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How do I build a wide homepage banner for my store from three product photos?

Add the three photos, set 3 columns so the collage is a single row, then choose the cell shape that gives your theme's banner proportions, since the height follows from the width automatically. At 1920 wide with portrait 2:3 cells you get a 1920 × 960 banner. Check the size your theme recommends, and compress the file before uploading.

Published · 3 min read

The banner ratio comes from the cell shape

In one row of three photos with no spacing, the banner is three cells wide and one cell tall. So each cell shape produces a different banner ratio, and you pick the shape to get the ratio you want, not the other way round. These figures come from the Image collage maker maker itself at a 1920 width, gap 0 and margin 0:

  • 2:3 portrait: each cell 640 × 960, banner 1920 × 960, a 2:1 ratio.
  • 1:1: each cell 640 × 640, banner 1920 × 640, a 3:1 ratio.
  • 4:3: each cell 640 × 480, banner 1920 × 480, a 4:1 ratio.
  • 16:9: each cell 640 × 360, banner 1920 × 360, a very thin strip.

Notice that a wide banner needs tall or square cells. Portrait product shots, such as perfume bottles or clothes on a model, suit 2:3 perfectly and fill their cells with very little cropping.

The steps

  1. Check your theme settings on Shopify, Salla or Zid for the recommended banner size or ratio, since themes differ.
  2. Add the three photos and order them with the most important product in the middle, where the eye lands first.
  3. Set “Columns” to 3 and choose the cell shape that gives your theme's ratio from the list above.
  4. Type the width you need, and set gap and margin to 0 for a continuous banner, or a small value for light dividers.
  5. Confirm the dimensions above the preview, then download as JPEG.

Spacing changes the height slightly

Worked example

The same 2:3 settings, but with a 12 px gap between the photos.

The output is 1920 × 948 instead of 1920 × 960, with each cell 632 × 948. The two gaps take 24 px of the width, so the cells get narrower and their height drops with them.

If your theme asks for an exact height, start with a gap of 0 or try values until the output matches. If you cannot hit the exact number, many themes crop or scale the banner to fit its slot anyway, and a close ratio is enough.

Before you upload

  • Compress the file with the Image compressor. The banner is the first thing your homepage loads, and a heavy file delays the whole store from appearing.
  • Some themes show the banner on phones with the sides cropped, so do not rely on the left or right cell alone for your key product. Open your store on a phone after uploading and check.
  • The tool does not add text, so the offer headline and the Shop now button are usually added by the theme on top of the banner from its settings.

Common questions

Can I build a banner from four or five photos?

Yes, set the columns equal to the number of photos, up to 6. Each extra photo narrows the cells and lowers the height, so you may need a taller shape.

What is the widest banner I can make?

8000 px, but a banner rarely needs more than the width of common desktop screens, and a larger width only makes the page heavier.

Can the middle photo be bigger?

Not in a grid row, where cells are equal. The “One large + small” layout puts the large photo on the left with the small ones in a column beside it, which does not give a wide banner shape.