ImageGrids · Practical tutorial
How to split a photo into 3, 6 or 9 tiles
To turn one photo into a grid, set Columns to 3 and Rows to 1, 2 or 3 in ImageGrids. Choose a cover ratio, position the grid over your photo, and download the tiles. This guide explains the settings, what the previews show, and what to do with the downloaded files.
Open the grid maker in a new tab
1. Choose the number of tiles
Rows and columns describe the output pieces, not the size of a single photo. The total number of files is rows multiplied by columns.
| Result | Rows | Columns | JPG files |
|---|---|---|---|
| One row | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Two rows | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Three rows | 3 | 3 | 9 |
A 6-tile grid is 2 × 3, not 6 × 6. Setting both controls to 6 creates 36 pieces. Start with one row if you want to check your crop before preparing a larger layout.
Prepare the source photo
Use a JPG, PNG or WebP image your browser can open. The grid maker accepts files up to 6 MB and reduces images wider than 3240 pixels to that width. Choose a sharp source photo and keep important text or faces away from intended dividing lines.
The selected ratio applies to each tile. For example, three 3:4 tiles side by side make a combined 9:4 crop. A three-row, three-column grid of 3:4 tiles has a combined 3:4 shape. Change the crop or grid scale if the whole grid does not fit inside your source image.
2. Set up an Instagram grid
- Upload your photo with the file chooser, or drag it into the upload area.
- Set the rows and columns using the table above.
- For a 3:4 post tile, choose IG Post Cover (3:4). For a 9:16 Reel cover tile, choose IG Reel Cover (9:16).
- Move the grid over the photo and use the zoom controls to adjust its size. Keep the full crop inside the image.
- Inspect the Instagram preview. Switch its Posts and Reels tabs when you need to compare the two simulated views.
Why the two previews can look different
In this tool, a 3:4 selection is previewed as 3:4. With a 9:16 selection, the Reels view shows the full 9:16 tile while the Posts view shows a central 4:5 crop. Changing the preview tab does not change the selected download ratio.
These are ImageGrids preview rules, not a guarantee of Instagram’s current display on every device. Check the final cover and profile arrangement in Instagram before publishing a complete set.
3. Set up a TikTok cover grid
Use the same row and column settings, then choose the TikTok option that matches the files you want to create:
| Tool setting | Downloaded tiles | Tool preview |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok Cover (3:4) | 3:4 JPG images | 3:4, without the additional 9:16 crop |
| TikTok Cover (9:16) | 9:16 JPG images | A central 3:4 crop of each tile |
For the 9:16 setting, the preview hides the top and bottom of each tile. Keep essential details in the visible center. The download still contains the full 9:16 crop, so it will look taller than the preview.
Move and scale the grid until the visible parts form the arrangement you want. This workflow creates image files for covers; it does not make or publish videos. Check the cover controls available in your TikTok app and inspect the profile layout before publishing the full set. The grid shown here is a profile-cover simulation, not a Stories layout.
4. Download and identify your tiles
Click Download. After processing, your browser saves a ZIP archive containing JPG files. Extract the archive before selecting the pictures in another app.
The filename records the tile’s row and column, counting from zero. crop_0_0.jpg is the top-left tile; crop_1_2.jpg is the second row’s rightmost tile in a three-column grid.
Do not assume ZIP order or your phone’s file picker is the order to publish. Check how your profile places new posts, whether any items are pinned, and whether covers can be repositioned. Confirm the intended order on the platform before publishing all the pieces.
A grid split produces separate images. If you want several original photos in one downloadable picture, use the Image layout tool instead.
5. Fix common problems
I got 36 files instead of 6
Set Rows to 2 and Columns to 3. Entering 6 in both fields requests 36 tiles. For 9 files, use 3 rows and 3 columns.
The preview cuts off text or faces
Check both the selected ratio and the active preview tab. The 9:16 cover modes can show a shorter crop in the preview. Reposition the grid so important details stay inside the visible part of each tile.
The downloaded image is larger than the visible preview
The preview may simulate a crop, but the JPG follows the selected Ratio setting. Compare the JPG dimensions with that setting before assuming the export is wrong.
The tiles look soft
Each tile contains only part of the source image. For example, a 3240-pixel-wide source divided into three columns gives tiles about 1080 pixels wide when the grid spans the full image width. A smaller crop produces fewer pixels. Starting with a larger file does not bypass the tool’s 3240-pixel width reduction.
The upload or download did not work
Check the 6 MB upload limit and try a JPG or PNG your browser can display. For large grids, try fewer rows and columns first. After pressing Download, wait for processing to finish and check your browser’s download list for the ZIP file.
Need a different kind of image editing?
Remove a section and join the remaining pieces
Open Split image in a new tab. Upload a picture, then start a cut on empty canvas outside the image and drag across it. Hold Shift on a keyboard to constrain the cut horizontally or vertically. Select a piece to move it; Delete or Backspace removes selected pieces. Arrange the remaining pieces and use Export to download one PNG image.
Combine multiple photos in one layout
Open Image layout in a new tab. Choose the canvas ratio, split direction and number of sections. Select a section and use Replace to choose a photo. Repeat for the other sections, adjust the images and dividers, then choose PNG, JPG or WebP and download one combined image.