Image layout
Image grids, stitching, and splitting: preserve the geometry you mean
Combining or splitting images creates a new geometry. The output is only reliable when image order, cell dimensions, gaps, background, scaling, and final pixels are all explicit and reviewable.
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Layout is not merely a visual operation
A side-by-side stitch changes the width of the result; a vertical stack changes its height. A grid may also introduce empty cells, scale mismatched sources, flatten transparency, or reorder source files. A filename sequence is not a sufficient record of those decisions.
Before you start, name the intended reading order and whether every input should retain its original aspect ratio. Then choose fixed cells, a fitting rule, and a background treatment. That produces an output another reviewer can understand rather than an unexplained montage.
Worked example: two landscape screenshots joined side by side
Two 1200 × 800 screenshots can be joined without resampling into a 2400 × 800 canvas. Adding a 24-pixel gap produces 2424 × 800. If the second image is actually 1200 × 900, forcing it into the first image’s height either scales it, crops it, or leaves a deliberate empty region.
The right output is not determined by the tool. A comparison sheet may need equal cell sizes; a record of two screenshots may need the full original pixels. State that choice in the receipt or delivery note.
| Choice | Resulting behaviour | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Keep original heights | A mismatch requires alignment or empty area. | Are unscaled source pixels more important? |
| Fit both to 800 pixels high | The taller image is resampled. | Does the smaller text remain legible? |
| Crop the taller image | Both panels share the same height. | Was required content removed? |
Splitting needs an equally clear boundary
Splitting a long image into tiles can support an upload limit or a presentation sequence, but it can cut a line of text, object edge, barcode, or signature at a boundary. The split dimensions are therefore editorial decisions, not only arithmetic.
Keep a map of the tile order and verify the exact output sizes. If the recipient needs a continuous original, splitting may be the wrong solution even when every tile is technically valid.
Inspect seams, not just the outer rectangle
Open a completed layout at a comfortable size. Check for one-pixel seams, misaligned baselines, changes in background, clipped transparency, accidental reordering, and unreadable scaled text. A successful download does not prove that those details are correct.
For evidence, products, or documents, retain the individual sources and the named composite. A combined image is a derivative presentation, not a replacement for every original input.
Desktop tools and commands
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