Your First Chunk

Let’s walk through the complete process of chunking an image step by step.

Before You Start

You’ll need:

• ImageChunker installed on your Mac
• An image to chunk (tall vertical images work best)

Step 1: Open Your Image

Launch ImageChunker and add your image:

Option A: Drag and Drop

1. Find your image in Finder
2. Drag it onto the ImageChunker window
3. Release to load

Option B: File Menu

1. Click File → Open (or press ⌘O)
2. Navigate to your image
3. Click Open

Option C: Finder Extension

1. Right-click the image in Finder
2. Select Chunk with ImageChunker
3. ImageChunker opens with the image loaded

Step 2: Understand the Interface

The main window shows:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Toolbar (processing controls)           │
├──────────────┬──────────────────────────┤
│              │                          │
│ Source       │ Chunk Preview            │
│ Panel        │                          │
│              │ [1] [2] [3] [4]          │
│              │                          │
├──────────────┴──────────────────────────┤
│ Status Bar (chunk count, dimensions)    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

• Source Panel: Shows your original image with chunk boundaries
• Chunk Preview: Displays individual chunks in a grid
• Toolbar: Processing mode, export, and settings
• Status Bar: Current chunk count and dimensions

Step 3: Choose a Chunking Mode

Smart Mode (Recommended)

Best for most images. Analyzes content to find natural break points.

1. Click Smart in the toolbar
2. ImageChunker scans for content boundaries
3. Chunks automatically adjust to avoid awkward cuts

Regular Mode

Best for uniform content or when you need exact dimensions.

1. Click Regular in the toolbar
2. Set your desired chunk height
3. Image splits at fixed intervals

Step 4: Adjust Settings

Fine-tune your chunks:

Chunk Size

• Width: Usually matches image width (automatic)
• Height: Target height for each chunk
• Square: Check for 1:1 aspect ratio (ideal for Instagram)

Overlap

• 0px: Clean cuts, no overlap
• 10-50px: Slight overlap for seamless stitching
• Use overlap when viewers will scroll between chunks

Output Format

• PNG: Lossless quality, larger files
• JPEG: Smaller files, adjustable quality
• HEIC: Best compression, Apple devices only

Step 5: Preview Your Chunks

Before exporting, review each chunk:

1. Click any chunk in the preview to select it
2. Use ←/→ arrow keys to navigate
3. Look for:
   • Text cut mid-sentence
   • Faces split awkwardly
   • Important elements at edges

If unhappy with results:

• Adjust chunk height
• Switch chunking modes
• Increase overlap

Step 6: Export

Ready to export:

1. Click Export (⌘E) in the toolbar
2. Choose output folder
3. Configure naming pattern (default: image_001.jpg)
4. Click Export

Step 7: Verify Output

Check your exported chunks:

1. Open the output folder in Finder
2. Verify all chunks are present
3. Preview a few to confirm quality
4. Your chunks are ready to use!

Example: Instagram Carousel

For a perfect Instagram carousel:

Setting	Value
Mode	Smart or Regular
Width	1080px
Height	1080px (square)
Format	JPEG 90%
Max chunks	10 (Instagram limit)

Tips for Better Results

1. Start with high-resolution images — quality in = quality out
2. Use Smart mode first — it usually finds optimal splits
3. Check text placement — ensure text isn’t cut mid-word
4. Preview before export — catch issues before saving
5. Use descriptive filenames — helps organize exports

Next Steps

• Batch Processing — Process multiple images
• Smart Chunking Deep Dive — Understand the algorithm
• Export Options — All output settings