The Grid layout arranges items into even rows and columns, with every item forced to the same shape. It is the most predictable way to present a set of images and the default layout for a new Gallery, so it is the layout most people reach for first.
Location Gallery Settings → Layout → Layout Type → Grid
How it works #
Items flow into a track of columns, left to right and top to bottom, in the order set by the active sort. Every item is fitted into the same box, so a row of mixed-orientation photos all read at one consistent shape rather than at their original proportions. You control the number of columns, the shape of that box, how the image sits inside it, and the gap between items.
Because each item shares the same shape, Grid gives the calmest, most uniform result of any layout. If you want items to keep their original proportions instead, the Masonry and Justified layouts are built for that.
When to use it #
Grid suits any set where uniformity is the point: product galleries, team headshots, a tidy portfolio cover, a press wall of logos. It is also the layout to start with whenever you are not sure — it works for every content type, every Gallery size, and pairs with every pagination mode.
Settings #
Item Aspect Ratio
Sets the shape of every item box. The default keeps each item at a 4:3 landscape shape. Choosing a ratio applies it to the whole Grid, so all items match.
| Setting | Item Aspect Ratio |
| Options | 1:1 4:3 3:2 16:9 3:4 2:3 Custom |
| Default | 4:3 |
The None option (keep the original proportions) is offered only for the Single Item, Image Viewer, and Slider layouts, so it does not appear here. To keep original proportions in a multi-column layout, use Masonry or Justified instead.
Choosing Custom reveals a Width and Height pair, letting you define any ratio.
| Setting | Width |
| Range | 1–50 |
| Default | 4 |
| Visible when | Item Aspect Ratio is set to Custom |
| Setting | Height |
| Range | 1–50 |
| Default | 3 |
| Visible when | Item Aspect Ratio is set to Custom |
Item Fit
Decides how each image fills its shaped box.
| Setting | Item Fit |
| Options | Cover Contain |
| Default | Cover |
| Visible when | Item Aspect Ratio is set to any ratio other than None |
Cover fills the box edge to edge and crops whatever does not fit, so every item looks identical in shape but parts of off-ratio images are trimmed. Contain shows the whole image inside the box without cropping, which can leave empty space on the sides of images that do not match the box shape. Use Cover for a seamless grid where trimming is acceptable, and Contain when no part of any image may be cut.
Columns
Controls how many columns the Grid uses, with two modes.
| Setting | Columns Mode |
| Options | Fixed Auto |
| Default | Fixed |
Fixed uses an exact number of columns you set per device. Auto fits as many columns as will fit within a width range you set, adjusting the count automatically as the screen changes.
With Fixed mode, set the column count for each device:
| Setting | Number of Columns |
| Range | Desktop 1–12, Tablet 1–6, Mobile 1–4 |
| Default | Desktop 4 Tablet 3 Mobile 1 |
| Visible when | Columns Mode is set to Fixed |
With Auto mode, set the minimum and maximum width each column may take; FotoGrids fits as many columns as the range allows:
| Setting | Column Width Range |
| Units | px em rem % |
| Default | Desktop 200–400 Tablet 180–350 Mobile 100–300 |
| Visible when | Columns Mode is set to Auto |
Item Spacing
The gap between items, set per device.
| Setting | Item Spacing |
| Range | Desktop 0–50, Tablet 0–40, Mobile 0–30 |
| Units | px |
| Default | Desktop 10 Tablet 8 Mobile 5 |
Margin and Padding
Space outside (Margin) and inside (Padding) the whole Gallery wrapper, set per device on all four sides. Both default to 0 on every device, so the Gallery sits flush with its surrounding content until you add space.
| Setting | Margin |
| Range | 0–100 per side |
| Units | px |
| Default | 0 |
| Setting | Padding |
| Range | 0–100 per side |
| Units | px |
| Default | 0 |
How this layout affects other settings #
Grid is the baseline layout, so it leaves the rest of the settings fully available. Pagination, Filtering, and Sorting all work, and the Lightbox, Captions, item styling (borders, corner radius, shadows), and Hover Effects all apply normally. There are no hidden or disabled controls when Grid is selected.
Tips and recommendations #
The single biggest decision in a Grid is Cover versus Contain. Cover gives the cleanest wall of identical tiles but trims the edges of any image that does not match the box shape, so check that nothing important sits near the edges of your photos. Contain never crops, at the cost of uneven empty space around off-ratio images.
Auto column mode is worth trying before you reach for per-device column counts. By setting a sensible column width range, you let the Grid pick the right number of columns at every screen size on its own, which often looks better than fixed counts and needs no adjustment as the layout changes.
If your images have mixed orientations and the cropping in Cover mode bothers you, that is usually a sign Grid is not the right layout for that Gallery. Masonry keeps the original proportions in columns; Justified keeps them in flush rows. Grid is at its best when the set is already uniform, or when a consistent crop is exactly the look you want.
