What’s so important about a contact sheet?

If you have ever ordered an Equinox Photo Journal or Orion from us you know the importance we stress on including a contact sheet. This is a simple tool that makes a big difference.

Here is an example (click on image for larger view):

A contact sheet is important for several reasons:

1. Shows us the page sequence for your album.
2. Helps us verify if we have all the prints… AND the correct prints.
3. Perfect tool for when we are checking and double checking the album before shipping.

Such weighty responsibility for such a little piece of paper. Even if you number each print on the back, when the images are made into a page these numbers are hidden and we have no way of verifying which order the pages should be in.

We cannot process an order without it! That shows you how important we feel it is.

How to create a contact sheet in Photoshop ^TM:

• Go to File
• Choose Automate
• Select Contact Sheet II

This brings up a dialog box where you can enter your settings:

1. Source Images: Select the folder where you layouts are saved
2. Document: Set the size to 8×10 & check the box “Flatten All Layers”
3. Thumbnails: We recommend 2 columns , 3-4 rows at most & check the box “Use file name as caption”

You will now see a preview of the layout in the upper right hand corner along with how many pages this contact sheet will be. Once you have verified your settings, click “OK” and the process will start.

When all the images have been processed you will have a series of open files on your screen. We recommend saving them as PDF files.

Image Numbering Tip: When you are numbering your images/layouts make sure to save it as image001.jpg and not image1.jpg. When you do not have the extra zeros your page sequence will get out of order when you get to image11.jpg or image15.jpg. These will be pulled up first before image2.jpg. So if you look at the layouts and they are out of order, the first thing to check is your numbering system. This works best:

image001.jpg, image002.jpg, image003.jpg and so on

Now you have a contact ready to send along with your order.

What other uses do you have for the Contact Sheet?