Topic: Photo Grids (Read 4163 times)

benmarcin · « **on:** October 19, 2016, 10:23:41 am »

Can anyone recommend a good program or Photoshop plugin for building and manipulating a grid of photographs? I currently use Photoshop but the process is very manual and when I go beyond 50-60 images, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the different layers in the layer panel. I'm looking for something that will allow me to import multiple same-size images and move them around relatively easily.

Thanks.

Ben
www.benmarcinphotos.com

Mark D Segal · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2016, 10:27:20 am »

What's the purpose? Is it to print the grid, or do something else?

benmarcin · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2016, 11:09:32 am »

Yes, I will be printing the image large. Below is an example of one that I've already completed. It took a long time for me to build in Photoshop.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/508eb8dde4b05d6afd98b1fa/55f057e3e4b0eadcaa8f8065/57237a1462cd94a6cafb17e8/1476291326946/Parking-Lot-Grid-white-and-color-blocks-77-copy-3.jpg?format=1500w

I should also mention that I am currently running Photoshop CC and I have an old copy of Indesign CS3. I never upgraded the latter.

Thanks.

Ben

rasworth · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2016, 12:30:03 pm »

I created a simple 5 x 5 array in PS CC, using a blank black background set to 1000x750 pixels, and a couple of thumbnails at 200x150. Of course for each instance of a thumbnail that I pasted onto the background a new layer was created. I can see the problem when one gets to a large number of thumbnails, in terms of selecting a layer to move.

I did find one shortcut, if I right-clicked on a pasted thumbnail, a context menu came up with the layer number for that thumbnail. I could then select the layer number directly, and move the thumbnail around the background, snapping it in place into another position. At least with this shortcut one doesn't have to go back to the layer panel, everything can be manipulated directly from the composite image.

Richard Southworth

Mark D Segal · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2016, 01:27:27 pm »

Quote from: benmarcin on October 19, 2016, 11:09:32 am

Yes, I will be printing the image large. Below is an example of one that I've already completed. It took a long time for me to build in Photoshop.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/508eb8dde4b05d6afd98b1fa/55f057e3e4b0eadcaa8f8065/57237a1462cd94a6cafb17e8/1476291326946/Parking-Lot-Grid-white-and-color-blocks-77-copy-3.jpg?format=1500w

I should also mention that I am currently running Photoshop CC and I have an old copy of Indesign CS3. I never upgraded the latter.

Thanks.

Ben

Nice piece of work.

For print layouts you should probably get a RIP or a RIP-like Plug-in that is designed for making this kind of layout work easy and replicable. LaserSoft Imaging's PrinTao 8 comes to mind, or Mirage (though I know less about its capabilities) and further upscale a RIP such as ImagePrint. These allow you to design and save custom layouts into which you insert the photos. Another simpler approach that also works well is the Lightroom Print Module, which allows you to create custom packages designed just about any way you want, no layers to mess with.

benmarcin · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2016, 01:51:51 pm »

Rasworth,

Thanks for the tip. When I right-click on one of my grid thumbnails in Photoshop, I don't get the same context menu that you are referring. I see Blending Options, Delete Layer, Duplicate Layer, etc...but no layer number. I might be misunderstanding how you got to this point.

Ben

benmarcin · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2016, 01:55:52 pm »

Mark,

Thanks for the advice. My problem is not so much in the printing but in the creating and re-ordering of photos within a grid. If I use the Lightroom Print Module, I can create a grid from a collection of photos but it is very difficult to move photos around within that grid. I am running on a Windows PC, btw, not a Mac.

Picasa used to have a collage creator that allowed you to build a grid and re-shuffle the images but you couldn't move images around individually.

Ben

Mark D Segal · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2016, 02:28:30 pm »

Quote from: benmarcin on October 19, 2016, 01:55:52 pm

Mark,

Thanks for the advice. My problem is not so much in the printing but in the creating and re-ordering of photos within a grid. If I use the Lightroom Print Module, I can create a grid from a collection of photos but it is very difficult to move photos around within that grid. I am running on a Windows PC, btw, not a Mac.

Picasa used to have a collage creator that allowed you to build a grid and re-shuffle the images but you couldn't move images around individually.

Ben

It's extremely easy to move photos around in a Lightroom layout. You work in the Custom Package Print mode and just drop and drag, resize etc. as you see fit, making whatever placement design you want. Couldn't be easier. If you decide to crop or recrop a photo, for this one operation it's best you delete it from the Print layout, go back to Develop, do the crop, then re drag-and-drop the cropped result into the print layout. For all other kind of edits in Lightroom, no need to remove the photo from the print layout, changes convey directly from the Develop Module into the Print module. This comes in very handy, because when doing such layouts, one often notices issues of balance and consistency between related photos that deserve some re-adjustment in one or the other or several.

David Good · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2016, 02:35:53 pm »

Qimage Ultimate (Windows only) will allow the flexibility you are looking for, and more. As with any new interface it doesn't really shine until you get the hang of it. It's well worth the small asking price and learning curve.

benmarcin · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2016, 02:47:27 pm »

Mark,

I wasn't aware of using the Custom Print Module and, just poking around with it for a few minutes, that looks like a good solution for me. I assume I can maintain the proper resolution (360 ppi) and adjust paper sizes - I'll look around on the web for info. Thanks so much for your help!

Ben

benmarcin · « **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2016, 02:48:19 pm »

David,

Thanks for the Qimage tip - I will look at that today. It sounds like this will work well.

Ben

Mark D Segal · « **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2016, 02:55:43 pm »

Quote from: benmarcin on October 19, 2016, 02:47:27 pm

Mark,

I wasn't aware of using the Custom Print Module and, just poking around with it for a few minutes, that looks like a good solution for me. I assume I can maintain the proper resolution (360 ppi) and adjust paper sizes - I'll look around on the web for info. Thanks so much for your help!

Ben

You can specify the resolution of the whole layout by selecting the resolution you want in the first drop-down of the Print Job dialog, bottom right of the print module. By turning this off and clicking on any photo within the layout you can see the dimensions and native resolution of the particular photo. Lightroom will bring any difference between the native resolutions of the photos and your selected resolution for the whole layout into conformity once you have the Print Resolution command checked.

What's nice about Lightroom is not only the ease of use, but also the fairly seamless interactiveness between the Develop and Print modules. As well, there is a plethora of learning resources on Lightroom free of charge on this website (in particular the Reichmann-Schewe videos) once you are a subscriber ($12/year).

benmarcin · « **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2016, 03:03:12 pm »

Awesome, Mark. Thank you!!!

Ben

elliot_n · « **Reply #13 on:** October 19, 2016, 03:24:20 pm »

Quote from: benmarcin on October 19, 2016, 10:23:41 am

I currently use Photoshop but the process is very manual and when I go beyond 50-60 images, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the different layers in the layer panel. I'm looking for something that will allow me to import multiple same-size images and move them around relatively easily.

I assume you know that when using the Move tool in Photoshop, you can Command-click on any individual image (within the document, not the layers palette) and then move it around. Also, you can begin by setting up a grid using guides, and then select View>Snap To>Guides - that way all your images tiles will snap to the grid alignment as you move them around. Taking this approach, you will rarely have to look at the layers palette.

rasworth · « **Reply #14 on:** October 19, 2016, 03:43:00 pm »

Ben,

The Move tool must be selected to invoke a right click context menu with the layer id. It appears there are other solutions not involving layers that may be more practical, but the right click did allow me to move the "thumbnails" around without referring to the layer panel.

Richard Southworth

benmarcin · « **Reply #15 on:** October 19, 2016, 06:11:48 pm »

Well, it would seem as though my lack of Photoshop skills has been exposed. I've done the CTL+move in the past but it only worked on whatever layer I was currently active on. When I closed my layers palette, it worked like a charm.

All of you guys have been great - thanks for the education.

Ben

Jeffrey Saldinger · « **Reply #16 on:** October 20, 2016, 07:07:03 pm »

In Lightroom, you could consider this:

Make a collection of everything you want to print; then sort it in that catalog; then select all; then go to the print module; then use the Layout and Guides Panel (among others as may be desirable) to set margins and spacing and everything else. That you use multiple same-size images will I think give you a grid of the sort for which you provided a link.

With the filmstrip showing in the print module, you can move things around to refine the sequencing. Use shift/command/D to select one image to move it (in the filmstrip), then when it has been moved select all again (command A), and the full array will appear.

I think this will work as described. I don't think I left out any steps.

Jeffrey

benmarcin · « **Reply #17 on:** October 20, 2016, 09:13:04 pm »

Thanks, Jeffery - that is a great idea.

Ben

Jeffrey Saldinger · « **Reply #18 on:** October 21, 2016, 01:50:32 pm »

You're welcome, Ben. I apologize for the careless "catalog" just before the second semicolon. Of course it should have been "collection."

In thinking about your grid work, I thought the following about Apple's Aperture might interest you.

I used Aperture before switching to Lightroom. The one feature I miss most now is Aperture's light table capability, which worked just like a light box + slides in allowing (among other things) the thumbnails to be arrayed in any way one could wish. (I still miss other features of Aperture, but I don't want to go too far astray in this brief reply.)

In some of my Lightroom collections I now use "spacers" (as I call them), which are virtual copies of a 50% gray jpeg. Spacers allow me to separate groups of thumbnails (e.g. by color/BW, or by horizontal/square/vertical images) in sequences that I find easier to examine than completely contiguous ones. I find such spacers unnecessary in Aperture's light tables.

Those light tables are still useful, though. If the situation calls for it, I export small jpegs from Lightroom, add them to Aperture, and work with them in a new or existing Light Table.

Jeffrey

benmarcin · « **Reply #19 on:** October 21, 2016, 03:47:58 pm »

Thanks, Jeffrey. I'm a PC user, will Aperture work on Windows?

Ben

Author Topic: Photo Grids (Read 4163 times)