> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.fotostudio.io/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # How to create a montage for your Instagram stories and posts # How to create a montage for your Instagram stories and posts A montage assembles the photos from a gallery into a series of images ready to publish on social media: 9:16 story, 1:1 square post, or 4:5 portrait post. Unlike the slideshow, which produces a video, the montage produces **still images** that you download and then publish from your phone. Each image in the sequence becomes a file. The montage is not saved to your gallery: it exists only for the duration of the composition, until it's exported. ## ⚡ The fastest way: the suggested story As soon as a gallery is **online**, a **Share this gallery as a story** card appears at the top of its page. ![The suggestion card and the choice of series](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-18225_adeql1.png =600x417) / Click `Create my story`: Fotostudio automatically composes a series of images from the gallery's photos, opening on the cover photo. The arrow to the right of the button lets you choose another series: * **Teaser story**: an opening, two boards, an end card — a gallery announcement in 4 images. * **Gallery recap**: the cover then boards of 4 photos — "here's everything," in 3 images. * **Prints series**: three photos presented as framed prints, for a portfolio look. When generation is finished, the images appear in the card: click an image to enlarge it, or the download icon to grab it. The `Customize` button opens the editor with the series already in place. ![The generated story, ready to download](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-18314_ndu9xi.png =600x429) `Hide` makes the suggestion disappear for this gallery only. You can always create a montage from the Share button. ## 🖼️ Opening the montage editor Open your gallery, click the **Share** button, then **Create a montage**. ![The gallery's Share menu](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-18320_ur5277.png =600x284) The first time, a guided tour presents each area of the editor. You can restart it anytime from the help button, to the right of the title. ![The montage editor](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-18551_11yd2t4.png =800xauto) The screen is divided into four areas: the photo **library** on the left, the **sequence** of images, the **preview** of the selected image, and the **settings** on the right. The **Export** button stays at the top right, whatever panel is open. On mobile, the sequence, photos and settings become three tabs below the preview; export stays accessible at the top of the screen. ## 1. Building the sequence Each row in the sequence corresponds to one exported image. A montage can contain up to 20. Everything starts with the **Add** button, which offers two families: ![The Add menu](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-18560_meazfa.png =500x1029) **Layouts** — each layout adds **a single image**, composition already in place: * **Single image**: one photo, with no particular layout. * **Stacked bands**: three photos in horizontal bands, title placed over them. * **Photo and title**: one photo, the title large below it. * **Translucent panel**: full-frame photo and caption on a frosted panel. * **Diptych**: two photos side by side on a wide margin. * **Grid of 4**: four photos in a grid, introduced by a line of text. * **Framed print**: a single photo on a large margin, like a hung print. * **Title card**: text only, to open or close a series. **Ready-to-use series** — a series lays down **several images at once** and fills them automatically with the gallery's photos. It's the fastest way to get started: all that's left is to change what you don't like. When you choose a series while your montage already contains images, the editor asks what to do with them: ![Add after or replace everything](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-19263_120gd82.png =600x187) * **Add after**: the images from the series are added after yours. * **Replace all**: the series replaces the entire current layout. In the list, you can: * **Reorder** the images by drag and drop, using the handle. * Click the **shuffle** icon to randomly select new photos from this image. * **Delete** an image. Click a row to select it: this is the image displayed in the preview, the one affected by the settings, and the one whose text fields open just below. ## 2. Place the photos ![The library, sequence and preview](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-20014_ps38sq.png =700x470) Two ways to fill a slot: * **Drag and drop** a photo from the library directly into a slot in the preview. * **Click** a slot, then click a photo in the library. Photos already used in the layout are marked in the library to help you avoid duplicates. To swap two photos, click the two corresponding slots one after the other, or drag one onto the other. By default, a photo is cropped to fill its slot. Hover over a slot and click the **crop** icon to enter crop mode: drag the photo to choose which part remains visible. If you prefer not to crop anything, enable **Full photo** in the settings. ## 3. Add text The selected image can have a **title** and a **subtitle**, entered directly below its row in the sequence. The `{ }` button to the right of the field inserts a **gallery variable**, which is automatically replaced when exporting: ![The gallery variables menu](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-20211_1918c5w.png =600x349) * **Gallery name** — `{gallery}` * **Client name** — `{client}` * **Shooting date** — `{date}` * **Year** — `{year}` Ready-to-use series already use these variables: your text will therefore be correct for each gallery, without having to type it again. You can also add a caption to each photo individually via **Slot texts**, in the settings. ## 4. Set the style The settings apply to the **selected image**. ![The Settings panel](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/09-reglages_13sd3l8.png) **Theme** — two visual styles: **Minimal** (simple and timeless) or **Editorial** (more distinctive typography). The **Use gallery theme** button uses the colours, font and rounded corners from your gallery theme, keeping the design consistent with what your clients see. **Photos**: * **Photo corners**: Square, Slight, Strong. * **Spacing** between slots: None, Small, Medium, Large. * **Full photo**: displays the photo without cropping. * **Slot texts**: a caption for each photo. **Text**: * **Text position**: Above, Below or On the photo. * **Alignment**: top / middle / bottom, left / centre / right. * Text **font** and **colour**. * **Panel**: the colour of the banner behind the text, its rounded corners, and a background blur to keep the text readable regardless of the photo. **Image**: * **Background**: the image's background colour. * **Margin**: the space around the composition. The **Apply to all images** button applies the current image's formatting (colours, font, spacing and text position) to the entire series. This is useful for harmonising a sequence in one go, but it replaces the formatting of the other images. ## 📤 Export images Click **Export** in the top right, then select one or more formats: ![Choosing the export formats](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-20214_nvgksp.png =600x246) * **Story 9:16**: vertical format for Instagram and Facebook stories. * **Square post 1:1**: the classic feed format. * **Portrait post 4:5**: the vertical feed format, which takes up more screen space. Then click `Export X image(s)`: the total corresponds to the number of images in the sequence multiplied by the number of formats. Only export the formats you need: each additional format multiplies the number of images to be generated. You can close the window while the images are being rendered: the process continues in the background, and a badge on the Export button shows the number of images ready. ![Exported images, ready to download](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/1/0/6/1106822c7ec6b200/screenshot-2026-09-07-at-20224_d1uawi.png =600x923) Once rendering is complete, each image appears as a thumbnail. Click the download icon to download it, or click the thumbnail to enlarge it before downloading. Exported images are also added to your gallery as **hidden photos**: they are not visible to your clients, and the gallery watermark is not applied to them. ## ⚠️ Good to know * **Nothing is saved until you export.** If you leave the editor before exporting, the composition is lost. Export before closing. * **Publishing remains manual**: Fotostudio generates the images, then you publish them from Instagram or Facebook. There is no automatic publishing. * A layout is limited to **20 images**.