Splitting Images for Instagram Carousels
The Carousel Splitter is a free standalone tool that slices a single wide image into 2–8 equal squares. Posted as an Instagram carousel, the squares line up edge to edge so followers see one continuous image as they swipe.
It's great for panoramas, before/after reveals, product showcases, step-by-step tutorials, and any visual story you want to stretch across multiple slides.
Opening the tool
Go straight to r2ware.dev/carousel — it's a public page, so no account or sign-in is required.
How it works
The splitter takes one source image and cuts it into vertical strips of equal width, then squares each strip up to Instagram's optimal 1080×1080px. Swiped left-to-right in the app, the strips reassemble into the original image.
Step by step
- Upload your image. Drag it onto the drop zone, or click to browse.
- Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, HEIC
- Maximum file size: 100 MB
- Minimum dimensions: 320×320px (Instagram's floor)
- Landscape orientation works best — the wider the image, the more slides it can fill.
- Choose how many pieces. Pick anywhere from 2 to 8 (4 is the default and the most common). Each piece becomes one slide in the carousel.
- Click "Split Image." Your upload is processed and packaged into a ZIP.
- Enter your email to get the download link. The tool asks for an email (name optional) before handing over the ZIP — you'll also get occasional design tips and tools. After you submit once, your browser remembers it for 30 days, so repeat splits download immediately.
- Download the ZIP and extract it. Inside you'll find the slices, named in order:
filename_1_of_4.jpg,filename_2_of_4.jpg, and so on.
Recommended dimensions
Each slice is squared to 1080×1080px, so for a perfectly sharp result your source image should be 1080px tall and 1080px wide per slide. Match your source width to the number of pieces:
| Pieces | Recommended size | Aspect ratio | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2160×1080px | 2:1 | Before/after shots |
| 3 | 3240×1080px | 3:1 | Triptych designs |
| 4 | 4320×1080px | 4:1 | The most popular carousel size |
| 5 | 5400×1080px | 5:1 | Step-by-step content |
| 6 | 6480×1080px | 6:1 | Detailed tutorials or stories |
| 7 | 7560×1080px | 7:1 | Extended narratives |
| 8 | 8640×1080px | 8:1 | Maximum-length carousel |
Higher resolutions at the same aspect ratio work too — the tool just scales each square down to 1080px.
Posting to Instagram
- In Instagram, start a new post and tap the Select Multiple icon.
- Add the slices in numerical order (
_1_of_4,_2_of_4, …). Order is everything — Instagram posts them exactly as you select them. - Preview the carousel before publishing to confirm the seams line up.
- Consider adding a swipe cue (e.g. "Swipe →") in your caption.
Tips for a clean split
- Keep important content away from the seams. Faces, logos, and key text that land exactly on a cut get divided across two slides.
- Mind the composition flow. Each slide should also read reasonably well on its own, since followers may pause on one.
- Test a couple of split counts. The same image can feel very different as 3 slides versus 5.
- Keep text large enough to stay legible after each piece is squared to 1080px.
Notes
- Privacy: Uploaded images are stored on our servers only temporarily for processing.
- Quality: Slices are exported at high JPEG quality, so the carousel stays crisp.