If you're looking for a quick and easy way to create collages or album spreads in linux, look no further than Picasa from google. A small but very useful tool is the collage creator. Simply select the images you want on the collage, click the "Collage" button at the bottom, and it will open the collage dialog.

On the left, you'll see settings. Notice down at the bottom you now have the option of adding a custom aspect ratio.

This tiny feature now allows you to create custom sized albums! From the limited time I've used it, it appears the resolution is fixed at 256DPI, so this my 20x10 spread creates an image with 5120x2560 pixels. Maybe not optimal 300DPI for a 20x10 album spread, but very acceptable.

If you want full control over the size and location of your images, just select "Picture Pile". If you want just a quick, full page collage, choose "Mosaic".


Now if we can just get a touch more control over the borders (right now, they are fixed size and color - white only) and the drop shadows (no adjustments now), but overall, super quick and easy!