A free composition tool for designers and photographers. Upload a photo, poster or layout and lay the golden ratio, rule of thirds, golden spiral and six more guides over it. Each guide gets a score and a plain explanation of what works and what does not.
Guides
Guide settings
Aspect ratio
Place the subject on
Your image at full size with the current guide, target points and subject marker drawn on it.
All nine guides side by side with their scores. Useful for crits and portfolio reviews.
Every guide's score with what is working and what is not, as plain text you can paste into notes or feedback.
What you can do with Composition Lab.
Rule of thirds, golden ratio, golden spiral, diagonals, centre, symmetry and more.
Each guide is rated with what is working and what is not.
Suggested crops that improve balance and focus.
Upload, drag or paste an image. It stays in your browser.
Try the guides on ready-made photos before using your own.
Download the overlay image or copy a written report.
Get started in a few steps.
Practical benefits for students and designers.
See where the eye lands and whether key elements sit on strong points.
Compare guides side by side to understand when each one helps.
Re-crop photos and layouts before submitting work.
Nothing is uploaded to a server.
Made for learners and working designers.
The ideas behind the tool, in brief.
Divide the frame into a 3 × 3 grid. Placing subjects on the lines or intersections usually feels more dynamic than centring them.
The ratio 1:1.618 appears in nature and classical art. A phi grid sits slightly closer to the centre than the thirds grid.
A spiral built from golden rectangles guides the eye toward a focal point.
Size, contrast, colour and faces all pull attention. Balanced compositions distribute that weight across the frame.
Study these topics in depth at IMS Design & Innovation Academy, Noida.
More free labs from DIA Design Labs.
It overlays composition guides such as the rule of thirds and golden ratio on an image and helps you judge balance, focus and alignment.
Both divide the frame, but the golden ratio grid uses 1:1.618 proportions, so its lines sit closer to the centre than the rule of thirds lines.
No. Images are processed in your browser and are not sent to any server.
Yes. It works on photos, posters, social posts, presentation slides and screenshots of layouts.
Yes. Composition Lab is free on phone and desktop.
Composition is taught in the foundation year and across the B.Des Communication Design programme, including photography and layout.
Study design at IMS Design & Innovation Academy. Explore the course, take the DIA Design Aptitude Test (D-DAT) or apply now.
Right-click the image and choose Save image. On a phone, press and hold it.