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How do I make a 1080 x 1920 collage for an Instagram story when the tool will not let me type the height?

In the collage maker the height is a result, not a field: it is the two margins plus the row heights plus the gaps between rows. So you pick settings that add up to 1920. Three photos in one column, a 16:9 cell shape, a 48 px gap, 0 margin and a 1080 px width give exactly 1080 × 1920.

Published · 3 min read

Why there is no height field

In the Image collage maker maker every cell in the grid shares one height, and that height comes from the column width and the cell shape. If the tool let you type any height, it would have to stretch or distort your photos. So work backwards instead: what do I change so the output lands on 1920? The cell shape list offers 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 3:4, 2:3 and 16:9. There is no ready 9:16 shape, so a tall result comes from stacking rows.

Two recipes that hit 1920 exactly

  1. Three landscape photos: “Columns” 1, cell shape 16:9, “Gap between images (px)” 48, “Outer margin (px)” 0, width 1080. Each photo is 1080 × 608, and the two gaps add 96 px.
  2. Two square photos in a wide frame: “Columns” 1, cell shape 1:1, gap 0, margin 120, width 1080. Each photo is 840 × 840, framed by 120 px of background color.
  3. After setting everything, read the “Output:” line above the preview and do not download until it says 1080×1920.
Worked example

The first recipe in numbers: 3 × 608 + 2 × 48 = 1920.

The common trap: the tool starts with a 16 px gap and a 16 px margin, so the same recipe comes out at only 1080 × 1834. With gap 0 and margin 0 it is 1080 × 1824.

When the result is a little short or tall

In the first recipe each pixel of gap counts twice, because there are two gaps, and each pixel of margin also counts twice, top and bottom. So if you are 20 px short, add 10 px to the gap. The second recipe behaves the other way round: a bigger margin shrinks both photos, because the width is fixed, and the total height drops. Change one setting at a time and watch the number.

If you also need a smaller copy of the same shape, such as 720 × 1280, download the 1080 × 1920 collage and scale it down proportionally with the Image resizer. Scaling by the same ratio keeps the tall shape with no cropping.

Before you post the story

  • Check the size the platform currently recommends. Platforms change their guidance, and the tool accepts any width from 200 to 8000.
  • The story interface covers part of the top and bottom with your account name and the reply bar, so keep prices and product details away from both edges. The framed second recipe keeps the photos off the edges for you.
  • The tool does not add text, so captions and stickers go on inside the app after you upload the image.

Common questions

Why not use 6 photos in 2 columns?

With a 2:3 cell and a 1080 width that comes out at 1080 × 2430, taller than you need. A two column grid can work with fewer rows or a wider cell shape, and the size updates instantly so you can compare.

Can I use portrait photos in the first recipe?

They will be cropped to fill the landscape 16:9 cells. For portrait photos choose “Contain whole image” or use the second recipe.

Which format should I download?

JPEG suits photo stories, and it is saved at quality 92.