iHatePosting

Instagram Grid Maker

Cut one picture into Instagram posts that join back up on your profile grid. Free, no sign-up, and the tool never uploads your picture.

Background:

3×3 grid preview (3:4)

  • 1-1
  • 1-2
  • 1-3
  • 2-1
  • 2-2
  • 2-3
  • 3-1
  • 3-2
  • 3-3

Add an image and your tiles will appear here

Picture shapes that fit each layout

Making the picture yourself? Crop it to the ratio for your layout and it fills the grid at 100% scale, with nothing trimmed off. The ratios describe what your profile grid shows, which is the middle 3:4 of each post; every file you download is still a full 4:5 post.

Whole-picture ratio for each layout

  • 3×1 grid

    9:4 ratio

  • 3×2 grid

    9:8 ratio

  • 3×3 grid

    3:4 ratio

  • 3×4 grid

    9:16 ratio

  • 3×5 grid

    9:20 ratio

  • 3×6 grid

    3:8 ratio

Good to know

  • Every download is a full 4:5 post (1080 × 1350). The tiles are cut so the picture lines up in the 3:4 view your profile grid shows.
  • Any size works as long as the shape matches. At 100% scale a 3×3 grid is about 3,040 × 4,050 pixels.
  • Keep faces and text off the dashed lines. Each one is a seam between two posts.
  • The preview crops every tile the way your profile grid will, so give it a look before you post.
  • A finished grid sits above everything you posted before it, so plan colors that suit those older posts.
  • A picture smaller than the grid is stretched to fill it, and stretched pixels look soft.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Add your picture

    Drop in a JPG, PNG or WebP of up to 4 MB, or pick one from your files. The tool opens it right here in your browser and never uploads it.

  2. Step 2

    Choose a layout and frame it

    Pick a layout from 3×1 to 3×6. Then drag the picture, or nudge it with the arrow keys, and change the scale until the dashed lines fall where you want the cuts.

  3. Step 3

    Split, save, post

    Press Split, then save the tiles one at a time or all together in a ZIP. Post them in filename order, image1.jpg first, and the picture assembles itself on your profile.

Pro tips

  • Crop to your layout's ratio before you start (3:4 for a 3×3) and nothing gets trimmed.
  • Start big. A 3×3 grid is about 3,040 × 4,050 pixels at 100% scale, and a picture narrower or shorter than that is stretched to fill it.
  • Keep eyes, logos and words clear of the dashed lines, where one post stops and the next starts.
  • Pick colors that sit well with the rest of your profile, since the grid lands right above your older posts.
  • Once the grid is up, post in threes. One new post nudges every tile along a place; three move the whole picture down a row.
  • Check the preview before posting. It shows each tile trimmed the same way your profile grid trims it.
  • Pulled below 100%, the picture leaves a border. Try all four backgrounds and keep whichever frames it best.
  • Match the background to the picture's edges, so a border looks planned rather than left over.

FAQ

What does an Instagram grid maker do?

It cuts one picture into tiles that you post one at a time, so together they form a single large picture across your profile grid. This one is free, needs no account, adds no watermark and does all its cutting in your browser.

How do I turn a photo into a 3×3 grid?

Add the photo, choose 3×3, move it until the dashed lines fall where you want the cuts, and press Split. You get nine files, image1.jpg through image9.jpg. Post image1.jpg first and image9.jpg last: Instagram puts each new post in the top-left corner, so image1 is the bottom-right piece.

Can I make a grid other than 3×3?

Yes. A profile grid is always three posts wide, so every layout is too; you choose the depth, from 3×1 to 3×6. That makes anywhere from 3 to 18 tiles.

Is it actually free, or is there a catch?

It's free: no account, no watermark, no limit on how many grids you make. If there's a catch, it's that we hope you'll try iHatePosting, which can schedule each tile as its own Instagram post. Your first 90 days of that are free as well.

Do the tiles lose any quality?

Very little. Every tile is drawn at the full 1080 × 1350 and saved as a JPG at 92% quality. What softens a tile is the source: a picture smaller than the grid has to be stretched to fill it. Very large pictures are also scaled down to 6,000 pixels on their longest side before cutting.

Why can't I use a file over 4 MB?

Because the whole job runs on your own device, phones included, the tool keeps files to 4 MB. If yours is bigger, save a copy as a JPG or at a smaller size. A 3×3 grid only needs about 3,040 × 4,050 pixels.

Can I see the grid before I download it?

Yes. While you frame the picture, dashed lines show where each tile will end. After you press Split, the preview shows every tile cropped the way your profile grid will crop it. The background can be black, white, grey or cream; the frame shows your pick straight away, so you can see what fills any space the picture leaves.

How do I keep the picture lined up after posting?

Upload the tiles in filename order and post nothing else until the last one is up. If Instagram offers to crop a tile, keep it at the full 4:5. The tiles are already cut for the 3:4 view your profile grid uses, so the picture carries straight across the joins there. Afterwards, post in threes: a single new post moves every tile one place along and breaks the picture up.

Can I post the tiles as a carousel instead?

Not well. Grid tiles are numbered for your profile, bottom-right first, and each one carries a thin strip of the tile beside it so the profile crop lines up. In a carousel they would run in the wrong order with a repeated sliver at every join. For a swipeable panorama, use our carousel splitter: it cuts a wide picture into 2 to 10 slides that run left to right, edge to edge.

Does it put a watermark on the tiles?

No. Each tile holds your picture and the background color you chose, and nothing else: no logo, no stamp, no corner badge. The tool is meant to be useful, and a watermark across your work would be a poor way to introduce iHatePosting.

Which image formats can I use?

JPG, PNG and WebP, up to 4 MB. Whatever you start with, the tiles come out as JPGs, so any transparent parts of a PNG take on the background color.

Will it work on my phone?

Yes. It's built for touch as well as a mouse: drag the picture into place with one finger, then tap a tile to save it or grab them all in one ZIP.

Can I save all the tiles in one go?

Yes. Download all saves one ZIP named after the layout (instagram-grid-3x3.zip for a 3×3), with every tile inside, already numbered in posting order. To save a single tile, tap or click it.

Do grid posts really get more engagement?

We have no data that proves it, so we won't promise it. What a grid does reliably is make a profile look planned: a visitor sees one big picture instead of a row of unrelated posts. Whether that earns a follow depends on the picture.

What's different about this grid maker?

Mostly the seams. Your profile grid shows only the middle 3:4 of each post, so tiles cut plainly side by side lose a sliver of picture at every join. This tool cuts for that 3:4 view, so the picture runs straight across, and each file is still a full 1080 × 1350 post. It also works entirely in your browser, and it's free: no watermark, no account, no ads.

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Cutting the grid was the easy part

Posting nine tiles in the right order is the fiddly bit. iHatePosting can schedule each one as its own Instagram post, from the same composer that posts to thirteen other networks.

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