How do I place two photos side-by-side or one on top of the other? .

[Christopher25956384ujld]

The next graphic artist who answers this in a simple, understandable way for a non-graphic person will be the first. I have the entire Creative Cloud at my disposal and just want to place one photo on the left, and one photo on the right. I would like cleft and right photos to be in one .PNG.  Like the most basic-ass collage in collageable. From what I've been able to ascertain, there is no easy way to do this for basic ass people like myself in the entire Creative Cloud. 

[Greg_S.]

@Christopher25956384ujld, you have posted in the Photoshop Elements forum.  Elements is not part of the Creative Cloud.  Although the same basic principles apply for creating a collage in both programs, IMO Elements actually has an easier method.  I will move your post to the correct Photoshop Ecosystem forum and hopefully you will get what you need there.

[Christopher25956384ujld]

Thank you for taking pity on me. It's no surprise someone who can't do a side by side collage would get lost in the ASC lol. 

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

@Christopher25956384ujld 

Both photos need to be in the same document.

• Open one photo
• Use the Crop tool "C" and drag the right middle handle twice as wide ( or bit more) to make room for the second photo
• Open the second photo
• Go to Window > Arrange > Tile to see both images side by side
• Use the Move tool "V" and drag the second image into the first image. Then drag it into place in the empty area you created. The two images will each be on their own layer. (Layers panel)
• Close the second photo. Both images are now in the first.
• Use the Crop tool again and crop to reduce the extra empty space (if any)
• Save as TIFF or PSD with a new name for the composite.

Jane

[Leslie Moak Murray]

Came here to say this but you said it so cearly! This is the correct answer.

[Stephen Marsh]

If there is ongoing need for this task or many images to combine, this is possible to automate to various degrees with an Action or a Script.

[Stephen Marsh]

Here's the link to my script for automating combining two or more images into a horizontal or vertical strip:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/how-to-combine-images-horizontally-vi...

[Conrad_C · Accepted solution]

From what I've been able to ascertain, there is no easy way to do this for basic ass people like myself in the entire Creative Cloud. 

By @Christopher25956384ujld

It can take just three steps in Photoshop, that are very similar to what you would do in most other software:

1. Create a document at the size you want it. 

2. Drag two images from the desktop, and drop them into the document. 

3. Using the Move tool, position them the way you want. Resize if needed. If View > Show > Smart Guides is enabled, Photoshop even helps you snap them into alignment.

Drag, drop, snap. What could be easier?

For more precision, you can set up a nonprinting grid or snap-to guides in advance, use the rulers or X/Y positioning, or use the Align and Distribute features. All of these, including the multiple-select (Shift) and scale from center (Alt/Option) modifier keys, are standard techniques you might already be using in other graphics software, even software not from Adobe. It isn’t anything exotic or difficult.

[Christopher25956384ujld]

You obviously have experience in talking to graphically challenged people because even *I* understood this and even if I didn't, the video would seal the deal. Thank you! One other thing I forgot to mention is I would preferably like to do this on my iPad for mobility reasons and for someone not versed in graphic design, all I see are 50 buttons on the left and right. 

Is doing the same video on the iPad even possible? I realize there's a lot of dragging and dropping that maybe the iPad can't accommodate. But if there's any way you could explain it there too you would officially achieve God status. 

I acknowledge it's not easy to know something inside out but then try and explain it to noobs. For me, it's driving stick (Gen Z..."huh?"). But I can drive stick shift (manual transmission) in my sleep but if I had to explain it to someone else who doesn't know what a clutch is, it's challenging. So what I'm saying is thanks for explaining it in a way (3 steps!) even the most graphically challenged can grasp. Thank you also to the first person who weighed in as I'd like to try that way too...it may be the exact same way I don't know yet. 

[Conrad_C]

Yes, you can also do this in Photoshop for iPad, but not through drag-and-drop. Although iPad OS and many iPad applications allow drag-and-drop importing, Photoshop doesn’t seem to support that yet. So you can instead use the more traditional method of using an import button/command. In the demo below, you see that the first step in Photoshop on iPad is to tap the Import Photos button in the toolbar on the left, then tap where your photos is (Photos app, Files app, Creative Cloud Libraries, or take a picture with the camera). I tapped Files because I wanted to import a photo stored in a folder in the Files app. Next, you use the Move tool to resize and position the photo. Finally, you repeat all that with another photo.

Photoshop on Mac and Windows can also work similarly; instead of drag-and-drop importing you can choose File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked and select a photo from a folder. On Photoshop for iPad, the Import Photos button is the same as the File > Place Embedded command in Mac and Windows.

[Judi24196197ih79]

This 2025 version is so different from the 2022 version, that I'm having a hard time with how things work. I can tell you the video instructions move to fast to follow (if not tech savy) Will try this info for placing 2 photos side by side to make into one image, but not sure if it will work.

[Conrad_C]

I apologize for the earlier version being so fast. I made that one two years ago; I now record them at a slower pace. Below, I redid the same demo slower, using the desktop version of Photoshop 2025, where you’ll find that the steps are actually the same and as simple as ever: Drag the image in from the desktop or Adobe Bridge, drop it on the Photoshop document, move and resize as needed. When you’re done adjusting that image, click the Commit check mark button (√) or press the Enter or Return key. Repeat with any other images you want to add.

I did add one step at the beginning: I used the View > Show > Grid command to display the document grid. You don’t have to do this part, but I wanted to use the grid to make it much easier for me to precisely position and align the images on the page. This step also hasn’t changed in many years.

In other words, this is no different from doing it on a normal table with no computers: Pick up a photo print, place it on your sheet of paper, glue it down. That’s all we’re doing here, it couldn't be easier. And it's the same way I would add a photo in other apps, like Microsoft Word: Just drag and drop them in.

If you have any questions about things I did in the video, feel free to ask.

[Joe1949]

I followed the instructions over and over again. does not work at all