In December, Art Licensing Agent Suzanne Cruise was the expert of the month for the Art Licensing Info Monthly Ask Call Series. (The hour long audio is available for free – CLICK HERE to get your copy.)
One thing she mentioned was that her team uses the “Contact Sheet” function in Photoshop™ to create presentations for manufacturers. This got my attention because anything that can make my work go faster so I have more time to create is something I want to know about! I promised to figure it out and put it on the blog so here we go…
Contact Sheet II is an automation script (I think it’s a script – I’m calling it one anyway!) that allows you to sit back and watch Photoshop™ grab and organize groups of images for you. It is ideal if you work in a consistent size and orientation, requires a little human tweaking if your image sizes vary.
Contact Sheet II comes in Photoshop CS3 (and earlier versions, I think) but you need to download and install the plug-in if you are working in CS4. Here are the links for CS4:
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4048 – for windows
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4047 -Mac
These plug-ins have more than just Contact Sheet II. Here is what it includes (text from the linked web pages):
There are some plug-ins and presets that have been removed in Photoshop CS4. If you wish to use these plug-ins and presets still you can find them in your Goodies folder on your DVD install disc. This download includes plug-ins for Photoshop CS4 English, Spanish and French versions.
The following plug-ins and associated files are included in this package:
• Bigger Tiles
• Picture Package (ContactSheetII)
• ExtractPlus
• PatternMaker
• PhotomergeUI
• TWAIN
• Web Photo Gallery (WebContactSheetII) plus presets
• Textures for Texturizer
• script for Layer Comps to Web Photo Gallery
Here is a video tutorial of how “Contact Sheet II” works, some examples and some pluses and minuses. I for one plan to start using this more in my business, hopefully it will be helpful for you as well!
[youtube 38iH3V03C1A nolink]
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
P.S. Thank you to all the artists who emailed me with help in finding this feature! You are awesome!
P.P. S. Want to learn to create repeat patterns like the ones shown in the video? Check out the 2 eBook series – CLICK HERE
I used to use the automate-contact sheet for my own reference. I’d print out my many images, with in a grouping, then, I could go over them, to tweek, make decisions, changes, etc, without having to sit in front of the computer.
After, I’d pondered, and made my plans, I’d go back into the computer to make my final adjustments.
It’s a great as a file name reference for misc concept files too. (for artists not as organized with coding their art, like me).
It looks like an incredible time saver! Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Tara!
Two more questions..Silly really.
1.) Is it recommended to download from my goodies folder and can I hand pick what I want to download (in this case just the Contact sheet II), or do you advise to download it from the link you provided? Or am I supposed to do both? Still learning here!
My other question is for Trinda–
2.)I wonder why you stopped using the contact sheet?
Marci – Download everything from the link. You can then decide if you want to move all the plugins to your Photoshop program or just the Contact Sheet II. It doesn’t do it automatically so you can make the choice.
To answer Marci’s question to me: When I upgraded my Adobe Photoshop, I stopped using the Automated Contact Sheets, because, I began using Photo-shop’s Bridge as my “visual” file reference on the computer. I always had a tough time with labeling or coding each file, so viewing them was best for me. Plus, I tried to save on paper, and, save on ink for my printer.
But, now, I will rethink how to use it. There are so many possibilities, even to have a reduced printed reference for image pages of Copyrighted art submitted, or, for visual images submitted to Licensee’s.
Thanks to Tara Reed and Suzanne Cruize for the reminder. Tara, you are doing a wonderful thing, bringing artist/designers together, and helping to inform. Thank you.
Okay.. I downloaded it & grabbed all the files and placed them in their perspective folders and everything except for the contact sheetII that I wanted is working and then I stumbled upon the photomerge.. Oh Lord – Happy Camper I am – I am… Just cut back custom branding and other projects time down by about 90% 🙂
Can’t get the contact sheet to come up though, not in CS4 – PS or in Bridge 🙁
Got it! 🙂 Gosh.. have been missing my ole cs2 because I didn’t have some of these functions, glad I finally looked into it further…