How to Make a Big Grid on Instagram

Turning your Instagram profile into a single, cohesive canvas is one of the most effective ways to stop scrollers in their tracks and make a memorable first impression. You’ve seen them before: giant, stunning images that span across multiple posts to create a “wow” effect on a profile. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to make a big grid on Instagram, from planning your vision and choosing the right tools to posting it perfectly without a single misstep.

What Exactly Is an Instagram Big Grid (and Is It Worth the Effort)?

An Instagram big grid, sometimes called a giant square or a photo split, is when you take one single, high-quality image and slice it into smaller squares. You then post these individual squares to your Instagram feed in a specific order, so that when someone visits your profile page, they see the single, larger image assembled perfectly. Common sizes include a 3x2 (6 posts), a 3x3 (9 posts), or even a 3x4 (12 posts) grid.

But before you start slicing, it’s worth asking if it’s the right move for your brand. Let's look at the pros and cons.

The Benefits of a Big Grid Layout:

• Epic First Impression: Nothing grabs attention on a profile view quite like a massive, well-designed image. It instantly communicates professionalism, creativity, and a high level of attention to detail.
• Perfect for Big Announcements: Got a new product dropping? A major company announcement? A brand relaunch? A big grid acts like a visual drumroll, creating hype and ensuring your message dominates the screen.
• Highlights High-Quality Photography: If you have a truly breathtaking photo - a stunning landscape, a gorgeous product shot, or an event hero image - a big grid gives it the space it deserves.
• Breaks the Visual Pattern: For your followers, seeing the individual, abstract-looking tiles appear in their feed one by one can create curiosity and encourage them to visit your profile to see the full picture.

The Challenges to Keep in Mind:

• Temporary Impact: The biggest drawback is that your masterpiece gets misaligned the moment you post your next photo. The layout is only perfect until the next piece of content disrupts it. That's why grids are best for short-term campaigns.
• Strange Individual Posts: Some of the individual tiles might look weird on their own in your followers’ main feeds. A tile that’s just a patch of sky or a slice of an ear might confuse people who don't see the bigger picture.
• Meticulous Planning Required: This isn’t a spontaneous strategy. It requires planning the image, splitting it correctly, writing multiple captions, and posting in a very specific order. One mistake can botch the whole thing.

If you're ready to make a temporary but powerful statement, a big grid is one of the coolest tricks in the Instagram playbook. Let's build one step-by-step.

Step 1: Plan Your Masterpiece Before You Cut

Success with a big grid is 90% planning, 10% execution. Rushing this stage is the fastest way to frustration, so take a moment to get the foundation right.

Choose an Image That Works at Any Size

The image you select is the single most important element. Not every photo is a good candidate for being sliced into nine pieces.

What to look for in a great grid image:

• High Resolution is Non-Negotiable: You're effectively zooming in on sections of your photo when you create a grid. If the source image isn't crystal clear and high-resolution, the final tiles will look pixelated and blurry. Start with the best quality photo you have.
• A Clear Focal Point: Images with a strong central subject, like a person, a product, or a single object, tend to work well. This helps the overall grid feel balanced.
• Interesting Details Everywhere: A good grid photo has visual interest across the entire frame. This ensures that even the corner post tiles - the ones on the outer edges - have something interesting to look at and aren't just empty space. Textures, patterns, gradients, and detailed backgrounds work beautifully.

What to avoid:

• Busy, Confusing Photos: If an image is too chaotic, slicing it into pieces will only make it more confusing. The individual tiles will lack context and feel random.
• Images with Key Elements on the "Cut" Lines: Pay attention to where the grid lines would fall. If a split runs right through someone's eyes or directly down the middle of your product logo, it can look awkward. Try to position your main subject cleanly within the tiles.

Decide on Your Grid Size

Next, decide how large you want your image to be. The grid runs in rows of three across your Instagram profile, so your total post count will always be a multiple of three.

• 3x1 (3 Posts): This creates a wide panorama effect. It's the simplest grid to execute and is fantastic for landscapes or wide group photos.
• 3x2 (6 Posts): A great medium-sized grid that creates a rectangle. It’s impactful without being overwhelming.
• 3x3 (9 Posts): This is the classic "giant square." It completely takes over the top of your profile and is the most common choice for big announcements.
• 3x4 (12 Posts) or Larger: These are for massive, profile-dominating takeovers. They require a lot of commitment but deliver a huge visual punch.

For beginners, a 3x3 grid is a perfect place to start. It’s balanced, iconic, and manageable.

Step 2: Slice Your Image with the Right Tools

You don't need to be a Photoshop wizard to slice your masterpiece. Dozens of smartphone apps are designed to do this for you in seconds. Here are a few reliable options.

Popular Apps for Creating Instagram Grids

Most of these apps work in a similar way. You upload your photo, select the grid dimensions, and let the app slice and number the images for you.

Our recommendations:

• PhotoSplit Pro: An incredibly straightforward app. You upload your photo, choose a grid size (from 3x1 to 3x5), and it instantly cuts the image into numbered tiles that you can post directly from the app or save to your camera roll.
• Grids for Instagram: This is another popular and feature-rich app. It not only splits photos but even lets you add overlays or try different collage styles. Its main function is quick, easy grid creation with a clear numbering system to guide your posts.
• Planoly (Web &, Mobile): While primarily a full social media planner, Planoly has a "Splitter" feature built right in. If you already use it for scheduling, you can slice your images and then visually plan how they'll look on your grid before you even post.

When you use one of these apps, the key is to save all the images to your camera roll. You’ll want them organized and ready for the final step.

The DIY Method: Using Canva

If you prefer more control, you can create a grid manually using a free tool like Canva.

1. Create Your Canvas: An Instagram post is 1080x1080 pixels. For a 3x3 grid, you'll need a custom canvas that is three times as wide and three times as tall. So, create a custom design in Canva with the dimensions 3240 x 3240 pixels.
2. Add Your Image: Upload your high-resolution photo and stretch it to fill the entire 3240 x 3240 canvas.
3. Set Up Your Guides: To see where to cut, add visual guides. Go to File > View settings > Show rulers and guides. Then, drag guides from the rulers at the pixel markers 1080 and 2160, for both the horizontal and vertical axes. You should now see nine equal squares.
4. Download Tile by Tile: This is the manual part. Download the full image. Then, upload it again and crop it down to just the first 1080x1080 square. Download that. Undo, and repeat for all nine squares, saving each one as a separate file. Be sure to name them numerically (1, 2, 3...) so you don't lose track of the order.

Step 3: Post Your Grid in the Correct Order

This is the most critical stage and where most people make mistakes. Posting your grid requires precision because of how Instagram orders posts on your profile.

The Golden Rule: Post in Reverse

Your Instagram profile grid displays your most recent post in the top-left corner. To make your big image appear correctly assembled, you have to post the individual tiles starting from the bottom right and working your way backward to the top left.

For a 3x3 grid, the tiles are numbered like this. Tile #1 is the top-left square of the full image, and tile #9 is the bottom-right.

Full Image:

[1] [2] [3]

[4] [5] [6]

[7] [8] [9]

Your Posting Order Must Be:

Post Tile #9 first. Then Tile #8. Then #7. You continue posting from right to left, bottom to top, until you finish with Tile #1, which will be your final and most recent post.

Double- and triple-check your order before hitting publish on each one. There's nothing worse than getting eight posts in and realizing one is out of place!

Crafting Your Captions Strategically

How do you write captions for nine separate posts that are all part of one image? You have a few options:

• One Main Caption: Write a full, detailed caption for one of the key tiles - usually the last one you post (Tile #1) or the center tile (Tile #5). For all other tiles, use a simple emoji, a single period, or a short phrase like "Visit our profile to see the full picture!" This directs all engagement to a single post.
• A Continuing Message: Get creative and spread your message across all nine captions. Each caption can be a single word or phrase that, when read in order from 1 to 9, forms a complete sentence or thought. This encourages users to explore your entire grid.
• Individual Captions: This is the diciest option. Giving each tile a different caption related to that sliver of the image can confuse your audience in their feed. It generally works better to focus the narrative.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A flawless big grid requires dodging these common pitfalls:

• Posting in the Wrong Order. The absolute #1 mistake. Always upload in reverse order, from bottom-right to top-left. Period.
• Forgetting About the Single-Post View. Remember, your followers will see these tiles as individual posts first. If one tile is just a patch of blazer or solid blue sky, it might perform poorly on its own. Try to choose an image where every piece has some visual interest.
• Using a Low-Resolution Photo. It bears repeating. A blurry, pixelated grid looks unprofessional and defeats the purpose of creating a high-impact visual.
• Leaving Tags on Every Photo. If you tag an account in all nine pictures, that person will get nine notifications. Be strategic. Only tag where it makes the most sense.

Final Thoughts

Creating a big grid on Instagram is a bold marketing move that trades long-term sustainability for short-term impact. When used for a special event, campaign, or launch, it’s an incredible way to dominate your little corner of the internet, show off your brand's creative flair, and give visitors a reason to stop and admire your work. It's all about planning, precision, and the right tools.

Executing a multi-post grid like this requires flawless planning and scheduling. At Postbase, we built our tool around a visual-first content calendar that’s perfect for this kind of campaign. When you’re dealing with nine posts that have to go out in perfect reverse sequence, the room for human error is high. Using our platform, you can lay out all your grid tiles, write the captions, and schedule them in the correct order to ensure your masterpiece goes live exactly as planned, without any last-minute mistakes. You can visually plan your entire campaign and schedule it with confidence with Postbase.