How to Make a Scrolling Collage on Instagram

Scrolling collages, those mesmerizing multi-slide Instagram posts that flow seamlessly from one image to the next, are one of the most effective ways to stop users mid-scroll. They grab attention, increase the time spent on your post, and tell a richer story than a single static image ever could. This guide will walk you through exactly how to create these captivating carousels, covering easy-to-use apps for beginners and a more advanced-but-powerful method using design software like Photoshop.

What is a Scrolling Collage and Why Should You Use Them?

A scrolling collage - often called a seamless carousel, panorama, or swipe-through post - is an Instagram carousel where a single, wide image is sliced into multiple square or vertical frames. When a user swipes through the post, the images line up perfectly, creating the illusion of one continuous, panoramic picture. This technique turns the standard carousel into an interactive storytelling canvas. It's more than just a photo dump, it's a creative way to showcase your content and boost engagement.

But why does it work so well? The Instagram algorithm pays close attention to how long users interact with your content. A scrolling collage fundamentally encourages interaction. The user is intrigued by the incomplete image on the first slide and naturally wants to swipe to see the rest. This simple action signals to Instagram that your content is compelling, which can help it reach a wider audience.

Here’s what makes them so powerful:

• Increased Engagement: The swipe-through mechanic increases the time people spend on your post, a positive signal to the algorithm. They are more likely to inspect, pause, and engage.
• Enhanced Storytelling: You can guide a viewer through a narrative. Show a before-and-after renovation, a step-by-step recipe, a product's features in detail, or a beautiful landscape in all its glory.
• A Standout Aesthetic: In a feed filled with standalone images, a seamless carousel immediately looks more professional and thought-out. It adds a premium feel to your brand's visual identity.
• Versatility: It works for photographers showcasing wide-angle shots, businesses detailing services, educators sharing processes, and influencers creating compelling tutorials.

The Easiest Method: Using Mobile Apps to Create Your Collage

If you aren’t a graphic designer and the thought of firing up Photoshop feels daunting, you’re in luck. There are plenty of fantastic mobile apps that make creating seamless carousels incredibly simple. Most of them handle all the slicing and dicing for you, so you can focus on the creative side. Apps like Unfold, Canva, Picsart, and dedicated panorama slicers are perfect for this.

Let's walk through the process using Canva, a popular and user-friendly option that many creators already have on their phones.

Step-by-Step Guide with Canva

Step 1: Create a Custom-Sized Design

The magic starts with getting the dimensions right. You need to create a single long canvas that you’ll later slice. In the Canva app or website, choose to create a custom-sized design.

• The standard height for a vertical Instagram post is 1350 pixels. This gives you the most screen real estate.
• The width of an Instagram post is 1080 pixels.

All you need to do is multiply the width (1080px) by the number of slides you want. For a typical 3-slide carousel, your canvas will be 3240px wide by 1350px tall (1080 x 3 = 3240). For a 5-slide carousel, it would be 5400px wide by 1350px tall.

Step 2: Add Rulers and Guides to Mark Your Slides

To make sure your design elements and text don't awkwardly get cut off, you need to see where each slide will be divided.

• In Canva, go to File > View settings > Show rulers and guides.
• Click on the vertical ruler on the left and drag a guide line onto your canvas.
• Place a guide at every 1080px interval. For a 3-slide canvas, you’ll place a guide at 1080px and another at 2160px. This shows you exactly where the breaks between your three slides will be.

Step 3: Design Your Collage

This is the fun part! Add your photos, text, and graphic elements onto the canvas. The key is to strategically place elements across the guides you just created. For example:

• Place a person on the edge of the first slide so their arm extends into the second.
• Let a long piece of text run continuously from slide two into slide three.
• Use sweeping lines or color blocks that cross the boundaries, encouraging the user to swipe.

Remember that the first slide needs to be visually strong enough on its own to make someone stop scrolling. And make sure the intrigue builds with each swipe!

Step 4: Download and Slice the Image

Once your masterpiece is complete, download the entire wide image as a PNG or JPG file. Now, you need to slice it up. You can use a free online tool like "Image Splitter" or a mobile app called "Panorama Crop for Instagram" (or a similar alternative).

Simply upload your wide image to the tool, specify that you want to split it horizontally into a grid of 3x1 (or however many slides you designed), and it will automatically cut it into perfectly sized individual files and save them to your camera roll.

Step 5: Post on Instagram

You’re ready to post! In Instagram, tap the "+" icon to create a new post. At the bottom right of the photo preview, tap the "Select Multiple" icon. Select your sliced images in the correct order (your camera roll should organize them chronologically, but always double-check). Write an amazing caption, add your hashtags, and post. Voila! You have a beautiful, seamless scrolling collage.

For Full Creative Control: Creating a Scrolling Collage in Photoshop

If you're comfortable with design software, using Adobe Photoshop gives you ultimate control over every pixel. The process is similar to the app method - create a long canvas and slice it - but Photoshop offers more powerful tools for editing and precision.

Step 1: Create Your Canvas with the Right Dimensions

Open Photoshop and create a new document (File > New).

• Width: 1080 pixels × (number of slides). For 4 slides, this would be 4320 pixels.
• Height: 1350 pixels (for vertical posts) or 1080 pixels (for square posts). 1350px is highly recommended.
• Resolution: Set this to 72 Pixels/Inch, which is the standard for web use.

Step 2: Use the Guide Layout Tool to Create Your Slices

Instead of manually dragging guides, Photoshop has a tool that makes this incredibly easy and precise.

• Go to View > Guides > New Guide Layout.
• In the pop-up window, check the Columns box.
• Set the Number to how many slides you are creating (e.g., 4).
• Make sure the Gutter value is set to 0.
• Click OK. Photoshop will instantly create perfectly spaced vertical lines that mark the edges of each future Instagram slide.

Step 3: Arrange and Design Your Visual Story

Now, build your collage. Import your photos, and place text, textures, or even vector elements onto the canvas. Pay close attention to how your design flows across the guide lines. This is your chance to really craft a journey for the viewer. Think about creating a "Z" pattern with your elements to guide the eye across the swipes, or use leading lines in your photography to connect one frame to the next.

Pro Tip: Remember your final slide! It’s the perfect spot for a clear Call to Action (CTA), like "Shop the look," "Visit our website," or "Leave a comment with your thoughts!"

Step 4: Use the Slice Tool to Prepare for Export

Once your design is finished, it’s time to tell Photoshop how to cut up the image.

• Find the Crop Tool in the left-hand toolbar. Click and hold it to reveal the other tools nested inside, and select the Slice Tool. Your cursor will turn into a small blade icon.
• At the top of the window, you'll see a button that says "Slices From Guides". Click it.
• Instantly, Photoshop will create numbered slices based on the guides you set up earlier. You’ll see a little blue box with a number in the top left corner of each slice.

Step 5: Exporting Your Slices for Instagram

Do not use "Save As." You need to use the export function specifically designed for web graphics to get your individual image files.

• Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)...
• A large export window will appear. Choose your file format settings - presets like JPEG High are usually a great balance of quality and file size. Be sure to select a quality of 75-85% to keep file sizes manageable without losing much visual detail.
• Click Save...
• In the final save dialog box, make sure under “Format” you have “Images Only” selected, and under “Slices,” you have "All Slices" selected.
• Photoshop will automatically save all your slices as individually numbered files (e.g., your-filename-01.jpg, your-filename-02.jpg).

Now, just Airdrop or transfer those files to your phone, open Instagram, and upload them as a multi-photo post in the correct numbered order.

Final Thoughts

Creating a scrolling collage for Instagram is a fantastic way to elevate your content, make your profile more engaging, and tell compelling visual stories. Whether you use a quick and easy mobile app or dive deep with a tool like Photoshop, the principles are the same: start with a wide canvas, design across the slices, and hook your audience from the first swipe to the last.

Thinking strategically about your visual content is a huge part of building a successful social media presence. At Postbase, we understand that great content takes time and effort to create, especially multi-part carousel posts like these. That’s why we built our platform with a visual calendar that lets you see your entire content plan at a glance. You can drag and drop your carefully crafted carousels, schedule them to go live at the perfect time, and be confident that every piece of your visual story gets published reliably, every time.