Running Your First Event with Photo Mosaic Wall

Updated 5 days ago · 5 min readBeginner

Note: This article covers the current legacy Photo Mosaic Wall software, which runs as a standalone Windows application. The new cloud-based PMWall is in development and not yet available. This guide applies to all existing Photo Mosaic Wall customers.

This guide covers the key steps to run a successful Photo Mosaic Wall event — from preparing the activation to managing the live display and saving the final mosaic.

Step 1: Prepare the Activation Before the Event

The Photo Mosaic Wall software manages everything locally on the Windows PC. Set up the activation at least 24 hours before the event so you have time to test.

Open the Photo Mosaic Wall software on the display PC
Create a new activation and give it a clear name matching the event
Upload your main mosaic image — the target image that guest photos will build into. Use a high-resolution photo with clear contrast and a recognisable subject. See How to Choose Your Main Mosaic Photo
Configure the grid size, tile size, blending settings, and colour matching to match the venue scale and screen resolution
Set the event folder path — photos that land in C:\PhotoMosaicWall\events\[event name] aw will be picked up automatically as tiles

Step 2: Set Up Your Photo Source

Guest photos need to reach the raw folder on the display PC. There are two main methods:

Photo Mosaic Agent (Recommended for Multi-Device Setups)

The Photo Mosaic Agent is a small app installed on the booth PC. It transfers photos from the booth to the Photo Mosaic Wall PC over the same network automatically.

Install and activate Photo Mosaic Agent on the booth computer
In the Photo Mosaic Wall software, enable Network Monitoring and note the IP address shown
In the Agent, enter the same IP address and point it to the correct activation folder
Test by taking a photo on the booth — confirm it appears as a tile on the mosaic display

→ See Photo Mosaic Agent for PC for the full setup guide

Manual Import

If the booth PC and display PC are the same machine, or you are importing from a USB drive or SD card:

Copy image files directly into the raw folder: C:\PhotoMosaicWall\events\[event name] aw
The software picks them up automatically and adds them as tiles

→ See Importing Photos to Your Photo Mosaic Wall Activation

Step 3: Test Before the Event

Import 10–20 test photos using your chosen method and confirm they appear correctly as mosaic tiles
Open the display in full screen and check framing, tile size, and image quality on the actual large screen you will use at the venue
Adjust grid and blending settings as needed until the mosaic looks right
Confirm the mosaic updates in real time as new photos are added
Delete the test photos from the raw folder before the event so the mosaic starts fresh

Tip: Test on the same large screen you will use at the venue if possible. Tile size and contrast look very different on a 65" display than on a laptop monitor.

Step 4: Pack Your Kit

Display PC with the Photo Mosaic Wall software installed and the activation configured
Large display screen + HDMI cable
Booth PC with Photo Mosaic Agent installed (if using network transfer)
Power strip and all power cables
Network switch or Wi-Fi hotspot if booth PC and display PC need to communicate
USB drive with a backup copy of your main mosaic image and activation settings

Step 5: At the Venue (1–2 Hours Before)

Set up the display screen in a central, visible location — ideally where guests can see the mosaic filling up throughout the event
Connect the display PC to the screen via HDMI and open the Photo Mosaic Wall software
If using Photo Mosaic Agent: connect both PCs to the same network and confirm the agent is communicating with the display PC
Import a test photo and confirm it appears on the large screen
Put the display into full-screen mode
Set up the photo booth hardware and confirm photo transfers reach the raw folder

Step 6: During the Event

The mosaic fills automatically as guest photos arrive — no manual steps needed once it is running
Keep an eye on the tile count and the visual progress — guests enjoy watching the mosaic reveal itself
If tiles stop appearing, check that the booth PC is still sending photos via the Agent, or that network connectivity between machines is intact
Avoid touching the Photo Mosaic Wall software settings during the event

After the Event

Save the Final Mosaic

When all guest photos have been added, use the Photo Mosaic Wall software to export the final high-resolution mosaic image. This is the primary deliverable for your client.

All guest photos are stored in the raw folder of the activation. You can copy the entire folder to a USB drive or upload it to a file sharing service (Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer) to share the full photo collection with your client.

Print the Mosaic Board (Optional)

If your client ordered a physical mosaic print, export the final mosaic image at maximum resolution and send it to your print house. See Mosaic Photo Quality for resolution and format guidance.

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