Tools / Contact sheets
How to Make a Contact Sheet
A step-by-step guide, with the tool right here: drop in your photos below and follow along.
Drop a shoot to make a contact sheet
RAW, JPEG, HEIC and TIFF, with ratings from .xmp sidecars. Everything stays on this computer.
Open the editor without photos1. Gather and cull your frames
Export or copy the shoot into one folder. If you rate in Lightroom or Capture One, save metadata to the files (or keep the .xmp sidecars next to the RAWs) so ratings and rejects come across.
2. Choose a layout
For client selects, 4 or 5 frames across on Letter or A4 keeps faces readable. For reviewing a whole take, 6 × 8 or 8 × 10 fits more frames per page. Use landscape paper for landscape-heavy shoots.
3. Add captions
Always include a frame number or the filename so people can reference frames. Add exposure data for reviews or teaching, and star ratings to show your own picks.
4. Export at print resolution
300 dpi is standard for print. Check the page count and file size, then print on matte paper or email the PDF. For film, use the film layout to get strips with sprocket holes and edge numbers.
Doing it in Photoshop or Lightroom instead
Photoshop's Contact Sheet II (File › Automate) and Lightroom's Print module both work, but they need the desktop apps, are slow with hundreds of RAW files and don't add EXIF captions easily. This tool does the same job in a browser in seconds.