story by Liam KowalskiLiam

9Chart area

A 16:9 box that keeps a simple bar chart in proportion on every screen.

Monthly bookings

10Blog card cover

ratio-16x9 as a card image keeps every post card in a grid the same height.

Designing packaging that survives the shelf
insights

A beginner's guide to getting started

Sep 29, 2025

11Caption over a gradient

A 4:3 image with a gradient overlay so white caption text stays readable.

DublinBrand identity

12Mixed ratio gallery

Combining 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 tiles in one responsive grid.

Gallery photo 1
Gallery photo 2
Gallery photo 3
Gallery photo 4

13Thumbnails in table cells

A small ratio-1x1 box keeps order line images square inside a table.

ImageItemPrice
Launch campaign
Launch campaign$10,000
Website package
Website package$8,550
Video edit
Video edit$2,250

14Empty cover placeholder

A dashed 4:3 area that reserves space for an image that has not been chosen yet.

No cover image yet

15Colour swatches

Empty square ratios make perfect colour swatches for a style guide.

primary

primary

secondary

secondary

success

success

info

info

warning

warning

danger

danger

16Video thumbnails with badges

Duration and status badges positioned over 16:9 thumbnails.

9:25New

Five things we learned this year

12:29

Planning a month of social content in a day

8:53

Lessons from a year of client workshops

17Media list

Fixed width 4:3 thumbnails beside article titles in a reading list.

  • A checklist for your next website launch

    May 7, 2026 · 6 min read

  • Choosing colours that sell

    Jan 4, 2026 · 9 min read

  • Our favourite tips for busy weeks

    Jun 5, 2026 · 8 min read

18Responsive ratio

A small custom class changes --ui-aspect-ratio per breakpoint: square on phones, 21:9 on tablets and up.

We design brands people remember

19Round avatars

ratio-1x1 with rounded-circle keeps profile pictures perfectly round even when the source is not square.

Elena Nguyen
Elena
Ella Harlow
Ella
Priya Delgado
Priya
Lucas Rossi
Lucas

20Loading skeleton

A 16:9 placeholder block with placeholder-glow while the real image and text load.

The skeleton reserves the exact space, so the page does not jump when content arrives.