How To Make Seamless Instagram Carousels in Adobe Illustrator + Free AI Template
What is a Carousel?
A carousel is a social media post consisting of 2 or more slides. You can scroll through each slide like a carousel, hence the name. These posts boost engagement and allow you to give more information or tell a story in a single post. This is also just a great way to show off a bunch of photos at once.
Example of Instagram Carousels
Here is the complete version of the carousel I made while making this tutorial. This shows off the technique in one of it’s most simple forms: a collage of film photos.
Below is another carousel in which I get a little more creative with the composition. I decided to uses fades and transparency in a more inconsistent way, giving the effect of looking cut out. The versatility this carousel technique allows is one of my favorite things about it.
Here is a more recent collage from our first Stand Up Sesh Show! Here I combined film photos for the collage and added our logo on the last slide.
Last but not least is a carousel I made for documents the excitement and energy of Labrats' album release show at the Starlet Room. By using the carousel format, I was able to show many photos efficiently in a single post. It also allows for more minute creative expression than social media’s platforms’ rigid formats.
Below is a behind the scenes look at the Illustrator file for that post.
How to use the template:
1. Download my free template from my drive here.
To get started, download the free Adobe Illustrator template provided in the link above. This template is setup to make a carousel of 10 square images (1080px X 1080px). Don’t worry, you don’t have to use all 10 slides if you don’t want. You can select which slides you want to export in step 4. Below is a screenshot of what your blank template should look like when you first open it.
2. Add your photos:
Once you've downloaded the template, open it in Adobe Illustrator. You'll notice that the template consists of multiple artboards, each representing a slide in your Instagram carousel. Drop in your photos and arrange them in a way that pleases you.
3. Add text and other elements:
To enhance your carousel and provide additional context or captions, consider adding text and other design elements. This is also a great time to add textures or effects like lens flares. By mixing these with your photos, you can create a more cohesive effect.
Feel free to get creative and explore different layouts and arrangements for your photos and text. Remember, the goal is to create an engaging and visually appealing carousel that captivates your audience.
4. Export (save as and use artboards):
Once you are satisfied with your carousel design, it's time to export your artwork. Go to "File" > "Export As" and choose a file format that is compatible with Instagram, such as JPEG or PNG. Make sure to select the option to "Use Artboards" during the export process. This ensures that each artboard in your template is saved as a separate slide in the carousel. Then, you can either select “All” to export all 10 artboards or “Range” and export a select few. You can input ranges like 1-5, 2-7, etc or a list of slides you want like 1, 3, 5.
Finally, choose a destination folder for your exported files and click "Export."
5. Post to Instagram:
With your carousel images ready, it's time to share them on Instagram. Open the Instagram app on your mobile device and tap the "+" button to create a new post. Select the images you exported from Adobe Illustrator, making sure to maintain the order of the slides. I find it’s best to keep my illustrator project open as a reference while I post.
Last Notes about Carousels
I've found that film photos look especially good in this format. Maybe I'm just biased. The slightly imperfect and organic nature of film captures attention and adds an artistic touch to your carousel posts.
Now it's your turn to create captivating Instagram carousels using the provided template and your own unique style. Download the template, unleash your creativity, and share your visual stories with the world.
Thank You
I write this blog to track my creative work and hope to teach + inspire others in the process. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!
-Matt
