Guide20 minutesBeginner

How to create a Dribbble shot with a device mockup

Dribbble locks every shot to a 4:3 frame — 1600 × 1200, or 2800 × 2100 for HiDPI. This guide covers composing a device mockup inside that fixed ratio, the thumbnail test that decides whether anyone opens your shot, and exporting at the right resolution.

Updated

¶ In numbers
4:3

the fixed aspect ratio of every Dribbble shot

Dribbble shot specifications, 2026

2800 × 2100

HiDPI shot size — the standard for portfolio-grade uploads

Dribbble shot specifications, 2026

¶ What you need
  • A finished UI design exported at 2x from Figma
  • A modern browser
  • A MochiMockup account (Pro recommended for the 2800 px HiDPI size)
¶ Steps5 total
  1. 01

    Decide what the thumbnail sells

    Dribbble is browsed as a grid of small 4:3 thumbnails. Before composing anything, decide the single element that should read at thumbnail size: a bold screen, a distinctive colour field, a striking device angle. If the answer is "the whole dashboard", crop tighter — full dashboards die at thumbnail scale.

  2. 02

    Pick a scene with margin to breathe

    Choose a MochiMockup scene where the device occupies roughly 60-70% of the frame with clean background around it. Busy lifestyle scenes photograph well at full size but turn to noise in the grid. Studio scenes with a strong accent colour are the safest Dribbble performers.

    TipMatch the scene's backdrop colour to your UI's accent colour — colour-coherent shots stand out in the grid far more than technically complex ones.
  3. 03

    Load your design and set the angle

    Drop your 2x export onto the device screen. Slightly rotated or tilted devices out-perform dead-straight ones on Dribbble because they create diagonal lines that catch the eye in a grid of rectangles. Keep the rotation under 15° so the UI stays readable.

  4. 04

    Frame for 4:3 and check the crop

    Set the export canvas to 4:3. Keep the device fully inside the central 80% of the frame — Dribbble shows slightly cropped previews in some grid layouts, and a clipped device corner reads as a mistake rather than a choice.

  5. 05

    Export at 2800 × 2100 and upload

    Export at 2800 × 2100 (HiDPI) so the shot stays crisp when opened full-size on retina screens — this needs the 4K Pro export; the free 2K tier covers the standard 1600 × 1200 size. Upload as PNG, add a title that names the product and the screen, and tag the device type.

    TipIn the shot description, say what the project was and one decision you made. Shots with a sentence of context collect more follows than image-only posts.
¶ FAQ
What size is a Dribbble shot in 2026?

Dribbble shots are fixed at a 4:3 aspect ratio: 1600 × 1200 pixels standard, or 2800 × 2100 for HiDPI. Upload the HiDPI size when you can — it is what keeps the shot sharp when opened full-size on retina displays.

Do device mockups perform well on Dribbble?

Yes, when composed for the grid. A device mockup gives your UI physical context and creates the diagonal lines that stand out among flat rectangles. The failure mode is cramming a full dashboard into the thumbnail — crop to the one screen or detail that reads small.

Can I export a Dribbble-ready shot from MochiMockup's free tier?

Yes for the standard 1600 × 1200 size — that fits inside the free 2K export. For the 2800 × 2100 HiDPI size, you need a Pro export (€2 one-off or €9/month), which renders at 4K and downsamples cleanly.

Should the device be straight or tilted in a Dribbble shot?

Slightly tilted, under 15°. Grid feeds are full of straight-on rectangles, so a modest diagonal draws the eye without sacrificing UI readability. Go straight-on only when the UI itself has a strong diagonal or an unusual colour block doing that work.