Every composition guide, on any photo.
Drop in an image and overlay the golden spiral, phi grid, golden triangle, or rule of thirds, instantly. Non-destructive, no crop. The math is exact; your pixels stay untouched.
Composition guide reference
Every guide in this menu reduces to one of two numbers: the golden cut at 38.2% of the frame, or the rounded third at 33.3%. This reference pins down both: the exact constants, where each line lands on common photo dimensions, and how the four overlays differ as geometry rather than as advice.
Overlay geometry
The four guides, as construction rather than history. Positions are given as a fraction of frame width or height, measured from the top-left origin.
| Overlay | Construction | Line / node positions | Best-fit subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden spiral | Quarter-circle arcs inscribed in nested φ-scaled rectangles, each rectangle 1/φ the size of the last | Arcs converge to a pole at the (38.2%, 61.8%) golden point (mirrored by flip) | Flow, paths, gestures |
| Phi grid | Two vertical + two horizontal lines at the golden cuts | 38.197% and 61.803% on both axes | Portraits, product shots |
| Golden triangle | Main diagonal corner-to-corner, then a perpendicular dropped from each opposite corner | The two perpendiculars meet the diagonal at the 38.2% and 61.8% points along it | Strong diagonals |
| Rule of thirds | Two vertical + two horizontal lines at equal thirds | 33.333% and 66.667% on both axes | Quick off-center placement |
All four render non-destructively over the source pixels; only the rule of thirds uses no φ.
Phi constants
Values the guides are built from. φ is the positive root of x² − x − 1 = 0.
| Quantity | Exact relation | Value |
|---|---|---|
| φ (phi) | (1 + √5) / 2 | 1.6180339887 |
| 1/φ | φ − 1 | 0.6180339887 |
| φ² | φ + 1 | 2.6180339887 |
| φ³ | 2φ + 1 | 4.2360679775 |
| √φ | – | 1.2720196495 |
| Golden cut (short) | 1 / (1 + φ) | 0.381966 → 38.197% |
| Golden cut (long) | φ / (1 + φ) | 0.618034 → 61.803% |
| Gap between cuts | 1 − 2/(1+φ) | 0.236068 → 23.607% |
The Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144) converges on φ from the ratio of neighbours: 8/5 = 1.600, 13/8 = 1.625, 21/13 = 1.6154, 34/21 = 1.6190, 55/34 = 1.6176, 89/55 = 1.6182.
Where the lines land by aspect ratio
Pixel positions of the two vertical and two horizontal cuts, at a representative full-resolution size for each common aspect ratio. Scale linearly for any other dimension. “Gold” is the phi grid; “Third” is the rule-of-thirds grid.
| Aspect | Sample px | Vertical gold (x) | Vertical third (x) | Horizontal gold (y) | Horizontal third (y) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:2 (35mm / DSLR) | 6000 × 4000 | 2292, 3708 | 2000, 4000 | 1528, 2472 | 1333, 2667 |
| 4:3 (phone / MFT) | 4032 × 3024 | 1540, 2492 | 1344, 2688 | 1155, 1869 | 1008, 2016 |
| 16:9 (video) | 3840 × 2160 | 1467, 2373 | 1280, 2560 | 825, 1335 | 720, 1440 |
| 1:1 (square) | 1080 × 1080 | 413, 667 | 360, 720 | 413, 667 | 360, 720 |
| 5:4 (print) | 4000 × 3200 | 1528, 2472 | 1333, 2667 | 1222, 1978 | 1067, 2133 |
| 65:24 (XPan pano) | 6048 × 2233 | 2310, 3738 | 2016, 4032 | 853, 1380 | 744, 1489 |
The golden lines always sit inboard of the thirds lines by a few percent, and the two grids never share a line, only the frame’s center axis of symmetry.
Composition systems compared
Where each system places its inner cuts, and how far apart the paired lines sit.
| System | Inner cut | Outer cut | Gap between lines | Uses φ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center / bullseye | 50% | 50% | 0% | No |
| Rule of thirds | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33.3% | No |
| Golden ratio (phi grid) | 38.2% | 61.8% | 23.6% | Yes |
| Golden triangle (diagonal nodes) | 38.2% | 61.8% | along the diagonal | Yes |
| Golden spiral (pole) | single point at 38.2% / 61.8% | – | – | Yes |
Thirds and the phi grid are the two that look alike at a glance; the golden lines fall about 4.7% of the frame closer to center on each side.
Related concepts
- Phi (φ ≈ 1.618): the constant behind the grid, spiral, and triangle; the rule of thirds is the only guide here that ignores it.
- Fibonacci sequence: the integer ladder whose neighbour-ratios approximate φ, and the scaffold the nested-rectangle spiral is built on.
- Aspect ratio: the frame proportion that fixes where every cut lands; the line-position table above is just this ratio resolved to pixels.
- Golden triangle (compositional): the diagonal-and-perpendicular construction, distinct from the 36–72–72 isosceles “golden triangle” of pure geometry.
- Diagonal method: a related corner-anchored guide at exact 45°, a sibling to the golden triangle for placing subjects along diagonals.