Today, you’ll learn how to create a seamless carousel post by designing a photo collage in Adobe Illustrator.
Gone are the days of simply posting one photo to your Instagram feed. Today, we have Instagram stories, IGTV, reels, and carousel posts.
These features allow us to engage with our audience, especially by having the opportunity to post more than one photo through a carousel. Carousel Instagram posts often get three times more engagement than regular posts.
Follow along in the video below or read through the summary for a detailed guide. Open up Adobe Illustrator now and let’s get started!
Set up Your Document
Begin by creating a new document. This is important in making sure your posts are set up to create a seamless experience.
First, start by setting your dimensions to 1080 x 1080 pixels, then set your Artboards to however many posts you want in your carousel. For this example, I’m setting it to four. Have your Color Mode set to RGB and Raster Effects set to 72 ppi.
From there, scroll down to More Settings. Change the Spacing to 0 px and set Arrange By Row. Then, click New Document and your workspace is ready to design on.
Add Your Background
It’s ideal to create the same consistent background throughout all of your artboards for a seamless transition. For these posts, I’ll make a gradient so it stays cohesive while still providing some variation as you scroll through.
Start by using the Rectangle Tool. Pull-and-drag the corner of the rectangle over all four posts. Make sure it extends beyond the edges of the artboards.
Using the Gradient Tool, click anywhere in your rectangle to add the gradient texture. Click on the colors to edit them to your color of choice. Once you’ve selected your colors, adjust your gradient by dragging the middle diamond icon across the gradient line.
Add Your Photos
Whether you’re adding photos or design elements, it’s important to have them extend over the edge of each artboard to create that seamless look.
To add photos, go to top menu > File > Place and select your photos. You can add them all at once and click anywhere on your workspace to get started.
From here, make sure they’re all selected and resized accordingly. Pull-and-drag each one to the desired placement. Be sure to arrange them in way that makes sense when they’re posted alone, but also work together as your followers scroll through.
Create Design Elements
Now that we have our photos in order, let’s add some whimsical design elements throughout our posts. These lines are ideal for a carousel post because it creates a seamless touch.
Now double-click the Paintbrush Tool to edit its settings. If you want a smoother line, set the Fidelity to Smooth. This will allow some wiggle room if you make any mistakes drawing your line.
Change the colors in your toolbar to get your Paintbrush ready. Take out the Fill Color by pressing “/“, then change your Fill Color to whatever you’d like. I’m making this a lighter hue of the color we used in the gradient background.
Now, draw through your posts. If you don’t like the result, press Command + Z to start over. Once you have a line that you like, select it using the Selection Tool to make adjustments in your Windows.
I increased the Stroke to 3 pt, turned the Opacity down to 60%, and changed the Brush to 5 pt Flat. Feel free to experiment with different settings to find what looks best for you.
To duplicate your line to create a wave, select your line while holding down Alt/Option on your keyboard. Rotate your line and move it slightly away from the original to achieve this look. Repeat this to keep adding lines and texture to your posts (optional, of course).
Add Text
Since this is a tutorial post, we’ll be adding text throughout each of these four posts. To get started, click on your Type Tool (“T” as a shortcut).
Set up your font by heading to your Character Window. Select the font along with other settings, such as Leading (for line spacing) and Tracking (for the space between characters). I’m using Glacial Indifference and setting the Tracking to 50.
Click anywhere to start typing and adjust as needed. You can click-and-drag your text onto each post. If you need to resize, use the Character Panel. Or adjust using the transform box while holding down Shift to keep your text proportional.
Next, duplicate the text you just created to keep adding more text throughout this carousel. You can click-and-drag your text while holding down Alt/Option on your keyboard to duplicate.
Export and Post to Instagram
Your posts are done and ready to go! To export these files and get them ready for Instagram, head to your top menu > File > Export > Export As.
Name your files whatever you like. They’ll sequence themselves numerically by artboard number. Save them as a PNG, check Use Artboards, then check All. Now, you have your four posts saved and ready to share on Instagram.
Use what you learned today to put your own creative touch on your Instagram carousels. You’re free to use up to ten images. Go on! Boost your engagement and grow your Instagram, now!
For more Instagram tips and advice, take a look at these articles:
- The Best Way to Grow Your Instagram Community—Build Organically
- How to Make Swipe-Up Instagram Stories
- Instagram Reels, Finally a TikTok Competitor?
- 11 Creative Tips for Using Instagram Stories in 2020
- 6 Tips for Editing Instagram Reels
Cover image via Irina Strelnikova.
