Cut One Wide Photo into a Swipeable Post
Cut a wide photo into 2 to 10 slides at an Instagram shape, check the swipe, then save numbered files or one ZIP. Nothing leaves your device.
How to split a photo for an Instagram carousel
- Choose one wide image. It opens in your browser and stays there.
- Set the number of slides, from 2 to 10, and the slide shape. Portrait 4:5 at 1080 × 1350 px is the starting point.
- Read the line under the settings. It says how your image fits: exactly, with pixels cut, or with white added.
- Swipe through the preview. If a crop is needed, move the crop position until the part you want is in the frame.
- Press Download ZIP for all the numbered files, or save them one at a time. Add them to the post in number order.
Why I cut on a single strip
A carousel join only works when the last column of one slide and the first column of the next are neighbours in the original. Cutting and resizing each slide on its own can shift that line by a pixel, and a straight horizon then shows a small step as you swipe. So my tool draws every slide as a window on one strip, and each window starts where the last one stopped.
When your image is exactly the right size, for example 3240 × 1350 px into 3 slides, nothing is resampled. Saved as PNG, the three files joined side by side give back the same pixels. I never enlarge a small image, because that adds no detail.
What different images give
| Image | Slides and shape | Each slide | Cut from the image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3240 × 1350 px | 3, portrait 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | nothing |
| 3241 × 1350 px | 3, portrait 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | 1 px of width |
| 3240 × 1080 px | 3, square | 1080 × 1080 px | nothing |
| 6000 × 4000 px | 2, portrait 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | 250 px of height |
| 6000 × 4000 px | 3, portrait 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 px | 1500 px of height |
| 1200 × 800 px | 2, portrait 4:5 | 600 × 750 px | 50 px of height |
| 1200 × 800 px | 3, portrait 4:5 | 400 × 500 px | 300 px of height |
The sizes come from the tool's own calculation. A normal 3:2 camera photo is not wide enough for three portrait slides, so a lot of sky or ground goes. Two slides, or a true panorama, keep far more of the picture.
Pick the width first
For a clean fit, the image width should be the slide width times the number of slides, and the height should be one slide high. At 4:5 that is 2160 × 1350 px for 2 slides, 3240 × 1350 px for 3 and 4320 × 1350 px for 4. A larger image with the same proportions is scaled down to those sizes.
Instagram's help page keeps photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4, up to 1080 px wide. That is why the four shapes here stop at those limits. All slides of one post should share a shape, because the first picture sets it, and the splitter gives every slide the same size.
When the size does not divide evenly
A width of 3241 px does not divide by 3 into 1080 px slides. A slide cannot be a pixel wider than its neighbours and still keep its shape, so you get a choice. Crop to fit removes the odd column and the note names the side. Keep it all, add white holds the whole image and adds white where it is needed, scaling it down if a slide would pass 1080 px. Nothing happens without that line telling you.
Tips for a clean carousel
- Put something across each join, such as a road or a shoreline. It pulls the eye to the next slide.
- Keep faces and text away from the cut lines. A word split over two slides is hard to read.
- Choose PNG when you want the exact pixels, and JPEG when the file size matters more.
- Upload the files in number order. Slide 01 is the left end of your image.
Privacy
Your photo never leaves your device. It is opened, cut and saved in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I split an image for an Instagram carousel?
Open the image here, choose 2 to 10 slides and a shape, and check the swipe preview. Download the numbered ZIP, or save each file, then add the files to your post in number order, starting with 01.
What size should a 4:5 carousel image be?
Each 4:5 slide is 1080 × 1350 px, so make the full image 1080 px wide per slide and 1350 px high. Three slides need 3240 × 1350 px, and larger images with the same proportions are scaled down.
Is this carousel splitter free?
Yes. There is no account and no watermark on your slides, and the number of images you can split is not limited. The whole job runs in your browser on your own phone or computer, so nothing is uploaded.
Can I split an image in two for a carousel?
Yes, set Slides to 2. A 6000 × 4000 px camera photo at 4:5 gives two 1080 × 1350 px slides and loses only 250 px of height, so two slides suit an ordinary photo far better than three.
Why is there a line between my carousel slides?
Usually the slides were cut or resized one at a time and no longer meet exactly. Here every slide is a window on the same strip, so neighbours share an exact edge. Instagram compresses uploads, which is outside any splitter.
Related tools and guides
- Cut a Picture into Any Grid of Tiles: Set rows and columns, up to 20 of each, and cut one image into a grid. Every pixel stays. A preset numbers an Instagram 3-column grid in posting order.
- Turn a Panorama into a Swipe, Slide by Slide: Open a panorama and get a slide count worked out from its width. Change it if you like, swipe to check the joins, and save the numbered files.
- Image Resizer: Resize images by pixels, percentage or longest side.
- Image Cropper: Crop images to exact ratios or popular preset sizes.
- Put your photos together in one image: Join photos side by side, stacked or in a grid, with adjustable gaps and borders.
- Add text to your photo and keep it readable: Put captions on a photo with a gradient, tint or box behind them and a live contrast check.
- Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2026: Days, Hours and Data: Your slides are ready. This is when a post reaches the most people.
- Why I made browser photo tools: The reason these tools run on your device and not on a server.