Before and after photo maker
A before-and-after only proves something if the two photos differ in exactly one respect. Change the angle, the light or the crop as well and the comparison stops being evidence and becomes a claim - which viewers can feel even when they cannot name it. Matching the pair is most of the job; laying it out is the easy part.
- Layouts
- Side by side in one frame, or one photo per slide to swipe
- Size
- 1080 x 1080 for a pair, 1080 x 1350 for a swipe set
- Matching
- Same crop, same distance, same orientation
- Export
- One image, or one per slide
What makes it work
- Match the crop before anything else Crop both photos to identical dimensions and align the subject in the same position in each. An unmatched pair looks like two unrelated pictures no matter how good the change is.
- Change one thing If the after is also brighter, closer and better lit, the viewer discounts all of it. Keep the exposure and white balance matched so the actual difference is the only difference.
- Label them, small Before and after, in the same corner of each half. Without labels people default to reading left to right, which is right about half the time.
- Split with a hard line, or nothing A thin gap or a crisp divider between the halves. A soft blend or a gradient between them invites the suspicion that the seam is hiding something.
- Two slides beat two halves for detail A side-by-side halves the resolution each photo gets. For fine work - a retouch, a repair, a cutout - give each photo its own full slide and let the swipe do the comparing.
Templates that fit: Before and After, Side-by-side duo
Open the editor · Browse the how-to guides
- Should a before and after be side by side or on two slides?
- Side by side is instant and works in a single image. Two slides give each photo the full frame, which matters when the difference is in the detail. Both export from the same project.
- How do I make the two photos match?
- Crop them to the same size with the subject in the same place, then match the exposure and white balance in Film Lab so the only visible difference is the one you are showing.
- Can I use it for product photos?
- Yes, and cutting both products out of their backgrounds onto the same flat colour makes the comparison much clearer. Background removal is free and runs on your device.