How to Make a Photo Collage
A photo collage puts dozens or hundreds of pictures together in one image. Here's how to make one on your own computer in a few minutes, in a rectangle or in any shape you like, with the free Shape Collage program.
A heart made from about 100 photos
1. Choose your photos
Pick more photos than you think you need: collages look best with at least 30 to 50 pictures, and Shape Collage handles hundreds or even thousands. A mix of close-ups and wider shots, and a range of colours, makes the collage easier to look at. Put them in one folder so they're easy to add.
2. Add the photos
Download Shape Collage (free for Windows, Mac and Linux), open it, and drag the folder of photos into the photo box. You can also click the + button, or use File → Add Photos.
Photos in Google Drive, Google Photos, Facebook, Instagram or iCloud?
Shape Collage works with photos on your computer, so download them first, into one folder:
- Google Drive: select the photos or the folder, right-click, and choose Download. Several files arrive as a zip file; unzip it.
- Google Photos: select the photos (or open an album and select them), then choose Download from the menu. For whole albums or your entire library, use Google Takeout.
- iCloud Photos: on a Mac, select them in the Photos app and choose File → Export; on Windows or the web, select them at icloud.com/photos and click the download button.
- Facebook and Instagram: download your own photos with Download your information in the account settings (Accounts Center), choosing photos and media.
Then drag the folder into Shape Collage as in step 2.
3. Pick a shape
Choose the shape of the collage on the Shape and Size tab:
- Rectangle, heart or circle — the premade shapes
- Text — type a name, a word or a letter, or a number for a birthday or anniversary
- Draw — sketch your own shape in the program
- Custom shape — load any black-and-white PNG image, such as one of the 200+ free shapes
4. Set the size
Also on the Shape and Size tab, set the collage size (in pixels), the photo size, the number of photos and the spacing between them. Set any three and Shape Collage works out the fourth. For printing, make the collage large: about 300 pixels per inch of the printed size, so 3000 × 2400 pixels for a 10 × 8 inch print.
5. Create, then fine-tune
Click Create. Shape Collage arranges the photos automatically so they're evenly spread over the shape, usually in seconds. If you'd like a different look, change the settings and create it again. On the Appearance tab you can change the background (a colour, transparent, or another photo) and add borders around the photos; on the Advanced tab you can rotate the photos and add shadows. With Shape Collage Pro you can also move, rotate and swap individual photos by hand.
6. Save, print or share
Save the collage as a JPEG or PNG picture. Print it at home or at a photo lab, use it in a card or a scrapbook, set it as your desktop background, or share it online. Shape Collage Pro can also save a Photoshop file with every photo on its own layer, for adding text or effects.
Ideas
Tips for a better collage
- Use more photos for detailed shapes like letters: thin strokes need small photos to show their outline.
- Crop out photos that are mostly sky or blank wall; they look like gaps.
- A plain white or black background makes the shape stand out; a transparent background lets you place it on anything later.
- Turn on photo borders if your pictures blend into each other.
