Collage

Create organic collages from images – optimized space usage, minimal overlap, optional rotation, and transparent background.

The app offers both a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and CLI options.

Features

• Generate collages from any folder of images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png)
• Optimized usage of the canvas with minimal overlap
• Optional rotation of individual images
• Transparent background support
• GUI with intuitive input fields and easy execution
• CLI for automated workflows
• Flexible layout with configurable rows and iterations

Example

Installation

1. See bin/setup.sh

2. Optional: Clone the GitHub repository

git clone https://github.com/mikegasche/collage.git
cd collage

GUI Usage

1. Launch the app: Use a bundled app for your operating system in the release section or start it by console:

python3 app/collage_gui.py

2. Configure options:

• Input Folder: Folder with images
• Output Folder: Destination folder for the collage
• Output File: Output filename (.png recommended)
• Collage Width / Height: Canvas size
• Background Color: #RRGGBB or transparent
• Max Rotation: Maximum rotation angle
• Overlap Factor: Degree of overlap
• Rows: Number of rows (0 = auto)
• Iterations: Number of layout variations

3. Click Run to generate the collage.

CLI Usage

python3 app/collage.py --input INPUT_DIR --width WIDTH --height HEIGHT --output OUTPUT_FILE [OPTIONS]

Parameter

• --input INPUT_DIR : Folders with images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png)
• --width WIDTH : Width of collage
• --height HEIGHT : Height of collage
• --output OUTPUT_FILE : Name of collage output file (.png recommended)

Optional Parameters

• --bgcolor BGCOLOR : Background color (#RRGGBB, R,G,B) or transparent
• --rows N : Number of rows (0 = auto)
• --overlap-factor F : Maximum overlap factor (default: 0.05)
• --max-rotation DEG : Maximum rotation in degrees (default: 5)
• --iterations N : Number of layout variations (default: 15)

Tips for Best Results

Number of Images	Canvas	Rows	Overlap	Rotation	Iterations	Notes
6–8	2560x1440	2	0.05–0.08	0–5°	15–20	Even upper & lower rows, minimal overlap
9–12	2560x1440	3	0.05–0.08	0–5°	20–25	3 rows, good canvas utilization
12–20	2560x1440	3–4	0.05–0.1	0–5°	25–40	Increase iterations for better optimization
<6	any	1–2	0.03–0.05	0–5°	10–15	Single row or auto

Example Commands

1. Standard Collage with GUI
   Launch the app, select input/output folders, and click Run.

2. Standard Collage with CLI:

python3 make_rectpack_collage.py --input ./images --width 2560 --height 1440 --output collage.png --rows 2 --overlap-factor 0.05 --max-rotation 5 --iterations 20

3. Automatic layout, transparent background:

python3 make_rectpack_collage.py --input ./images --width 2560 --height 1440 --output collage.png --bgcolor transparent --rows 0 --iterations 25

Layout Example – 8 Images, 2 Rows

Upper row (images 1–4):

+-------+  +-------+  +-------+  +-------+
| Img 1 |  | Img 2 |  | Img 3 |  | Img 4 |
+-------+  +-------+  +-------+  +-------+

Lower row (images 5–8):

+-------+  +-------+  +-------+  +-------+
| Img 5 |  | Img 6 |  | Img 7 |  | Img 8 |
+-------+  +-------+  +-------+  +-------+

Notes

• Rows = 0 → Automatically chooses the optimal number of rows
• Overlap Factor → Smaller = less overlap, larger = more organic layout
• Max Rotation → Small angles for visible images, larger for artistic effect
• Iterations → More iterations = better layout optimization, takes longer
• Transparent background → Supports alpha channel for layering

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.