How to Make a 3-Part Instagram Post

Creating a three-part Instagram post is one of the best ways to stop scrollers in their tracks and give your profile a professional, polished look. This guide breaks down exactly how to plan, create, and publish both grid panoramas and seamless carousels to make your content stand out. We’ll cover the tools you need and the step-by-step process for getting it right every time.

Why a 3-Part Instagram Post is Worth the Effort

Before getting into the how-to, let's talk about the why. Is adding an extra step to your content creation process really going to make a difference? Absolutely. Putting in a little extra effort here delivers some big wins for your brand.

It Creates a Massive Visual Impact

The most immediate benefit is the "wow" factor. When a visitor lands on your Instagram profile and sees a stunning, wide-format image spread across three squares, it immediately communicates a sense of quality and intention. It transforms your grid from a simple collection of individual photos into a thoughtfully curated canvas. This kind of visual stop sign can be the difference between a casual glance and a new follower.

It Unlocks Powerful Storytelling

Some stories are too big for a single square. A 3-part post - whether as a grid triptych or a carousel - gives you more room to tell a compelling narrative. You can guide your audience's eye across a landscape, reveal a product detail by detail, or break down complex information into three digestible chunks. Imagine:

• A before-and-after shot that shows a dramatic transformation.
• A product launch reveal that pans across the new item.
• An infographic that flows seamlessly from one slide to the next.

By expanding the format, you give your content room to breathe and make a bigger impact, inviting your audience to slow down and engage with what you have to say.

It Can Boost Engagement

Our brains are naturally drawn to patterns and things that feel complete. A panoramic image split across multiple posts sparks curiosity. Users might visit your profile to see the full picture, leading them to engage with your other content. For carousels, the "swipe to see more" action is a direct engagement that the Instagram algorithm favors. The longer someone spends on your post, swiping through the slides, the more Instagram sees it as valuable content worth showing to more people.

Choosing Your Layout: Triptych vs. Carousel

When someone mentions a "3-part post," they're usually talking about one of two distinct formats. Each serves a different purpose and has its own set of pros and cons. Let's look at them both so you can decide which is right for your idea.

Format 1: The Grid Triptych (or Panorama)

This is when three individual posts on your profile grid align to form one single, wide image. It's an impressive visual trick that instantly elevates your page's aesthetic.

Pros:

• Major 'Wow' Factor: Delivers the most significant visual impact when someone first visits your profile.
• High Impact for Big Announcements: Perfect for a major launch, an official announcement, or revealing a standout piece of work.

Cons:

• Disrupts Grid Alignment: The moment you post a new photo, the three-image row is broken, and the alignment gets messed up. To combat this, many creators post in rows of three to keep the grid looking tidy.
• Complex Posting Order: You have to post the images in reverse order for them to appear correctly, which can be tricky to manage.

Format 2: The Seamless Carousel Split

This is a single Instagram post containing multiple slides, where a wide image or graphic is split perfectly across two or three of those slides. The user swipes left, and the image flows seamlessly from one frame to the next.

Pros:

• Clean and Self-Contained: It doesn't disrupt your grid's layout because it's all contained within one post tile.
• Higher Engagement Per Post: Encourages users to "swipe," increasing the time spent on your content.
• More Versatile: You can add video or other images after the panoramic slides in the same carousel.

Cons:

• Less Profile "Wow" Factor: The effect is only seen once someone interacts with the post, it doesn't have the same immediate visual impact on your main profile grid.

How to Make a 3-Part Grid Triptych (Step-by-Step)

Ready to create that head-turning grid effect? Here’s your step-by-step game plan.

Step 1: Choose and Prepare Your Image

Not every photo is suited for a triptych. You'll need a high-resolution, landscape (horizontal) photograph or graphic. Look for an image where the most interesting elements won't get lost awkwardly in the gaps between posts. An expansive landscape, a wide group photo, or a sleek product shot generally work best. Don't use an image that has important details, like text or a person's face, right on the dividing lines.

Step 2: Size and Split Your Image

This is the most technical part, but it's simple once you know the numbers. A standard Instagram square post is 1080 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall. To create a 3-part panorama, you'll start with an image that is three times as wide.

Your ideal starting canvas size should be 3240 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall.

Here are a few ways to split your image into three perfect 1080x1080 squares:

• Professional Design Software (Photoshop, Affinity Photo): If you have a program like Photoshop, this is the most precise method. Create a 3240x1080 canvas, place your image, and use the Slice tool. Set up guides at 1080px and 2160px, and slice along the guides. Then, go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy) and it will automatically export the three slices as individual files.
• Free Online Tools: You don't need fancy software. Websites like PineTools' "Split Image" or IMGonline's "Split Image" tool do the job perfectly. Just upload your image, choose to split it horizontally into three blocks, and download your files.
• Mobile Apps: There are dozens of apps built for this. Search the app store for "Grid Post," "Panorama Crop," or "Photo Grids." These apps handle the cropping and saving for you, making the process incredibly easy.

Step 3: Craft Your Captions

Since this will be three separate posts, you have two creative options for your captions. You can either make them connect as part of a larger story or make each one stand on its own.

• Connected Captions: Use numbering like (1/3), (2/3), and (3/3) to signal that they're part of a series. Tell a story that unfolds from one post to the next. For instance, the first post introduces a problem, the second explains the process, and the third reveals the solution.
• Standalone Captions: Treat each post as an individual piece of content. The image connects them visually on the grid, but the caption for each one could discuss a different detail in that part of the photo.

Step 4: Post in REVERSE Order

This is the most common mistake people make. To get the images to appear correctly on your grid (Left-Middle-Right), you must post them in the opposite order.

1. Post the RIGHT-most image first.
2. Post the MIDDLE image second.
3. Post the LEFT-most image last.

Instagram's grid builds from right to left, top to bottom. The newest post always takes the top-left spot. By posting in reverse, you force them into the right alignment. Be sure to post them all relatively quickly so your audience sees the full effect.

How to Make a Seamless 3-Part Carousel (Step-by-Step)

Creating a seamless carousel is a bit more forgiving than a grid triptych and just as engaging for your followers.

Step 1: Choose or Create Your Wide Image

Just like a triptych, you'll need a wide, high-resolution image or graphic. Again, the ideal dimension for a three-slide carousel panorama is 3240 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall. This gives you three perfect 1080x1080 squares when split.

This format is fantastic for infographics designed in tools like Canva. Just create a custom-sized canvas (3240x1080) and design your graphic to flow across the entire space.

Step 2: Split the Image into Three

Use the exact same tools mentioned in the triptych section above (Photoshop, online splitters, or mobile apps) to divide your single 3240x1080 graphic into three 1080x1080 files. The process is identical - you're just using the resulting images differently.

Step 3: Uploading Your Carousel

This part is much more straightforward. Open Instagram, tap the 'Plus' icon to create a new post, and find your first image. Before proceeding, tap the "Select Multiple" icon (it looks like a stack of squares). Now, select your three images in the correct order: 1 (left), 2 (middle), then 3 (right).

Instagram will show you a preview. Swipe through it to make sure the images line up perfectly. From there, you can add filters (best to apply the same one to all for consistency) and proceed to the caption screen.

Step 4: Write One Powerful Caption

Because this is a single post, you only need one compelling caption. It’s a good practice to explicitly cue the swipe. Try starting your caption with a friendly prompt like:

• "Swipe left to see the full view... ➡️"
• "The full picture is worth the swipe."
• "We couldn’t fit all this goodness in one frame. Swipe to see more!"

This simple guidance encourages the very interaction you want and ensures your audience doesn't miss the full effect.

Final Thoughts

Creating a 3-part post on Instagram is a fantastic way to break free from the standard square, create a more dynamic and professional profile, and tell richer stories. Whether you choose the bold statement of a grid triptych or the interactive engagement of a seamless carousel, mastering this technique will undeniably level up your content game.

Because grid triptychs and other planned content require precision, scheduling your posts ahead of time can take a lot of the stress out of the process. At Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar specifically to help you see how your posts will look next to each other before they go live. You can confidently schedule your 3-part posts in the correct order, knowing our platform’s reliability will ensure they publish exactly when you planned, without glitches. It's the peace of mind you need when executing a more ambitious content strategy.