How to Make a Continuous Carousel on Instagram

A continuous carousel on Instagram immediately stops the scroll, turning a simple post into an immersive, swipeable experience. It's a simple trick where multiple images connect to form a single, seamless panorama, encouraging users to swipe through to see the whole picture. This guide breaks down exactly how to design and post these engaging carousels step-by-step, no expert design skills needed. We'll cover the dimensions, the setup process in popular tools, and how to split your final design perfectly for uploading.

What Exactly Is a Continuous Carousel and Why Does It Work?

A continuous or seamless carousel is a series of images (or videos) posted in a single Instagram post that are visually connected. When a user swipes from one slide to the next, the background, graphics, or images flow perfectly, creating the illusion of one long, continuous piece of content. Instead of a jarring jump between distinct photos, you get a smooth, connected narrative.

But why do they perform so well? It boils down to a few key reasons:

• It Boosts Engagement: The most significant benefit is the "swipe." When someone swipes through your carousel, they are spending more time on your post. This sends a powerful signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable and engaging, which can lead to increased reach and visibility. The natural curiosity to see what's on the next slide is a powerful motivator. If you're looking to increase Instagram engagement, carousels are a great tactic.
• It Creates a High-Impact Visual: Seamless carousels just look impressive. They show a level of care and professionalism that makes your brand stand out in a visually crowded feed. It’s a pattern interrupt - something different that catches the eye and stops users from mindlessly scrolling past.
• It's Perfect for Storytelling: The flowing nature of a continuous carousel is a brilliant format for telling a story. You can guide your audience through a step-by-step tutorial, reveal a before-and-after transformation, or walk them through your brand's journey slide by slide. The connected design helps the narrative feel cohesive.
• It Allows for High-Value, Digestible Content: You can break down complex information into smaller, easy-to-digest chunks without overwhelming your audience. Each slide can tackle one point, but since they're visually connected, the entire post still feels like a single, unified guide or infographic.

Planning Your Seamless Carousel: The Foundation of a Great Post

Before you even open a design app, a little planning goes a long way. Nailing the concept and flow beforehand saves you from frustrating redesigns later. Follow these simple steps to set yourself up for success. This is a crucial step in learning how to plan Instagram posts effectively.

Step 1: Define Your Goal and Story

Start with the "why." What do you want this carousel to achieve? What story are you trying to tell?

• Are you teaching something? Plan a step-by-step tutorial where each slide is a new step.
• Are you showcasing a product? You could have the product "travel" across multiple slides, highlighting different features.
• Are you revealing something? A before-and-after works incredibly well, with the dividing line sitting right between two slides.
• Are you sharing data? An infographic that flows from one slide to the next can make stats feel dynamic.

Step 2: Outline Your Content for Each Slide

Get specific. On a piece of paper or in a document, map out what content will go on each slide. For a 4-slide carousel, your outline might look like this:

• Slide 1: Catchy hook/headline. The main visual element starts here and extends into slide 2.
• Slide 2: Main point A. The visual element from slide 1 finishes here. A new background element starts.
• Slide 3: Main point B. New graphic appears, bridging the gap to slide 4.
• Slide 4: Call to Action (CTA) like "Save this post" or "Comment below." The graphic from slide 3 ends here.

Step 3: Sketch the Visual Flow

You don't need to be an artist. A quick, rough sketch can help you visualize how elements will connect across the slide breaks. Where will a photo be split? Where will a graphic line flow from one slide into the next? Thinking about these transitions now makes the design process much smoother.

How to Design a Continuous Carousel, Step by Step

Ready to build it? Whether you’re using a free tool like Canva or a professional one like Photoshop, the core concept is the same: create one long canvas, design across it, and then slice it into individual squares for posting. This process is key to learning how to design Instagram carousel posts effectively.

Part 1: Calculate Your Canvas Dimensions

The first step is figuring out how big your master canvas needs to be. The math is simple. A standard square Instagram post is 1080 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall. For a continuous carousel, you keep the height the same but multiply the width by the number of slides you want.

The formula is: Width = 1080px × [Number of Slides]

Here are the exact dimensions you'll need:

• 2 slides: 2160 x 1080 pixels
• 3 slides: 3240 x 1080 pixels
• 4 slides: 4320 x 1080 pixels
• 5 slides: 5400 x 1080 pixels
• ...and so on, up to 10 slides.

Pro Tip: While portrait carousels (1080 x 1350 px) are possible, start with square (1080 x 1080 px). They are much easier to design and slice correctly when you're just beginning.

Part 2: Set Up Your Design File

Now, let's create the file in your preferred design tool and, most importantly, add guides to mark where each slide begins and ends. These guides are your secret weapon for making sure your design flows correctly.

Setting Up in Canva:

1. On the Canva homepage, click “Create a design” >, “Custom size.” Enter the full dimensions you calculated (e.g., 4320 for width and 1080 for height for a 4-slide carousel).
2. Go to “File” >, “View settings” >, “Show rulers and guides.” A ruler will appear at the top and side of your canvas.
3. Click on the vertical ruler and drag a guide onto your canvas. Place your first guide at the 1080px mark. Drag another and place it at 2160px, then 3240px, and so on for each slide division. These lines won't show up in your final export, but they'll keep your design perfectly aligned.

Setting Up in Adobe Photoshop:

1. Go to “File” >, “New.” Enter your custom width and height, and set the resolution to 72 PPI (standard for web).
2. The easiest way to add guides is with the Guide Layout tool. Go to “View” >, “Guides” >, “New Guide Layout.”
3. In the pop-up window, check the “Columns” box. Set the “Number” of columns to your number of slides (e.g., 4). Set the “Gutter” to 0. Make sure all other settings like Rows and Margin are unchecked or set to 0. Click OK. Voila! Perfect guides.

Part 3: Design Across the Guides

This is the fun part! Start adding your background colors, images, text, and other graphics. The key is to intentionally place elements so they cross over the guide lines you just created.

• For a seamless background: Use a continuous gradient or a single background texture/photo that spans the entire canvas.
• Use overlapping elements: Place a photo so it starts on Slide 2 and ends on Slide 3. Draw a swooping line or arrow that visually guides the viewer from one slide to the next.
• Split your headlines: Place the first half of a catchy headline at the end of Slide 1 and the second half at the beginning of Slide 2. This creates an irresistible open loop that makes people swipe.

Part 4: Slice and Export Your Carousel

Once your design is complete, you need to chop that one long image into individual squares. How you do this depends on your tool.

Slicing with a Free Online Tool (For Canva Users):

Since Canva doesn't have a built-in slice tool, you'll first need to download your entire design as a single PNG or JPG file. Then, use a reliable free online tool to do the slicing. Websites like PineTools' "Split Image" are perfect for this.

1. Go to the website and upload your final long image file.
2. In the options, choose to split the image horizontally.
3. For “Quantity of blocks,” enter your number of slides (e.g., 4).
4. Click the “Split Image!” button. The tool will generate the individual image files, perfectly cut, which you can then download as a ZIP file.

Slicing in Adobe Photoshop:

Photoshop makes this incredibly easy with its built-in Slice Tool. If you set up guides as described earlier, this takes seconds.

1. Find the Slice Tool in the toolbar (it might be hidden under the Crop Tool).
2. At the top of the window, click the button that says “Slices from Guides.” Photoshop will automatically create numbered slices based on the guides you set up.
3. Now, export them by going to “File” >, “Export” >, “Save for Web (Legacy).” Choose a preset like JPEG High. At the bottom, make sure it says it's exporting all slices. When you click Save, it will create a folder containing all your individual, perfectly numbered image files.

Posting Your Masterpiece on Instagram

You have your numbered images. The last step is to upload them correctly.

1. Open Instagram and tap the "+" icon to create a new post.
2. In your photo gallery, tap the “Select Multiple” icon (it looks like a stack of squares).
3. Now, carefully select your sliced images in the correct order - 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Instagram will show a number on the thumbnail so you can confirm the sequence. This is how you post a carousel on Instagram effectively.
4. Review the preview to make sure everything lines up, then write a compelling caption. Consider adding a clear call-to-action in your text, like “Swipe left to learn more!” or simply “ - >,,”, to give an extra nudge.
5. Hit post, and you're done!

Final Thoughts

Creating a continuous carousel is a fantastic way to elevate your Instagram content, capture your audience's attention, and drive meaningful engagement. By planning your narrative first, setting up your design files correctly with guides, and using the right tools to slice your final image, you can produce stunning, professional posts that tell a cohesive story. Remember to always upload high-quality photos to Instagram for the best results.

We know that creating high-impact content like seamless carousels is only half the battle. That's why we built our visual calendar in Postbase to help you map out your entire content strategy at a glance, see where these standout posts fit, and reliably schedule them to go live at the perfect time. It gives you the clear overview you need to turn great individual posts into a consistent, unstoppable feed.