InstaLay

Batch-frame photos for Instagram without idiotic forced crops.

Potential alternate name: LayMaker.

• Owner: Linx (LinxPhotos on GitHub)

• Platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Windows, web

• Engine: Flutter

• Repo: https://github.com/LinxPhotos/InstaLay

What it does

InstaLay puts each photo on a canvas at a ratio you choose (default Instagram feed 4:5), with a pixel-accurate border and a photographic matte. Thumbnails show the canvas applied. Export with Lanczos-2 / Lanczos-3 (or cubic / linear / nearest). Build SCRL-style tapestry panoramas that slice into carousel frames. Save projects with version history — posting to Instagram freezes a version; clone to keep editing.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.adoc and changelog-details/.

Quick start

flutter pub get
flutter run -d windows   # or chrome, linux, macos, android, ios

Core features

• Aspect presets: 4:5, 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2, 2:3, 21:9

• Border thickness in pixels

• Matte swatches grouped by Adams photographic zones (sheer greys/whites, taupes, cinematic blacks) — default Sheer Cloud

• Paper textures: fine grain, matte fiber, cold press, baryta

• Batch mode or tapestry/panorama mode

• 1:1 preview sidebar

• Canvas templates for consistent results across photo sets

• Device-local projects with version clone / repost

Store keywords

ASO keyword lists live in store/keywords.txt.

Installers and releases

CI builds desktop packages on every v* tag:

• Windows x64 / arm64 — ZIP portable + Inno Setup EXE + Microsoft Store MSIX (*-store.msix)

• macOS arm64 / x64 — DMG + ZIP of InstaLay.app

• Linux x64 / arm64 — .tar.gz (AppImage when appimagetool is present)

Workflows:

• .github/workflows/release.yml — multi-arch build + GitHub Release table

• .github/workflows/winget.yml — submit to winget-pkgs (needs WINGET_TOKEN)

• .github/workflows/homebrew.yml — update amdphreak/homebrew-tap cask (needs HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN)

• .github/workflows/pages.yml — SolidStart docs/commerce site → GitHub Pages

• .github/workflows/ms-store.yml — Partner Center upload checklist

Docs / buy site: https://linxphotos.github.io/InstaLay/ (GitHub Pages)

Org / product home: https://linxphotos.github.io/ Portfolio: https://linx.photos/ Docs source: https://github.com/LinxPhotos/docs.linx.photos

InstaLay Free and InstaLay are the same app. Paying supports the developer: USD $30 / year or USD $100 lifetime (see website/src/lib/pricing.ts).

# after the first release is published
winget install LinxPhotos.InstaLay
brew install --cask amdphreak/tap/instalay

License

Private / unpublished (publish_to: none). InstaLay Free is unrestricted; paid InstaLay licenses (yearly or lifetime) sold via Stripe / storefronts.