Open Carrusel: AI-Powered Instagram Carousel Builder with Claude

Summary

Open Carrusel is an open-source, local-first tool for creating Instagram carousels. It leverages AI, specifically Claude, to design pixel-perfect, on-brand slides through natural language chat. Users can export their carousels as PNGs, perfectly sized for Instagram, offering a unique and efficient design workflow.

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Introduction

Open Carrusel is an innovative, open-source, and local-first tool designed to streamline the creation of Instagram carousels. It empowers creators to generate pixel-perfect, on-brand slides by interacting directly with Claude, an advanced AI model. This project aims to free users from the constraints of expensive closed-source tools or time-consuming manual design processes, offering a unique approach where AI crafts real HTML/CSS slides that are then exported as exact Instagram-dimension PNGs. Everything runs on your local machine, ensuring privacy and control over your data.

Installation

Getting started with Open Carrusel is quick and straightforward, especially with the recommended one-command path.

One-command path (recommended)

Install Claude Code and authenticate.

Clone and open the repo in Claude Code:

git clone https://github.com/Hainrixz/open-carrusel.git
cd open-carrusel
claude

In the Claude Code prompt, type:
```
/start
```

This command handles dependency installation, starts the dev server, and opens your browser, allowing you to begin designing carousels immediately.

Manual path (if you don't use Claude Code)

git clone https://github.com/Hainrixz/open-carrusel.git
cd open-carrusel
npm run setup        # installs deps + seeds /data/
npm run dev          # starts http://localhost:3000

Note that the AI chat functionality requires Claude Code to be installed, but the editor and export features remain available for static slides.

Examples

Open Carrusel features a highly intuitive three-panel editor designed for an efficient workflow. On the left, you'll find the chat panel where you interact with Claude to generate and refine your slides. The center displays a live preview of your carousel, showing changes in real-time. At the bottom, a drag-reorderable filmstrip allows you to easily manage the sequence of your slides.

You can initiate slide generation with simple prompts, such as "Make me a 5-slide carousel about productivity habits, bold sans-serif, dark mode, accent red." Claude will stream the HTML slides directly into your filmstrip. Iteration is also seamless, allowing you to refine individual slides with commands like "Make slide 3 more minimal" or "Change the accent to teal." The tool supports three Instagram aspect ratios, brand configuration, templates, reference image uploads, and one-click export of pixel-perfect PNGs.

Why Use Open Carrusel?

Open Carrusel offers compelling advantages for content creators:

AI-Powered Creativity: Leverage Claude's intelligence to design unique, on-brand, and pixel-perfect slides without wrestling with templates or manual design.
Local-First Privacy: All your work, including slides, brand configurations, and uploads, remains on your local machine. No data is sent to external clouds you don't control, ensuring complete privacy and ownership.
Open Source Freedom: Released under the MIT license, Open Carrusel provides full transparency and flexibility. Fork it, customize it, or integrate it into your workflow without subscriptions or vendor lock-in.
Efficiency and Control: Say goodbye to hours spent on design. Chat-based generation and instant export at exact Instagram dimensions save significant time, allowing you to focus on content.