Need to put several photos into one image? Maybe nine vacation shots for an Instagram post, a before/after comparison for a review, or a long screenshot thread you want as a single image. You don't need Photoshop or a design app — a browser tab is enough. In this guide I'll build four real collages with the free Image Collage tool on PixDeep. Everything runs locally in your browser — your photos are never uploaded to any server, there's no watermark, and no account is required.
The tool in 20 seconds
Open Image Collage and you get two modes:
- Photo grid — photos in a clean layout (1×2, 2×2, 3×3 and more), with adjustable gap, corner radius, outer margin and background color
- Stitch (long image) — photos joined seamlessly vertically or horizontally, perfect for screenshots
The layout options appear based on how many photos you add, so you can't pick an "invalid" combination. Drag photos in, pick a layout, tweak the look, download. Limits to know upfront: each photo up to 15 MB, up to 9 photos in grid mode (10 in stitch mode), and output up to 3200px on the long side. That covers anything social media or a marketplace will ever ask for.
Case 1 — A 3×3 travel grid for Instagram
The goal: nine photos from a weekend trip, in the classic 3×3 grid, square format for Instagram.
- Drag all nine photos into the drop area (they're added in order — use the arrow buttons on each thumbnail to rearrange)
- Layout: pick the 3 × 3 option
- Canvas ratio: 1:1, max long side: 1600px
- Style: gap 12px, corner radius 0, outer margin 0, white background
- Download JPG at quality 90
Total time: about two minutes, most of it spent choosing which photo goes where. The result posts perfectly as a single Instagram image — no third-party app asking for your photo library.
Case 2 — A before/after comparison (2 photos, side by side)
The goal: show how a room looked before and after redecorating, for a home-improvement post.
- Add the two photos — before first, then after
- Layout: 2 × 1 (side by side)
- Canvas ratio: 16:9 — wide, works well for blog headers and Twitter/X cards
- Style: gap 8px, corner radius 12px, outer margin 16px, white background
- Download PNG
Tip: if your two photos weren't framed identically, the grid crops each one to fill its cell (center crop), so the pair still lines up neatly.
Case 3 — A 2×2 product showcase for a marketplace listing
The goal: four angles of one product — front, side, back, detail — in a single image for an Etsy/eBay listing.
- Add the four shots in a consistent order
- Layout: 2 × 2
- Canvas ratio: 1:1, max long side: 2160px (marketplaces compress uploads; starting larger keeps detail)
- Style: gap 16px, corner radius 8px, outer margin 24px, background
#f5f5f5 - Download JPG at quality 92
Sellers use this to convey more information in the first thumbnail: the main photo shows all four angles at once, and buyers can tap for the full-size version.
Case 4 — Stitch chat screenshots into one long image
The goal: three screenshots of a conversation, stacked into a single vertical image — the easiest way to share a full chat log, step-by-step tutorial or support ticket thread.
- Switch to Stitch (long image) mode
- Add the screenshots top to bottom (use the arrows to fix the order)
- Direction: Vertical, gap 0px (seamless), white background
- Max long side: 3200px, download PNG
Because screenshots share the same width, the stitch is seamless — the result reads as one continuous page. Same trick works for combining step-by-step instructions into one tall image for a blog post or wiki.
Layout cheat sheet
| Photos | Best layout | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 × 1 or 1 × 2 | Before/after, comparison |
| 3 | 1 × 3, 3 × 1 or 2×2 (wide bottom) | Series shots, triptych |
| 4 | 2 × 2 | Product angles, seasons, family |
| 6 | 3 × 2 or 2 × 3 | Catalog preview, weekly picks |
| 9 | 3 × 3 | Instagram-style travel/event grid |
| 2–10 (stitch) | Vertical / horizontal | Screenshots, chat logs, tutorials |
3 tips for a better-looking collage
- Unify before you combine. Photos shot in similar lighting look best together. If they're way off, run them through a filter or add a small watermark first — both work right in the browser too.
- Small gaps + matching background read as "designed". If in doubt: 8–16px gap, white or
#f5f5f5background. - Pick the ratio for where it's going. 1:1 for Instagram, 16:9 for blog headers and link cards, 9:16 for stories. The canvas ratio switch handles this in one click.
Free, and staying free
Grid collage and long-image stitch on PixDeep are completely free — no watermark on the output, no export limits beyond the sizes above, no sign-up. Since everything is processed locally in your browser, private photos (the chat logs, the family grids) never leave your device. Ready to try it? Open Image Collage, drop in a few photos, and you'll have your first grid in under a minute.
