Wall art guideSplitting one image across three panels makes it read bigger than it is, and it gives a long wall something to do. Getting it right is mostly arithmetic: the overall shape, where the cuts fall, how far apart the panels hang. This guide is the checklist we'd walk you through at the studio counter, from file to wall.
Quick answer
The short answer
A triptych (said "TRIP-tik") is one artwork shown as three panels hung side by side. It can be a single image cut into thirds, three separate images that work as a set, or a big center panel with two narrower wings.
The name means "three-fold" in Greek. The format began as hinged church altarpieces whose side wings closed over the middle; today the panels just hang separately.
01
Pick your kind of triptych
One image, cut in three
The most common request. A wide photo or painting is divided into three equal panels. Your eye bridges the gaps, so it still reads as one picture, just with more presence.
Three images, one set
Three different images that belong together: the same street at dawn, noon and night, three crops from one painting, three portraits shot in the same light. Same size, same paper, same frame, or it stops looking like a set.
Big center, two wings
A larger middle panel with two smaller ones either side. Use it when one image is the star and the other two support it.
02
Do the math before you crop
Three panels side by side make a very wide shape, wider than almost any camera frame. Three 16×20 panels add up to 48×20 inches, about 2.4 to 1. A normal photo is 3 to 2, so you'll lose the top and bottom to get there. Check this before you fall in love with a crop.
| Panel size | All three (no gaps) | Shape | File size for 200 PPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11×14 portrait | 33×14 in | 2.4 : 1 | 6600×2800 px |
| 12×16 portrait | 36×16 in | 2.25 : 1 | 7200×3200 px |
| 16×20 portrait | 48×20 in | 2.4 : 1 | 9600×4000 px |
| 18×24 portrait | 54×24 in | 2.25 : 1 | 10800×4800 px |
| 24×24 square | 72×24 in | 3 : 1 | 14400×4800 px |
200 PPI holds up well on a wall. A big triptych is seen from across the room, so you can get away with a bit less, but not a phone photo blown up to six feet. More on resolution in our photo print sizes guide.
03
Where to make the cuts
- Crop the whole image first, then divide its width by three. All three files should be exactly the same pixel size.
- Move the cuts off anything important. A seam through an eye, a face or the sun is the most common mistake. Slide the crop until both cuts land on sky, water or shadow.
- Check each panel alone. Look at each third on its own. If one is just empty sky, shift the crop until each panel has something going on.
- Send us the full image too. If the cuts are off, we can fix it before anything prints.
04
Hanging it
- Gaps: 2 to 3 inches for small and mid-size panels, up to 4 for large ones. Measure every gap: an uneven one shows more than you'd think.
- Height: put the center of the middle panel 57 to 60 inches off the floor. Over a sofa or bed, leave 8 to 10 inches between the furniture and the bottom edge.
- Tape it out first: mark each panel's outline on the wall with painter's tape and leave it up for a day. It's free and it catches spacing mistakes before you drill.
- Hang the middle first, then measure out to each side from it.
- Frames: all three the same, or none. Mixed frames break the set.
05
Images that split well
- Wide landscapes and skylines, where the horizon carries across the gaps
- Close-up abstract details, where the gaps add rhythm
- A sequence: one place at three times of day, or three seasons
- Three portraits shot in the same light and setup
- Large botanical or texture images
06
Printing a triptych at IMPRESO
We print all three panels in one run, on the same paper, with Epson UltraChrome HDR pigment inks, so the color matches across the set. Ultra Premium Luster suits photography; Hot Press and Cold Press cotton rag suit paintings and drawings. Every panel is checked by hand in our Ridgewood, Queens studio.
Starting from a painting? We can digitize the original in the studio and split the file for you. Any standard size from 8×10 to 24×36 works as a panel. Three 16×20s on Luster are $60 each, and the rest is on our pricing page.
Plan your triptych
Pick a panel size and paper, upload your files, and our free file check will flag resolution or crop problems before anything prints. No minimum, 3 to 5 business days, free pickup in Ridgewood.
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