Toolbox 2: Contact Sheet

 

A contact sheet is a page of thumbnail images that shows a set of photographs all at once. Photographers use it to review their work quickly and to select their best shots. In Photoshop, you can make one using the Contact Sheet II feature.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Get Your Photos Ready

  • Put all the images you want on your contact sheet into one folder.

  • Make sure the files are easy to find (like on your desktop or in your pictures folder).

  • Rename them if needed so you can tell them apart later.

2. Open the Contact Sheet II Tool

  • Open Photoshop.

  • Go to the top menu and click:
    File → Automate → Contact Sheet II








3. Choose Your Source Images

  • In the window that pops up, look for Source Images.

  • Select Folder.

  • Click Choose… and find the folder with your photos.

  • Click OK.

4. Set Your Document Settings

  • Under Document, choose:

    • Units: Inches

    • Width: 8.5 in

    • Height: 11 in (standard paper size)

    • Resolution: 300 pixels/inch (for printing) or 72 ppi (for on-screen viewing)

    • Mode: RGB Color, 8 bit


5. Arrange the Thumbnails

  • Under Thumbnails, set:

    • Place: Across First (rows before columns usually looks best)

    • Choose the number of Columns and Rows (for example, 4 columns x 5 rows gives you 20 photos per page).

    • Check Use Filename as Caption if you want the file names under each picture.

6. Make the Contact Sheet

  • When you’re ready, click OK.

  • Photoshop will automatically create the contact sheet by opening each photo and arranging them into the grid you chose.







7. Save Your Contact Sheet

  • Go to File → Save As.

  • Save it as a JPEG or PDF so you can share, print, or turn it in.

Pro Tips