How to use an Instagram carousel in 2021

and make seamless carousels a highlight of your profile.

Contents

How to make an Instagram carousel

And like a regular post! With one caveat – add several photos instead of one.

Post carousel Instagram — *When starting to add a new post, by default, you open Stories creation. Swipe your Story to the right to Post a photo or video to your feed*

Click “Select several”, and indicate with numbers in what sequence and what photos will be published. Then apply the filter to all images at once, or edit each one individually. Write your text, add hashtags and post the carousel on Instagram.

You can upload a maximum of 10 photos or videos to the Instagram carousel.

Remember the technical point: the format of the entire carousel is set by the first photo or video.

That is, if your carousel cover is a standard square, and the next image is in 4: 5 format, then be prepared for the fact that the social network will cut it to a square. This is often overlooked, especially when posting videos.

There are unspoken rules for publishing photo carousels on Instagram:

if what you want to show can cause a contradictory reaction from users, hide it on slide 2 or 3 of the carousel, and warn readers in the text of the post about it;
if you want to place text in slides – start placing at least 2 slides, put a photo on the first one. An exception is brand pages created solely for customer reviews;
if you have an advertising publication, use the rule of constructing slides as with text: cover, intro, body, call to action.

If you are afraid that users will forget to look through the pictures, remind them about it. This can be done in two ways:

write in the text of the post;
on the cover of the carousel, that is, on the first slide, put the arrow to the right.

how many photos are in the Instagram carousel — *An example of using an arrow on the cover of a carousel. A good idea to add text to a slide in an Instagram carousel: it’s clear where the arrow leads*

Please note that it is not possible to add a photo to the Instagram carousel after the post is released. By opening the post editing, you can mark the account in the pictures, change the text or geotag, but not the pictures themselves. Therefore, always check if everything is in order immediately after the carousel is published. If something is wrong, delete and download again.

How to make a seamless Instagram carousel

A seamless carousel is when you flip through the slides and get a single image.

adidasrussia actively uses this technique — *Adidas actively uses this technique*

The idea is simple – so that when you flip through a photo in the gallery, you get a single image, you should make a carousel on Instagram from one image (panorama, blank), divided into separate photos in 1: 1 or 4: 5 format.

Is it better to use 1: 1 or 4: 5? Let’s compare:

*Square format is suitable for regular posting, elongated format for advertising carousels to capture all the attention of the reader on the screen*

For everything to work out, the stock for dividing by slides in the carousel should be in the following proportions:

if the pictures in the carousel are square, the height is 1080 pixels, and the length of 1080 is the number of slides in the carousel. If there are 4 of them, then the length should be 4320 pixels;
for 4: 5 format, the length of the image will be calculated as for square pictures. If you do not want to memorize all the lengths of the formats, it is easy to calculate the height, remembering school algebra lessons.

We make the proportion:

1080 pixels – 4 parts

X pixels – 5 parts

X = 1080 * 5/4 = 1350 pixels.

To summarize: for a carousel of 4 square pictures, the original photo should be 4320 x 1080. For a carousel of 4 pictures in 4: 5 format, the original image will be 4320 x 1350.

Let’s clarify that 1080 pixels is the maximum width and height of an Instagram square. Your pictures may well be smaller, but you already know how to calculate the rest of the lengths.

Consider creating a seamless carousel:

using the example of a finished image;
using an example of a created illustration from scratch.

Algorithm:

We create a blank using a suitable program.
We cut into slides using another suitable program.
Uploading images to Instagram in the form of a photo carousel.

Creating a blank using the example of a finished image

Take Canva.

If you have never used this popular service, learn all about it in our article: ” Canva Service Overview “.

Go to the home page and select a custom size for your future design. Set image parameters and click “Create Design”.

*In the Elements section, open the grids and find a grid with 4 images in a row. Drag the grid onto the workspace*

This is necessary so that you can see where the borders of the pictures for the carousel will go. For convenience, reduce the mesh so that it stays only at the very bottom.

You can also mark the future borders of the slides using a liner. Go to File – Show Rulers. Move the cursor over the ruler until you see the back and forth arrows. Click, and without releasing, drag the line to the desired location. Convenient, but less fast way.

*Upload your image to make the carousel from. Drag it to the work area and expand it the way you like*

We stretched the photo across the entire area of the future carousel images, moved the image up and down to select the best fragment. To make the frame grid visible, send the photo to background by right-clicking on it.

So, the main image is ready. Write text on slides in Instagram carousel, additional elements, frames. Then remove the mesh from the image.

*Download the image to your computer by clicking on the corresponding button in the upper right corner*

Remember that if you used paid elements in your design, you will have to buy them.

Creating a blank from scratch

The principle of creating a blank for a carousel from scratch is the same as using a finished image, only the background or a combination of some elements is taken as the basis.

*We took one of the free backgrounds, added text, a picture and graphic elements: a grid and an image of a cupcake*

Arranged the text so that it does not break with the border of the slides. When everything was ready, we removed the grid and saved the image.

We cut the workpiece into slides on a smartphone

Programs that can cut a panoramic image into parts are enough. Let’s look at PanoramaSplit as an example .

On the main page, click choose photo and add the created template to the program. There are two main tools:

number of carousel slides – numbers at the bottom of the screen;
adjusting the size of the picture for slides – the slider above the numbers.

The point is as follows: choose the intended number of slides, the program shows the corresponding frames on the blank. By moving the slider, adjust the image so that it occupies the entire space of the future carousel. Click split, and on the next screen post to instagram.

Do not be alarmed that the publication will begin right now, no. It’s just that the button for saving to the Smartphone Gallery is called so here.

*After all the manipulations, your cut pictures will be waiting in the Phone Gallery in the corresponding folder*

We cut the workpiece into slides on the computer

There are also many options to make several images from one image on a computer. For fans of online services – IMGonline .

The service is simple: select an image, specify the number of chunks in width, and include square chunks. The service will offer to download an archive with ready-made pictures or download them one by one

And for lovers of programs there is Photoshop, in which you can not only cut into pieces, but also create from scratch.

Features of the process: we use the “Cutting” tool, we save the result for the WebWhen the pictures are ready, add the carousel to Instagram and enjoy!

Examples of beautiful seamless Instagram carousels

The main niche for using seamless carousels on Instagram is ads that appear on your feed. But there are accounts that have made such carousels their feature.

*When viewing each slide, a piece of the next photo is visible, which makes the user flip through … yes, at least out of curiosity 🙂*

Of course, you could just put three photos in the carousel and not invent. But it’s more interesting, more creative, and maintains the overall style of the page.

Examples of seamless Instagram carousels — *The principle is also applied here, when a part of a slide “climbs” onto another*

Such oblique / straight transitions are a distinctive feature of the BMW blog. An unusual way to show the product from different angles.

And here is a double seamless technique – both in general view in the profile and when opening one of the posts

An interesting solution: first, when flipping through blog posts, the gaze clings to a single picture, and then it is spurred by interest to flip through slides in the carousel to see the steering wheel.

Not quite a seamless carousel, but at first glance it is impossible to understand this, because the general style is preserved on all slides: cloudy background, flexible lines, white / light tones, uniform contrast and brightness of pictures

And in this video – a unique seamless video carousel!

Take a closer look: one of the animation fragments coincides with the following

How to make an Instagram carousel from a computer

Start creating a new post on Instagram. Those who are not familiar with the posting service on social networks. In the new post creation window that opens, click the "Photo / Video" button, and select all the images that should be in the carousel

In the new post creation window that opens, click the “Photo / Video” button, and select all the images that should be in the carousel

Fans of a unified style will find it convenient to go straight from the application to Canva by clicking on the appropriate button, create an image there, and … it will be immediately added to this post creation window.

If you only need a small correction of existing pictures, click on the pencil in the upper left corner of the image. The built-in photo editor it is at your service.

After the images are ready, write the post text, add hashtags, tags, choose the time of the stay and publish. This is a convenient way to post carousels to Instagram from your computer.

How to use a carousel on Instagram commercial accounts

Let’s move on to cases using albums.

Before and After Case

Makeup artists, photographers, and stylists are more jubilant than others: they don’t have to make ugly collages to show the effect of their work. Feel free to upload the final result to the main album, and hide the details of the work inside it.

Instagram carousel examples — *My favorite column for photographers: the result and the place where it was filmed. Sometimes it’s downright shock content!*

Case “360 degrees”

This case was asked for in the pens of the sellers of everything: clothes, equipment, cosmetics. Now the product can be shown from all sides. If you sell clothes, take a photo of the model in the dress from the front, side and back. It is important for online shoppers to see the product from different angles.

The carousel function allows you to show the product from different sides — Oh, they forgot to take off from the back! And if it’s no joke, it is always convenient to see the product not only by its “face”. I especially like to see the sole when looking at the shoe, rather than asking questions under the post, is grooved or smooth.

SFS (mentioned per mention)

It is noticeable that Instagram makes its updates not only in favor of promoting the business, but also in the direction of getting rid of the trash. At first, we were allowed to remove all unnecessary things in Stories, and now it can be done in albums as well. SFS results were usually posted by bloggers in the form of a continuous feed of posts. Quite frankly, this did not please the audience in any way. Now the results can be hidden in albums. Or spread only in History, yes.

Case “Master class”

For example, you have a blog about SMM and you train people. Combine tips on one topic, overlay them on a photo or picture, and upload them to an album. If you did an interview, but you know that no one will go to your site from Instagram, take the main phrases and fill them in the album. Making cakes? Explain the process step by step in the photo. And so on.

You can endlessly look at three things: fire, water, and how someone turns food into a ready-made dish :) — *You can endlessly look at three things: fire, water, and how someone turns food into a ready-made dish 🙂*

Case “Comics”

Creating a 10-slide story on a blog topic is fun not only for creators, but also for readers.

Case “Hidden Text”

It doesn’t matter if the 2200 characters of the post were really not enough to describe your thoughts. Describing the essence for 1000 characters in the text of the post, and then sending it to the end of the carousel is a way to keep the reader as long as possible. And those who first start scrolling through the carousel will see the text and are more likely to start reading the information under the carousel, i.e. from the beginning.

It’s easy to make such a carousel – just write the entire post in notes on your smartphone or in a notebook on your computer, and then take screenshots. You can remove unnecessary things using standard image editing tools.

*This format works especially well for advertising posts.*

See how competently: take the readers to the carousel, but before showing the text – once again demonstrate the product. And at the end, finishing with a chord again, a photo of the product. A five for a blogger for such a product presentation.

Case “Menu or catalog”

Carousels are designed for restaurants and cafes. With their help, it is convenient to present a seasonal menu or a special offer. You can also create a product catalog. Use Instagram succinctly, the more it contributes to this.

Let’s summarize

The moral of “this fable” is this: give people the opportunity to linger on your post using the carousel on Instagram. Now you know what it is and how to upload it to the social network!

But if your photos do not yet reach the “Instagram” level, read our material ” How to make a professional photo for Instagram ” and become aces in the world of photo pictures!