Size your panels before you order
One picture across equal panels in a horizontal row. Choose each front face’s size or work back from the full wall span.
Worked example below. Calculate to check your own sizes.
Worked example: three 16 × 24 in panels, 2 in gaps, a 4032 × 3024 px photo continuing behind the gaps.
Each panel 16 in × 24 in · span 52 in
A triptych: 3 equal 16 in × 24 in panels with 2 in gaps. The picture continues behind the gaps, so lines stay aligned across the wall; thin slices of the image are hidden in each gap.
Green: canvas panels. Dashed outline: the full span including gaps, drawn to scale from your sizes.
- Each panel
- 16 in × 24 in
- Total display span
- 52 in × 24 in
- Crop your photo to
- 4,032 × 1,861 px
- Photo area after outer crop
- 61.54%
Crop aspect 2.17:1 from a 4,032 × 3,024 px photo, cropped from the centre. About 77.54 pixels per printed inch on each panel. Compare this with your printer’s requirements; image detail, material and viewing distance also affect the result.
Per-panel crop windows for the cropped photo
| Panel | Cropped width | Original X (px) |
|---|---|---|
| Panel 1 | 0%–30.8% | 0–1,240.62 |
| Panel 2 | 34.6%–65.4% | 1,395.69–2,636.31 |
| Panel 3 | 69.2%–100% | 2,791.38–4,032 |
All panels use original Y = 581.54–2,442.46 px. Coordinates start at the top-left corner; right/bottom edges are exclusive. Values are rounded for display. Use one shared rounded boundary for adjacent slices.
Slices between panels fall in the wall gaps and are not printed.
The outer crop percentage excludes any slices lost in the gaps. A planning guide, not a print-ready photo file. Equal rectangular front faces only; wrap, bleed and frames are not included. Confirm your printer’s available sizes and bleed before ordering.
A size and crop plan, not a print-ready photo file. Input values stay on this page and are not saved or sent in tool analytics.
Explore custom portrait styles →How to size a triptych for your wall
A triptych splits one image across three panels. Measure the full display width from the left edge of the first panel to the right edge of the last, including the two gaps. The calculator subtracts those gaps and divides the remaining width equally. You choose the panel height separately; wall width alone cannot determine it.
For example, a 52 inch display with three panels and two 2 inch gaps leaves 48 inches of canvas: each panel is 16 inches wide. At 24 inches tall, each front face is 16 × 24 inches. In centimetres, a 140 cm span with three panels and 4 cm gaps gives each panel a width of 44 cm. Tape paper rectangles to the wall to check the arrangement before ordering.
Choose what happens to the picture at the gaps
“Continues behind the gaps” treats the whole display as a single image with narrow strips hidden by the wall gaps. A straight horizon can continue at the same slope across the display. Keep faces, text and other important details away from those missing strips. “Split edge-to-edge” divides the cropped image into adjoining slices, then spaces the panels apart: it preserves the cropped image content, but a diagonal line will shift across each gap.
The photo dimensions let the calculator find a centred outer crop and locate each panel within your original image. Enter width and height in pixels from your photo’s file information; there is no upload. The table gives horizontal percentages of the cropped image plus X and Y coordinates in the original. These are planning coordinates, rounded for display, not exported photo files. Reposition the crop in your editor if the centre cuts through the subject.
The formulas and what this tool leaves out
For n equal panels, width w and gap g, total span S = n × w + (n − 1) × g. Starting from a span, w = [S − (n − 1) × g] ÷ n. The crop aspect is S ÷ height when the picture continues behind the gaps, or (n × w) ÷ height for an edge-to-edge split. The source image is cropped centrally to that aspect without stretching. Pixels per inch are the cropped pixel width divided by that crop’s physical width in inches.
This calculator plans one horizontal row of equal rectangular front faces. It does not add wrap, rear material, frames, unequal panel heights or hanging hardware. Sizes are mathematical results, not a list of products available to order. Use the canvas bleed calculator for the material around each panel and the canvas size calculator for a single print’s pixel-to-size check.
Arranging several separate pictures? Use the gallery wall layout planner. For a display of small photos on one board, use the memory board photo planner. Those layouts serve different tasks from splitting one image across canvases.
How it works
- Choose inches or centimetres and two to five panels. Start from either the total display width, including gaps, or the width of each panel.
- Enter the panel height and gap. Choose how the picture crosses the gaps, then enter your original photo’s pixel width and height for crop coordinates.
- Calculate, inspect the scale diagram and crop windows, and copy the plan. Check the subject placement, available canvas sizes and wrap requirements with your printer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the width of each triptych panel?
Subtract two gaps from the total display width, then divide by three. A 52 inch span with 2 inch gaps gives (52 − 4) ÷ 3 = 16 inches per panel. Choose the height separately; the calculator uses it to work out the photo crop.
Does the total width include the spaces between panels?
Yes. Total display span runs from the outside edge of the first panel to the outside edge of the last. Three 16 inch panels with 2 inch gaps occupy 52 inches, not 48. There is no extra gap outside the first and last panels.
What gap should I use between split canvas panels?
Enter the spacing you want to test. The example uses 2 inches, but the calculator does not prescribe a universal gap. Try paper templates on your wall, compare the effect on the picture, and check the printer’s instructions for an existing set. A gap of zero is also supported.
Should I keep or remove the image slices behind the gaps?
Continuing behind the gaps hides narrow slices of the cropped image, preserving the picture’s geometry across the full wall span. Splitting edge-to-edge keeps all of the cropped image, but separates its adjoining edges on the wall. Compare both and avoid putting important details at a panel boundary.
Are the crop windows a print-ready file?
No. They are coordinates for a centred crop of your original photo, plus a diagram of the panel arrangement. You still need to crop each panel in an image editor and add any wrap or bleed your printer requires. The calculator does not change or export your image.
Is it free, and do I need to upload a photo?
The calculator and copyable plan are free, with no signup or photo upload. Measurements and pixel dimensions are calculated in your browser and are not saved or included in tool analytics. Basic usage analytics record actions such as calculation and optional portrait-style clicks.
Explore custom portrait styles →