Splitting is mechanically simple — cut a picture into equal tiles — but three details decide whether the result looks impressive or broken.

Get the Source Ratio Right First

Each tile must match the platform's expected shape, so the whole image's ratio is the tile ratio multiplied by the grid:

  • 3 × 3 of square tiles → source must be 1:1 overall (e.g. 3240 × 3240, giving 1080 × 1080 tiles).
  • 3 × 1 row of squares → source is 3:1 (3240 × 1080).
  • 3 × 3 of 4:5 portrait tiles → source is 3240 × 4050, tiles 1080 × 1350.
  • Carousel of N slides → source width = N × slide width, same height.

Crop your image to that overall ratio *before* splitting. Otherwise the splitter either distorts the tiles or trims edges you cared about.

Design for the Gaps

Profile grids display tiles with visible gutters between them, so the picture is never truly continuous — a thin slice is always hidden. Design around it:

  • Keep faces and text away from tile edges. A face split across two tiles looks wrong in the grid and is unusable when someone opens a single post.
  • Favor images with large, simple shapes: skyline, gradient sky, a big product silhouette. Detailed scenes turn to mush at grid size.
  • Every tile should stand alone. People will see individual posts in the feed, not just the grid. A tile that's pure background is a wasted post.

Post in Reverse Order

Feeds place the newest post first — top-left in a profile grid. So to assemble a 3 × 3 correctly you must upload starting from the bottom-right tile and finishing with the top-left. Name your exported files 9, 8, 7 … 1 to avoid a mistake that can only be fixed by deleting and reposting.

Also: post the whole set in one sitting. A half-finished grid sitting on your profile for a day looks like a bug.

Export Settings

  • Cut from the full-resolution original, then check that each tile still meets the platform's minimum (1080 px on the short edge for most).
  • Export tiles as JPEG quality 85–90. Compressing after splitting is fine; just don't compress twice.
  • Keep the tiles in a single folder or ZIP with numbered names — you'll be uploading them one at a time on a phone, and clear names prevent ordering mistakes.
  • Save the uncut master. Grids get remade when a profile is redesigned, and re-cutting from the original beats stitching tiles back together.