Kaleidoscope images take a slice of a photograph and repeat it, mirrored, around a center. You can build one by hand in Photoshop — or use our free online kaleidoscope maker, which replaces the old downloadable templates and runs entirely in your browser.
The quick way
- Open the kaleidoscope maker.
- Drop in a photo — it stays on your device.
- Choose the number of reflections (6, 8, 12…), drag to choose the slice, rotate and zoom.
- Download the result as a PNG.
Presets for 6 mirrors, 8 mirrors and 12 mirrors are a good start.
The Photoshop method
Use a square canvas, for example 3000 × 3000 px.
- Choose a wedge angle. For 8 segments each wedge is 45°; for 6 segments, 60°; for 12, 30°.
- Place your photo on the canvas as a Smart Object.
- Make a wedge selection from the center: use the Polygonal Lasso tool from the canvas center to the edges at your wedge angle. A guide at the center helps.
- Copy the wedge to a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J). Hide the original photo.
- Duplicate and flip: duplicate the wedge layer, flip it horizontally (Edit → Transform → Flip Horizontal), and rotate it so its edge meets the first wedge. Now you have a mirrored pair.
- Merge the pair and duplicate it around the circle: for 8 segments, rotate each copy by 90° around the canvas center (4 pairs). Set the reference point to the center before rotating.
- Flatten and crop to a circle or keep the square.
Small seams can be hidden with a little blur or by moving the wedge slightly into the image.
Choosing photos
High-contrast images with lines and color work best: flowers, leaves, autumn color, architecture, ice, city lights. More ideas in kaleidoscope photography.
Related effects
- Mirror photo effect — simple two- or four-way symmetry.
- Tiny planet maker — wrap a panorama into a little world.
About 1 min read · Updated 2026-10-20