Save Pinterest images at the size they were uploaded
Pinterest shows every pin through resized copies, from 236 to 1200 pixels wide. Paste the pin link and we fetch the file from Pinterest's /originals/ folder instead, at the size it was uploaded, in its own format: JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF. When no original exists, you get the copy the pin page itself shows.
- /originals/ when it exists
- JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF as uploaded
- pin.it links
One pin, five addresses
i.pinimg.com/
- /236x/Grid thumbnail
- /474x/Medium copy
- /736x/Pin page
- /1200x/Large screens
- /originals/The upload, what you downloadYou get
236x, 736x and /originals/
Every Pinterest image lives at several addresses that differ only in one folder: /236x/ for grid thumbnails, /474x/ for a medium copy, /736x/ for the pin page, /1200x/ for large screens, and /originals/ for the file that was uploaded. Pinterest's pages point to the resized copies. We read the address the pin page publishes, replace the size folder with /originals/ and check that the file exists before handing it to you.
When /originals/ is missing, which happens with some pins saved from other websites, you get the copy the pin page itself shows.
Why some Pinterest originals are huge and others small
Pinterest keeps the upload as it arrived. A photographer's pin can be thousands of pixels wide; a pin saved from a recipe blog is only as large as the blog's picture. The format also stays: PNG uploads remain PNG, with their transparency, and most other pins are JPG.
So high quality on Pinterest means the original file, not a bigger number on a menu. Tools that list 236, 474 and 736 pixel options are offering Pinterest's own thumbnails.
Pins this tool can't reach
Pins on secret boards are served only to the accounts they were shared with, and deleted pins no longer exist on Pinterest's servers. Board, profile and search links aren't pins. If a pin opens in a private browser window without a login prompt, it works here.
A GIF pin is not a still image: the same link gives the animated .gif Pinterest keeps in /originals/, not a frozen frame. The Pinterest GIF downloader covers those pins.
Copy the pin, get the original file
Copy the pin link
Open the pin, tap the share icon and Copy link. A pin.it short link from the app works, and so does pinterest.com/pin/ followed by a number.
Let it look for the /originals/ copy
We open the pin page, find the picture Pinterest shows and swap its resized path for /originals/. If Pinterest kept no original, the copy the pin page shows is used.
Save the image
Tap Download and the full-size image opens. On a phone, tap and hold it and choose Save to Photos or Download image; on a computer, right-click and Save image as.
Sizes and formats Pinterest keeps for a pin image
| Size | The /originals/ file when Pinterest kept it; otherwise the copy the pin page shows |
|---|---|
| Format | JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF, as the creator uploaded it; no conversion |
| Links | pinterest.com/pin/..., pin.it/... and country domains, read as www.pinterest.com |
| Pins | Public image pins; the cover of an idea pin |
| Path | The image loads from Pinterest's servers; it never passes through ours |
4K, small pins, boards and watermarks
Isn't Pinterest's own Download image enough?
It works for image pins in the app and on the website, but Pinterest doesn't say what size it saves. This page asks for the /originals/ file by name, so you know you have the upload itself, and it works from a link on any device.
Can I get the image in 4K?
Only if it was uploaded that big. The original is whatever the creator or the source website gave Pinterest: a photographer's pin can be thousands of pixels wide, a pin saved from a small blog picture stays small. Nothing is upscaled here.
Why is my image small?
The pin was saved from a website that served a small picture, and Pinterest never had a bigger one. In that case the largest copy Pinterest holds is what exists. The pin's source link sometimes leads to a larger version on the original site.
Are Pinterest images watermarked?
Pinterest doesn't watermark images and neither do we. A mark printed on the picture comes from whoever made it.
Can I download a whole board?
No. One pin per link: a board address holds no single image and returns nothing. This page saves one pin at a time.
Does it work with idea pins?
You get the cover image, the picture Pinterest shows for the pin. The other pages aren't listed, and if one of them is a video, the Pinterest video downloader takes the same link.
Can I use the image I download?
Keeping it for personal reference or a mood board is generally fine. Reposting or selling someone else's photo or artwork needs their permission; the pin's source link usually tells you who made it.