Picture contacts

[Snapper Baz]

Have a big job next month to do and the client has requested contacts-what is the easiest way to produce contacts from Dig' chaps?
cheers

[PaulSands]

Contact sheets? Isn't there an option in PhotoShop? There's also something in the Canon software you got with your camera. I produced some using that following the 2004 Walter Hayes.

Thats £20 consultancy fee

[DWA]

Using Photoshop 7, go to "File" then "Automate" then "Contact Sheet". You can then vary the number of images, sizes etc.

[El_Gibleto]

There's an option to produce a 'contact sheet' using the print option within windows XP.

[Snapper Baz]

Thanks a lot chaps-will give it a go!

[Davhut]

In Adobe Photoshop under File go to "Automate"
Choose "CONTACT SHEET II"
It will direct you to the folder your photos are stored in on computer. CONTACT SHEET offers you the flexibility to define the number of images per page, both horizontally and vertically, and also allows the file name to appear (or not your choice) under each image. The function will automatically define the number of pages necessary based upon the number of images and your choices for images per page. Each image is imported as a small jpeg and the contact sheet pages can be saved in your file as jpegs, thus allowing contacts to be printed again and submitted to your client.
Most pros here in the States are Mac based, but I know the latest versions of Windows Adobe PHotoshop offers the same flexibility.
I'll try to attach one here...this is 4x5 scans and just one of about 6 contacts in the file. Each contact sheet is output on standard letter sized paper.

[Snapper Baz]

Davhut, many thanks for the lengthy reply-great stuff! All I got to do know is find 10 minutes to sit down and go through it all-sounds like fun,
Cheers

[djb]

friends who have a lab have an older "Splash" printer, that uses 11x17 inch size paper. I make contacts sometimes in PS with these dimensions, using varying rows and columns depending on how many shots I want to put on. Not very expensive either, $5 for the first copy, $2.50 for copies. Its not as sharp as tradtional photo paper, but given that you can put a good number of shots per sheet, its pretty practical I find. There must be something similiar in your neckof the woods across the pond. Only unknown is how long they last.

[R59]

I have a complete cheat here - I can put the memory card in my wife's Epson R300, press Index Print, and it does it for me!! Great little toy! (Save's her having to understand photoshop!)

Can't do it with my SD9 - the Epson doesn't understand X3F images!

Rob.

[Snapper Baz]

So Rob, I'll be round to see your wife then!

[djb]

ps, as for doing the Photoshop contact sheets, check off the "rotate for best fit" "autospacing" and "use filename" (obviously handy for having shot number under the image)

I have used up to 50 shots/page, 5rows, 10 columns etc but what is really handy is that depending on how many photos you have to show, one can set it up for relatively large images (lets say 24/page) or whatever--I say all this when comparing to 35mm traditional contact sheets on 8x10's with 7 rows of 5 per roll of film like we used to do.

handy thing too of course is how you can try a given layout out and then see how it looks on screen. The image size again is 10.5x16.5@200dpi. (my friends asked to make it abit smaller than the 11x17 paper size, and there is really no discerneable difference between 200 and 300dpi, and which as I save them as jpgs (saved after flattening and naming) at 10/12 quality, means they are about 1.5megs if I remember correctly. Not a bad size for even emailing tothe lab.

The size of these compared to 8x10's is the real advantage, and as with all printing, it is worth it when you consider ink costs etc, especially if you are charging it to a client. Ask around for this type of printer, I think its worth it for this contact sheet application.

[Snapper Baz]

Havn't done anything as yet but will have a go next week as my decent job is very soon! Cheers again.