Splitting a photo into an Instagram grid, in short: cut one image into 3 posts per row, each 1080×1350 px (4:5). A 3×3 grid needs a 3240×4050 px image, 3×2 needs 3240×2700 and 3×1 needs 3240×1350. Post the bottom-right piece first and the top-left last, and keep faces and text about 70 px away from each vertical seam.
More on this topic: Social media image sizes, every guide in one place.
A split grid (also called a puzzle or tiled grid) turns your profile into one big picture: a product launch, a sale banner or a collection shot. Our free Instagram grid maker does the cutting in your browser and numbers every piece in posting order. This guide gives the pixel sizes, explains the 3:4 crop that catches most people out, and shows how to post the pieces so the picture lines up.
- Tile size: 1080×1350 px (4:5) per post, or 1080×1080 for square.
- Source image: 3240 px wide; 1350, 2700 or 4050 px tall for 1, 2 or 3 rows at 4:5.
- The 3:4 crop: the profile grid shows each 4:5 post as 3:4, trimming about 34 px from each side (not top or bottom).
- Posting order: bottom-right first, top-left last, one after another.
- Free tool: the Instagram grid maker splits 3×1, 3×2 or 3×3 and names files in posting order.
What size should an Instagram grid image be?
An Instagram grid image should be 3240 px wide, three posts of 1080 px, and as tall as the rows times the post height. With 4:5 posts (1080×1350), that's 4050 px tall for a full 3×3 grid.
| Grid | Posts | Source size at 4:5 (1080×1350 tiles) | Source size at 1:1 (1080×1080 tiles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×1 (one row) | 3 | 3240×1350 px | 3240×1080 px |
| 3×2 (two rows) | 6 | 3240×2700 px | 3240×2160 px |
| 3×3 (three rows) | 9 | 3240×4050 px | 3240×3240 px |
Instagram's post and profile-grid shapes, as covered in our Instagram post size guide, were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Use 4:5 tiles unless you have a reason not to: they're the largest feed shape and lose the least on the profile grid. Square tiles still work, but each one loses about 135 px from each side on the grid. Your photo doesn't need to be exactly these sizes, since the grid maker fills the layout and lets you zoom and position the photo, but it should be close to that shape and big enough. A 3×3 grid from a 1500 px photo gets enlarged about 2.7 times and looks soft.
Why does my Instagram grid look cut off on my profile?
Because the profile grid shows tall 3:4 tiles, and a 4:5 post is a little wider than 3:4. Instagram keeps the full 1350 px height and trims about 34 px from the left and right of every post in the grid view (1350 × 3 ÷ 4 = about 1012 px wide shown out of 1080).
| Tile shape | Shown on the profile grid | Effect on a split image |
|---|---|---|
| 1080×1350 (4:5) | Middle 1012×1350 | About 34 px gone from each side; each vertical seam loses about 68 px |
| 1080×1080 (1:1) | Middle 810×1080 | About 135 px gone from each side; each seam loses about 270 px |
| 1080×1440 (3:4) | The whole tile | No crop, but the grid maker doesn't output this size |
For a split image this matters at the two vertical seams between columns. A line that runs straight across your photo will jump by about 68 px where it crosses from one post to the next, because 34 px of each neighbor is hidden. The top and bottom edges aren't trimmed, so horizontal seams line up cleanly. Open any single post and it shows in full at 4:5; the trim only happens in the profile preview. The Instagram post size guide covers every shape's crop in more detail.
Keep faces, product edges and every letter of text at least 70 px from the vertical seams (x = 1080 and x = 2160 on a 3240 px image), and about 40 px from the outer left and right edges. Let background, sky, texture or plain color run across the seams; nobody notices a small jump in a plain area.
How do I split a photo into an Instagram grid?
Upload the photo to a grid maker, pick the number of rows, frame it and download the numbered pieces. With our Instagram grid maker:
- Drop in a photo (JPG, PNG, WebP or iPhone HEIC). The bigger it is, the sharper the pieces.
- Choose Profile grid and the split: 3×1, 3×2 or 3×3.
- Pick the post size: 1080×1350 (4:5) or 1080×1080 (1:1).
- Zoom and drag the photo (or use the arrow keys) until the subject sits away from the seams.
- Download the ZIP or each post on its own. Files are named like
grid-post-01-row3-col3.jpg, so post 01 is the bottom-right piece.
The splitting happens on your device and the photo is never uploaded. The tool tells you when your photo has to be enlarged to fill the grid, which is the moment to choose fewer rows or a bigger photo.
Split one product photo into a 3×1, 3×2 or 3×3 grid of 1080×1350 posts, numbered in the order to publish. Free, in your browser.
Open the grid maker7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardIn what order do you post an Instagram grid?
Post the last piece first: start with the bottom-right tile and finish with the top-left one. Instagram puts your newest post at the top left of your profile, so the picture builds from the bottom up.
| Grid | Post first | Post last | Order of rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×1 | Right piece | Left piece | One row: right, middle, left |
| 3×2 | Bottom row, right piece | Top row, left piece | Bottom row, then top row |
| 3×3 | Bottom row, right piece | Top row, left piece | Bottom, middle, then top row |
- Post in one session. Anything else you publish in between, including a Reel, lands in the grid and shifts the pieces out of line.
- Fix mistakes with Reorder grid. Since June 2026 you can long-press a post on your profile, choose Reorder grid and drag posts into place, so a piece posted out of order or a post that slipped in between can be moved. Pinned posts can't be moved there.
- Unpin first. Pinned posts sit at the top of the profile, before your newest post, so up to three pinned posts push the puzzle down and sideways. Unpin them while the grid is the newest thing on your profile.
- Keep later posts in threes. Publishing one post at a time afterwards shifts every piece by one column. Posting three at once moves the whole picture down a row intact, or use Reorder grid to move new posts below the puzzle.
- Captions still matter. Each piece shows alone in followers' feeds, so give every post a caption that makes sense without the others.
For grid layouts that don't depend on one split image (checkerboards, rows by theme, color blocks), see Instagram grid layout ideas.
Should I use a grid or a seamless carousel?
Use a grid to dress up your profile and a carousel to tell the story in the feed. The grid maker does both: switch to carousel to cut one wide photo into 2 to 10 slides that flow into each other as people swipe.
| Profile grid | Seamless carousel | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it's seen as one picture | Your profile page | Inside one post, as people swipe |
| Pieces | 3, 6 or 9 separate posts | 2 to 10 slides in a single post |
| Seen in the feed as | Separate fragments | One post, first slide shown |
| Breaks when | Other posts land in between or posts are pinned (fixable with Reorder grid) | Never; the slides stay together |
| Best for | Launches, rebrands, big announcements | Product details, panoramas, step-by-steps |
If your photo is too narrow for the carousel you want, the AI image extender can widen it with matching background, keeping the product as it is (it uses credits). For a small photo, 4× AI upscaling gets it to 3240 px without the blur of a plain enlargement.
What makes a good photo to split into a grid?
A big, simple photo with the subject in one or two tiles and calm background across the seams.
- At least 3240 px wide for any grid, and 4050 px tall for a 3×3 at 4:5.
- One clear subject. A product in the center tile, or spread across the middle row, reads well on the profile and as single posts.
- Each tile works alone. In followers' feeds a corner piece appears by itself. A tile of plain wall with no context gets scrolled past.
- Text big enough for a phone. On a profile, each tile is about a third of the screen wide. Short words, large type, kept away from the seams.
- Start with 3×1. A single row is the easiest to keep intact and the least disruptive if you post other things later.
To fit a single photo to Instagram's normal sizes instead, use the free image resizer, or read how to resize an image for Instagram without cropping.
Frequently asked questions
How do I split a picture into 9 parts for Instagram?
Use an Instagram grid maker: choose a 3×3 split and 1080×1350 posts, position the photo and download the nine pieces. Post them from the bottom-right piece to the top-left one.
What size should an Instagram grid photo be?
3240 px wide. For 4:5 posts it should be 1350 px tall for one row, 2700 px for two and 4050 px for three. For square posts, 1080, 2160 or 3240 px tall.
Why doesn't my Instagram grid line up?
The profile grid shows each 4:5 post as 3:4, trimming about 34 px from each side, so lines jump at the vertical seams. Something else may also have been posted or pinned between the pieces.
Does Instagram crop grid posts at the top and bottom?
Not 4:5 posts. They keep their full height on the profile and lose a thin strip from the left and right. Square posts lose more, about 135 px from each side.
Which piece of an Instagram grid do I post first?
The bottom-right piece. The newest post appears top left, so the top-left piece goes up last.
Is the Instagram grid maker free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up and no watermark, and the photo is split in your browser, so it's never uploaded.
Can I use 3:4 (1080×1440) tiles to avoid the crop?
Yes, 3:4 posts fill the profile tile with no crop. The grid maker outputs 4:5 or 1:1, so for 3:4 you'd split a 3240×4320 image yourself.
Can I rearrange posts after I publish a grid?
Yes. Since June 2026 Instagram lets you long-press a post on your profile, choose Reorder grid and drag posts into a new order. Pinned posts stay at the top and can't be moved there, so unpin them first if they break the picture.
Make a sharp, wide product scene with AiArter, extend it to the shape you need and upscale it for a 3240 px grid, with your product kept exactly as it is.
Start free trialSplit a photo free7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
