How to Make a Continuous Photo on Instagram

Creating one of those cool, continuous swipeable photos on your Instagram feed is one of the best ways to make your profile stand out. This tutorial guides you through the entire process, from picking the perfect picture to using the right tools to slice it and post it flawlessly. We'll cover everything you need to create stunning panoramic carousels that stop scrollers in their tracks.

So, What Exactly Is a Continuous Photo on Instagram?

A continuous photo, often called a seamless carousel or a swipeable panorama, is a single wide or tall image that has been sliced into multiple square or vertical posts. When uploaded to Instagram as a carousel, a user can swipe through the images, and they connect perfectly, revealing the full picture as if it were one seamless canvas. Think of a breathtaking landscape that’s too wide for one frame, a group photo where you want to highlight everyone, or even an infographic that takes your audience on a step-by-step journey.

Why bother with this extra step? Because it works incredibly well. Here’s why:

• It's Interactive and Engaging: The simple act of swiping creates an interactive experience. It builds curiosity, making users want to swipe to the end to see the full picture. This keeps them on your post longer, which is a powerful signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content is valuable.
• It's Visually Impressive: Let's be honest - it just looks cool. A well-executed continuous photo shows a level of creativity and attention to detail that makes your brand or personal profile feel more professional and dynamic. It turns a standard post into a miniature immersive experience.
• It Allows for Creative Storytelling: You're not just limited to panoramas. You can use the swipe format to reveal a product, show a before-and-after transformation, guide people through a list, or tell a visual story panel by panel. It’s like a mini-storyboard right in your feed.

Planning Your Seamless Panoramic Post

Before you even open a design tool, getting the plan right is half the battle. A little bit of prep makes the creative process much smoother and the final result a hundred times better.

1. Choose the Right Image

Not every photo is suited for a continuous carousel. You need an image that has interesting elements spread across its entire length. A photo with all the action centered in the middle and boring space on the sides won't have the same impact.

Look for images like:

• Landscapes & Cityscapes: These are the classic use case. Wide vistas, mountain ranges, and sprawling city skylines are perfect for showing off in their full glory.
• Wide Group Shots: Trying to tag and feature a dozen people in one small square photo? Splitting a wide group shot across two or three slides lets everyone have their moment and makes the photo feel less cramped.
• Flatlays & Product Displays: If you have a detailed flat lay with multiple components or want to showcase a product from different angles in one flowing image, this format is ideal.
• Infographics & Timelines: Use the horizontal space to visually guide your audience through data, steps, or a historical timeline. As they swipe, more of the story is revealed.

2. Calculate Your Dimensions

This is where things get a little technical, but it’s simple math. Instagram posts are typically either square (1:1 aspect ratio) or portrait (4:5 aspect ratio). You need to decide how many slides you want and multiply the width accordingly. The height stays the same.

Here are the exact pixel dimensions you'll need. Height is the most important constant.

For Square Posts (1080px Height):

• 2 Slides: 2160 pixels wide x 1080 pixels tall
• 3 Slides: 3240 pixels wide x 1080 pixels tall
• 4 Slides: 4320 pixels wide x 1080 pixels tall
• And so on... (width = 1080 * number of slides)

For Portrait Posts (1350px Height):

Portrait photos take up more vertical space on the screen, which can be great for engagement. The setup is the same - just with a taller canvas.

• 2 Slides: 2160 pixels wide x 1350 pixels tall
• 3 Slides: 3240 pixels wide x 1350 pixels tall
• 4 Slides: 4320 pixels wide x 1350 pixels tall
• And so on... (width = 1080 * number of slides)

Pro Tip: Sticking to 2-3 slides is usually the sweet spot. Anything more than five can feel like a lot of work for the user, and they might drop off before reaching the end.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Slice Your Continuous Photo

Now for the fun part: actually slicing your image. You don't need to be a design genius to do this. There are tools available for every skill level, from professional graphic design software to easy-to-use mobile apps.

Method 1: Using Professional Software (Adobe Photoshop)

Photoshop is the gold standard for this because its Slice Tool was literally made for this job. It gives you pixel-perfect precision every time.

1. Create Your Canvas: Open Photoshop and go to File > New. Enter your calculated total dimensions. For example, for a 3-slide square carousel, use Width: 3240 pixels, Height: 1080 pixels. Make sure your resolution is 72 PPI.
2. Place Your Image: Drag and drop your chosen high-resolution photo onto the canvas. Use the Transform tool (Cmd/Ctrl + T) to resize and position it perfectly across the entire canvas.
3. Create Your Guides: This is the secret to a perfect slice. Go to View > New Guide Layout. In the dialog box, check 'Columns'. Set the Number to the number of slides you want (e.g., 3). Set the Gutter to 0. Click OK. You'll now see blue vertical lines perfectly dividing your canvas.
4. Select the Slice Tool: In the toolbar on the left (it might be nested under the Crop Tool), select the Slice Tool. At the top of the screen below the main menu, you'll see a button that says 'Slices from Guides'. Click it. Photoshop will automatically create numbered slices based on the guides you just made.
5. Export Your Slices: Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the export window, choose JPEG or PNG as your file type (JPEG is usually best for photos). Set the quality (around 70-80 is good). Before you save, make sure the dropdown at the bottom says 'All Slices'. Click 'Save' and Photoshop will export each slice as a separate, sequentially numbered image file into a new folder. Done!

Method 2: Using Free & Easy Online Tools (Canva + An Image Splitter)

Canva is fantastic, but it doesn't have a built-in slice tool. So, the workaround involves creating the full-width image in Canva and then using a separate free tool to slice it.

1. Create Your Design in Canva: Open Canva and click 'Create a design'. Choose 'Custom size' and enter your total carousel dimensions (e.g., 2160 x 1080 for a 2-slide post).
2. Position Your Photo: Upload your photo and stretch it to fill the entire canvas. Design it exactly how you want it to look. For precision, you can add your own manual guides by enabling Rulers (File > View settings > Show rulers and guides) and dragging guides from the side to the break points (e.g., at 1080px).
3. Download the Full Image: Once your panoramic image is ready, download it as a single PNG or JPG file at the highest quality.
4. Use an Online Image Splitter: Now, go to a free online tool like PineTools' 'Split Image' or any similar website. Upload the panoramic image you just downloaded from Canva.
5. Split the Image: In the options, choose to split the image 'Horizontally'. Set the 'Quantity of blocks (equal width)' to the number of slides you want (e.g., 2 or 3). The tool will do the slicing for you. Download the individual image files. They will usually come in a ZIP folder.

Method 3: Using Mobile Apps

If you prefer to do everything on your phone, there are tons of apps designed specifically for creating swipeable panoramas. They are often the fastest and most convenient method.

Some popular options are:

• SCRL (iOS): A powerful app that lets you mix photos and videos in seamless layouts.
• Panorama Crop (Android): A straightforward and highly-rated app. You select your photo, choose how many splits you want, and it handles the rest.
• Swipeable Panorama (iOS): Another simple app focused entirely on this one task. It’s clean, easy and gets the job done quickly.

The general workflow for these apps is always the same: open the app, grant it access to your photo library, select your wide picture, choose the number of slices, and save the results back to your camera roll.

Posting Your Continuous Photo to Instagram

You've done the hard work, and your images are sliced and ready. Now, let’s get it up on the grid. This final step is straightforward, but the order of operations is critical.

1. Get Files on Your Phone: If you used a desktop tool like Photoshop or Canva, make sure your sliced images are Airdropped, Google Drive'd, or Dropbox'd to your phone's camera roll.
2. Open Instagram to Create a Post: Tap the '+' icon to start a new post.
3. Select Multiple Images: Now, tap the 'Select Multiple' icon (it looks like a stack of squares) located above your camera roll preview.
4. Choose Your Slices in Order: This is the most crucial step. Tap on your sliced images in the correct left-to-right order. A small number (1, 2, 3...) will appear on each one to show the final sequence. Double-check that it's right!
5. Check the Preview: Before you hit 'Next', swipe through the preview at the top of the screen to make sure the images line up perfectly.
6. Finalize and Post: Write your caption with an irresistible hook, add relevant hashtags, tag any locations or people, and hit 'Share'. You're done! Give your new post a few good swipes to admire your work.

Final Thoughts

Creating a seamless, swipeable photo on Instagram is a simple yet high-impact technique to elevate your content, encourage engagement, and present your visuals in a more compelling way. Whether you use a heavy-hitter like Photoshop or a quick mobile app, the core process of planning, sizing, and slicing is the same, and it’s a skill worth having in your social media toolkit.

Nailing a great continuous post is one part of building a standout Instagram presence, but organizing all of your content into a cohesive-looking calendar can feel like a totally different challenge. When we built Postbase, we wanted to make that planning process feel effortless. Our visual calendar gives you a bird's-eye view of your entire content plan - from your multi-slide carousels to your Reels and single-image posts - so you can easily spot gaps and craft a more intentional, engaging feed without scrambling.