How to Make a Contact Sheet in Photoshop

The short version

In desktop Photoshop, open File → Automate → Contact Sheet II, choose a source folder, set the page and grid, then create and save the sheet. Adobe documents this workflow in its Contact Sheet II guide.

A contact sheet is a page of small photo previews. It is useful for selecting portraits, checking an album sequence, or sending a numbered shortlist. Prepare a working folder of candidates before opening the dialog so you can avoid generating pages of unrelated images.

1. Prepare your source folder

Copy the photos you want to compare into one folder. Keep the originals elsewhere. For a small first attempt, try twelve images: enough to see the grid without making the thumbnails tiny. Give working copies short, useful filenames if you intend to print those names beneath the photos.

2. Open Contact Sheet II

In desktop Photoshop, select File → Automate → Contact Sheet II. Choose your folder under Source Images. If you include subfolders, check that they only contain photographs you want on the sheet. Adobe also documents a Bridge route through Tools → Photoshop → Contact Sheet II; Bridge is a separate application.

3. Set the paper and resolution

Under Document, choose dimensions and resolution for the intended output. For a Letter page, use 8.5 × 11 inches; for A4, use 210 × 297 mm. A 300 PPI setting is a useful print starting point, subject to your printer’s requirements. Keep the orientation consistent with your planned grid.

4. Choose your thumbnail layout

Set rows and columns in Thumbnails, and choose whether images flow across or down. Automatic spacing handles the gaps; manual spacing gives you control. Review Rotate For Best Fit before enabling it, and choose Use Filename As Caption if names will help identify your selections.

5. Generate, inspect, and save

Click OK to generate the sheet. Check that all selected photos appear and that captions are readable. Adobe’s contact-sheet tutorial describes the creation and File-menu save/print workflow. Keep an editable copy if you expect to revise the layout, and save a separate delivery copy for sharing.

A twelve-photo layout to start with

Setting	A manageable first draft
Paper	A4 portrait or US Letter portrait
Grid	3 columns × 4 rows = 12 positions
Selection	12 photographs of one subject or occasion
Labels	Short filenames if the reviewer needs to name favorites
Review	Check faces, orientation, and readable labels before printing

This is an example starting point, not a Photoshop preset. If your contact sheet needs room for handwritten notes, use fewer images. Six large thumbnails can be more useful than twenty-four tiny ones when comparing expressions.

Common problems to check

The command is missing. Confirm that you are using desktop Photoshop, rather than Photoshop on the web or a different Adobe app. Menu paths in this guide follow Adobe’s desktop documentation.
The wrong photos appear. Recheck the source folder and whether subfolders are included. Remove unwanted files from the working folder, not from your only copy of the originals.
Thumbnails are too small. Reduce the number of rows or columns. Increasing document resolution alone does not create larger frames on the same physical sheet.
Labels are hard to read. Shorten working filenames and make another draft with fewer images. View the output at the intended print size.
The print is unexpectedly scaled. Confirm that the document and printer use the same paper size and inspect the print preview before printing a batch.

Make a contact sheet without Photoshop

The SkyAlbum contact sheet maker fits up to 24 photos into A4 or Letter layouts and downloads a PDF plus individual JPG pages. It uses numbered labels and runs locally in your browser. You can also download a blank template without choosing any photos.

Menu paths checked against Adobe documentation on September 9, 2026. This is a documentation-based guide; it is not a claim of hands-on testing in every Photoshop version. See Adobe’s print dimensions and resolution guide for its current resolution guidance.

Put the ideas into practice

Explore the free photo tools or download an album outline to start your own story.