A collage for Instagram stories and WhatsApp status that opens at 1080 × 1920, suggests vertical layouts for the photos you add, and shades the top and bottom bands where the app’s own buttons will sit.
A worked example: three photos at 9:16
Hero over a strip
74% kept
2 justified rows
69% kept
Hero on top
69% kept
Safe bands
- Drawn, not exported. The bands are guides on the board only.
- Adjustable. 250 px at top and bottom by default; set each from 0 to a quarter of the height.
- Faces counted. When faces have been found, any face reaching into a band is counted.
| Family | Photos | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Stack | 2–5 | Equal bands, top to bottom |
| Hero over a strip | 3–5 | One large photo, the rest in a row below |
| Staggered columns | 4, 6, 8 | Two columns offset by half a cell |
When another mode is better
A feed post: Instagram collage. Words on the story: collage with text.
Your photos never leave this device.
The 250 px bands are a guideline; each app draws its controls differently and changes them. Stickers, music and links are added in the app after you post.
Asked and answered
What size is a story?
1080 × 1920 pixels, the 9:16 canvas most story and status formats use. Platforms differ and change; the size list labels it as a common canvas to check.
What are the shaded bands?
Where story apps lay their own controls over the picture: the profile line at the top, the reply bar at the bottom. 250 px each is a common guideline, not a platform rule; you can change both.
Are the bands in the file?
No. They are drawn on the board only. The export is the whole 1080 × 1920 picture.
Does it work for WhatsApp status?
Yes — status uses the same tall shape. Export JPEG and share it from your phone's gallery.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. Everything is drawn and exported in this tab.
