How to take before and after photos that compare well
A slider makes any difference between the two images visible, including the ones you didn't intend. The closer the two shots match, the more clearly the real change shows.
- Shoot from the same spot and height. Mark the floor or use a tripod for renovations and progress photos.
- Keep the same framing and zoom, and the same orientation (both portrait or both landscape).
- Match the light: same time of day, same lamps on, flash either on for both or off for both.
- Use the same size image for both. The first photo you add sets the frame; a second photo with a different shape is fitted inside it with empty edges.
Before and after slider vs side by side comparison
Both are useful, for different jobs.
| Slider | Side by side | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Small, precise changes | Big transformations at a glance |
| Where you look | One spot; the change moves under the divider | Back and forth between two images |
| Shareable as one image | No, it's interactive | Yes |
| PicX tool | Before and after slider (this page) | Collage maker with the 2×1 layout |
Sharing your before and after
The slider is an interactive view in your browser, so there's no file to download. To share a comparison, build a side by side image with the collage maker's 2×1 layout, or make a two-frame GIF with the GIF maker at a slow speed (1500–2000 ms) so the photos alternate. For a quick capture of the slider itself, take a screenshot with the divider in the middle.
If you are comparing edits you made in PicX, keep the untouched original next to the result before you start. Run the photo through the image enhancer, denoiser or a filter, then load the original as Before and the result as After. It is the quickest way to judge whether an edit really improved the picture or just changed it.
