Guides · October 10, 2026
The photo in the Pinterest grid is a preview. It is often 736 pixels on the long side, compressed so the feed scrolls. The file the creator uploaded is frequently much larger. If you save a screenshot, you save the preview, plus the buttons around it.
Ask for the original
Open the Pin and copy its link, then paste it into the image downloader. The first choice is the original when that file is on the public page. The chip shows the pixel size, so a 2000 by 3000 photo is labelled as such before you download it. JPG, PNG and WebP stay in the format that was posted. Nothing is converted.
Smaller on purpose
The same photo can usually be requested at 1200, 736 and 474 pixels wide. Those are useful when you want a light file for a message and do not need the full upload. They are smaller copies of the same image, not a different crop invented by the tool. Pick the one whose dimensions fit the job.
Carousels
A Pin with several photos you swipe is a carousel. Each slide is listed on its own, in order, with its own original when that slide has one. Save the slides you need, or start them all. This is not the same as downloading a board. A board is a collection of Pins, and that is not supported.
When the original is not there
Some Pins only publish a sized image. In that case the list contains the sizes that exist, and it does not pretend there is a larger file. A video’s cover image is a different thing again. For that still, use the thumbnail downloader, and expect a poster frame rather than a multi-megapixel photo.
Copyright stays with the person who posted the picture. A full-size file is for reference, not a licence to republish it.