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To split a storyboard into separate image files, choose boundaries that match its layout: use Photoshop slices for a regular grid, GIMP guides for manually placed boundaries, or ImageMagick crops when you know the panel coordinates or need repeatable processing. In every case, check the edges and reading order before treating the export as finished.

Choose a method that fits the storyboard

Method Best fit Boundary control Output
Photoshop slices Panels arranged in regular rows and columns Divide by count or pixel size; slices can also be adjusted Separate image files
GIMP Slice Using Guides Uneven panels or boundaries placed by hand Place guides at the boundaries you want New images from the regions separated by guides
ImageMagick crop Known crop coordinates, repeated jobs, or batch processing Specify crop regions Separate cropped files

The feature descriptions are documented by Adobe, GIMP 2.10, and ImageMagick. The best-fit guidance is based on how each method sets boundaries.

Prepare the image before splitting

  1. Open the original at full resolution and keep an untouched copy.
  2. Identify each panel edge, including gutters, captions, borders, and uneven outer margins.
  3. Decide whether the gutters should stay with a panel or be excluded. Apply that choice consistently.
  4. Note the reading order and choose a numbered filename pattern, such as storyboard-01, storyboard-02, and so on.

Split a regular grid with Photoshop slices

Photoshop’s slice feature divides an image into rectangular areas that can be exported separately. Adobe documents dividing selected slices horizontally, vertically, or both, using a count or pixel size. This makes slices a practical fit when panel edges line up in rows and columns; it is an image-export feature, not a storyboard-specific tool.

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  1. Open the storyboard and select the slices you want to divide.
  2. Use the slice division controls to set horizontal and/or vertical divisions by count or pixel size. Choose counts when the panels are evenly arranged; use pixel sizes when you have measured dimensions.
  3. Inspect the slice boundaries against the artwork. Adjust them if a panel edge, caption, or gutter would otherwise be cut inconsistently.
  4. Export the sliced image as separate files. Adobe states: “When you export a sliced image with File > Export > Save for Web command, Photoshop saves each slice as a separate file.” See Adobe’s slice overview and slice management documentation.

Split uneven panels with GIMP guides

When panels have different widths or heights, equal grid divisions may miss their edges. The GIMP 2.10 manual describes Slice Using Guides as cutting the current image along its guides and creating new images from the resulting pieces.

  1. Open the storyboard and place guides at the boundaries you want to use. Include guides for any uneven panel edges rather than assuming a uniform grid.
  2. Review the guide positions at full resolution, paying attention to borders, gutters, and captions.
  3. Run Slice Using Guides to create new images from the regions separated by the guides. See the GIMP 2.10 manual entry.
  4. Save the resulting images with names that preserve the storyboard’s reading order.

The cited instructions are for GIMP 2.10; command names or menu placement may differ in other versions.

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Use ImageMagick when crop coordinates are known

ImageMagick’s crop operation can extract image regions into files, making it suitable for known coordinates and repeatable or batch work. The exact crop geometry depends on the source image and the installed ImageMagick version, so determine and verify the coordinates for your file rather than relying on a universal command.

  1. Determine each panel’s crop region from the original image, including whether the crop should include its border or gutter.
  2. Check how the image’s canvas and visible artwork are positioned. ImageMagick documents virtual-canvas offsets that can affect how crop coordinates map to visible content.
  3. Use the crop operation and output filenames for the regions you have defined. Consult the crop examples and the command-line options reference for the installed version.
  4. Open the resulting files to check alignment. If a crop is shifted, investigate canvas or virtual-canvas offsets and normalize the image geometry as appropriate before repeating the crops.

Check the exported panels

  • Open every output file and confirm no artwork, caption, or border has been clipped.
  • Check that gutters are either included or excluded consistently.
  • Verify that filenames sort into the intended reading order.
  • Compare dimensions where panels are expected to match, and inspect uneven panels individually.

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