Research notes
How we measure overlays
Published 18 April 2026 · Last updated 28 August 2026
FramePad’s overlays are reconstructions, not screenshots pasted on a video. This page is the protocol so a reviewer, an engineer, or a brand safety team can see what the numbers mean — and what they do not.
Canvas
Every overlay is authored on a 1080×1920, 9:16 design canvas. That is the interchange size for TikTok, Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, YouTube Shorts, Meta vertical ads, and Snap Ads. Phones are denser than 1080×1920. We still design in that space so a pixel in the table is a pixel in the file you export. Percentages are stored alongside pixels so a chrome tweak can be expressed without rewriting every row.
Devices
We photograph the live player on three phones: iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Shoots use the consumer app, not a partner portal, with default font size unless we are testing accessibility. We do not currently shoot foldables, minis, or desktop web. Desktop web uses different chrome and is out of scope.
One overlay per platform is published. It is conservative across those three devices: if a cut is clear of the overlay, it was clear of the chrome on all three phones on the shoot date. It may not be clear on a phone with maximum accessibility font size. That limit is also in the terms.
Alignment
A screenshot of a 9:16 player includes status bars, and sometimes letterboxing from the screenshot tool. We scale the screenshot so the video picture — not the whole screen — maps to 1080×1920. Chrome is then read in design pixels. We do not treat CSS points on a 3× display as pixels. A collision is recorded when burned-in type or a face intersects a live control by more than eight pixels at 1080×1920.
Current insets
These percentages are the hold-outs currently compiled into the studio. They are independent measurements, not SDK values. Official ad specs, when they exist, are cited in the platform guide as a comparison, not as a replacement.
| Platform | Top | Bottom | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 10% | 20% | 3% | 14% |
| Instagram Reels | 9% | 22% | 4% | 13% |
| Instagram Stories | 14% | 16% | 4% | 4% |
| YouTube Shorts | 9% | 18% | 4% | 14% |
| Meta Ads | 14% | 20% | 6% | 6% |
| Snapchat Ads | 12% | 21% | 5% | 5% |
What we do not claim
We do not claim pixel-perfect identity with every account, A/B test, localisation, or accessibility size. We do not claim affiliation with TikTok, Instagram, Meta, YouTube, Snapchat, or X. Overlays are independent reconstructions for measurement. Icons in the HUD are stand-ins for position, not trademark artwork.
When chrome moves, we re-shoot and publish a note in the changelog. If you have a screenshot that disagrees — phone, OS, app version, no private media — send it to hello@framepad.app. The editorial policy describes how corrections are handled. The long-form notes that use these numbers live in the guide library.