How to Combine or Merge Photos Side by Side or Grid on Mac

May 5, 2025

SaveSavedRemoved 0

🗓️ May 5, 2025, By ✍️ Karly Wood

Merging photos side by side or into a grid on your Mac can enhance your image presentations and create stunning collages. Whether you’re looking to display multiple photos together for a project or simply for fun, this guide will walk you through simple methods and tools to combine images efficiently, helping you create the perfect layout in no time.

Watch a video tutorial to Merge Photos Side by Side or Grid on Mac

How to combine photos on a Mac using Preview

Launch the Finder on your Mac > Select the Download Folder > Navigate to the folder that contains the images you want to combine.

Open Finder App Select Download Folder Choose Folder on Mac

Select the Images > click on Open With Preview.

Select the images Right click Select Open with Preview on Mac

Choose Select All to select the entire image, Or Press the Command + A keyboard shortcut.

Select Tools from the Mac Menubar > Click Adjust Size from the Prompted Menu.

Enter the Width of the Images > Click OK.

Press the Command+A to select the First image. Then, press Command+X to cut the image.

Press the Command+A and Command+X of first image on Mac

Select Tools at the Mac Menubar > Click Adjust Size from the Prompted menu.

Press the Lock icon to Unlock > Enter the sum of the width of all the images you want to combine in the Width field > Hit OK.

Press lock to unlock Enter Width Click ok on Mac

Press the Command + V shortcut to paste the first Image.

Press the Command+A to Select the Second Image. Next, Press the Command+X to Cut the Image.

Command+A and Command+X to the Second image on Mac

Preview will prompt you that this action will convert the image to a PNG file (if it isn’t already). Hit Convert to proceed.

Go back to the first image in Preview and hit Command + V to paste the Second image on it. Once done, Press the Command + S keyboard shortcut to save the file.

Settings necessary to combine photos side by side on a Mac

Click the Link to Download and Install the Combine image Shortcut and select Add Shortcut.

Launch the Shortcuts App on your Mac.

Select All Shortcuts From the Left Pane > Click the Combine images shortcut.

Select All Shortcuts Click on Combine Image Shortcut on Mac

Click on the Information icon on the right-hand Menu and open advanced settings > Allow the shortcut to get the photos from the finder directly. For a more straightforward process, click the checkboxes for Use as quick action, Finder, and Show in Share Sheet.

Click on the side menu open advanced settings Click the checkboxes for Use as quick action and finder on Mac

Now, close the shortcuts app, and you can start editing the images directly. From a saved location in Finder Mac.

IN THIS ARTICLE

How to Combine Pictures Side by Side Horizontally or Vertically

Launch the Finder on your Mac > Select the Download Folder > Choose the Folder of Images Where you can Select the images you want to incorporate from the finder.

Select the Images.

Right-click on the selected images > Click on the Quick actions > Select Combine Images.

Right Click to images Select Quick Action Click on Combine Images on Mac

A dialogue box opens on the screen for you where you need to select whether to combine the chosen images in chronological order or reverse chronological order. Choose Chronological Order > Select Done.

Once you select either of the options, the shortcut will ask for spacing sizes. Enter the Image Spacing Size > Then, Click Done.

Enter the Image Spacing Click Done on Mac

There are three options in the menu. For instance, if you have Selected two images, then you can Choose to Combine Images Horizontally on Mac. This will automatically merge and adjust your images to fit side by side with each other > Next, Click Done to apply the changes.

Select Combine Images Horizontally Click Done on Mac

As a result, you will have your combined image on the screen. If need to Edit then Click on Open With Preview.

How to Make Collage Photo on Mac

Without any third-party app or software, use Apple’s shortcut app and convert multiple photos into a grid using this shortcut app. Follow the below steps,

Launch the Finder on your Mac > Select the Download Folder > Choose the Folder Where you can Select the images.

Open Finder Select Downloads Folder Choose the Folder of Images on Mac

Now, Select the 3 to 4 Photos from the finder.

Right-Click on the selected images > Click on Quick Actions > Select the Combine images.

Right Click to Images Select Quick Actions Click on Combine Images on Mac

Choose Chronological Order > Select Done.

Next, Enter the Image Spacing Size > Select Done.

Choose the Combine Images in a Grid option to Convert those photos into Grid > Click Done to apply the changes.

Select Combine Images in a Grid Click Done on Mac

As a result, you will have your combined image on the screen. That’s it. if need to Edit then Click on Open With Preview.

Moreover, after combining the images, you can select the open with Preview option and start editing the same right away if you wish to edit the photo further. This simple shortcut helps save time while editing images on Mac. Like, such as adding Objects, Typing a Text, and more. Hopefully, this helps!