Photoshop makes contact sheets with a built-in automation called Contact Sheet II. You point it at a folder, set the page size and grid, and it places every image, with its filename, into a new document. Below are the steps, the settings that matter, and how to turn the result into a PDF you can send.

Before you start

  • Export review-sized JPEGs into their own folder. Contact Sheet II opens every file at full size, so raw files make it slow.
  • Name the files the way you want them to appear in captions. The batch file renamer can clean up camera names in a minute.
  • Sort the folder in the order the images should appear. Photoshop places them alphabetically by filename.

How to make a contact sheet in Photoshop, step by step

  1. Open Photoshop and choose File > Automate > Contact Sheet II.
  2. Under Source Images, choose Folder and click Choose to select your export folder. Tick Include Subfolders only if the set is split across several folders.
  3. Under Document, set the units, width, and height of the page. Use 21 × 29.7 cm for A4 or 8.5 × 11 inches for US Letter.
  4. Set the resolution: 300 pixels per inch for print, 150 is plenty for a screen-only PDF.
  5. Under Thumbnails, set the number of columns and rows. Leave Use Auto-Spacing on unless you need exact gaps.
  6. Tick Use Filename as Caption and choose a font and size. At 300 ppi, 8 to 10 points stays readable in print.
  7. Click OK. Photoshop opens each image, places it, and creates one document per page.

The Contact Sheet II settings that matter

Columns and rows

The grid decides how useful the sheet is. Four columns by five rows fits 20 frames on an A4 or Letter page and suits most client reviews. For portraits, three by three keeps faces large enough to compare. The contact sheet templates guide lists grid sizes for other kinds of shoot.

Place across first or down first

“Across first” fills each row left to right, like reading a page. “Down first” fills columns. Across first is what most clients expect.

Rotate for best fit

This turns images sideways so they fill more of each cell. It saves space but makes the sheet harder to read, because portrait and landscape frames end up facing different directions. Leave it off for client sheets.

Flatten all layers

With this off, every thumbnail and caption becomes its own layer, which is useful if you want to move or annotate frames by hand. Turn it on for smaller files and faster saving.

How to save the contact sheet as one PDF

For a single page, choose File > Save a Copy and pick Photoshop PDF. For a longer shoot, Contact Sheet II leaves you with several open documents. Save each one as a JPEG or PSD, then choose File > Automate > PDF Presentation, add the saved pages, select Multi-Page Document, and save. That produces the single PDF a client actually wants.

Common problems and fixes

  • Contact Sheet II is missing from the menu: it is a desktop feature. Make sure you are in the full desktop version of Photoshop and that optional plug-ins were not removed during installation.
  • It takes minutes to run: the source images are too large. Use smaller JPEG exports.
  • Captions are cut off or tiny: shorten the filenames or raise the font size, then run it again.
  • Images are in the wrong order: Photoshop sorts by filename. Rename with a numbered prefix such as 001_, 002_ to control the order.
  • Thumbnails look soft in print: the document resolution was too low. Rebuild at 300 ppi.

Photoshop or an online contact sheet maker?

Photoshop is a good choice if you already pay for it and want a layered page you can edit by hand. It is slower when the goal is simply a labelled, multi-page PDF for a client: you run the automation, save each page, then combine them.

The online contact sheet editor does that in one pass. Drop in the images, reorder them by dragging, choose columns and rows, keep filenames visible, and export an A4 PDF at 300 DPI. Watermarks, brand presets, and client proofing links are available on paid plans. The editor is free to try; downloading the PDF requires a paid plan.

Using Lightroom instead? See how to make a contact sheet in Lightroom Classic . For every other method, including macOS and Windows, read how to make a contact sheet .

Frequently asked questions

Where is Contact Sheet II in Photoshop?

In desktop Photoshop, choose File > Automate > Contact Sheet II. If it is missing, check that you are using the full desktop app rather than a mobile or web version, and that optional plug-ins were installed with Photoshop.

How do I add filenames to a Photoshop contact sheet?

Tick Use Filename as Caption in the Contact Sheet II dialog, then choose the font and font size. Photoshop places each filename as a text layer under its thumbnail.

How do I save a Photoshop contact sheet as a PDF?

For a single page, use File > Save a Copy and choose Photoshop PDF. For several pages, save each page as a file, then combine them with File > Automate > PDF Presentation.

Why is my Photoshop contact sheet so slow?

Contact Sheet II opens every source image at full size. Point it at a folder of smaller JPEG exports instead of raw files, and flatten layers if you do not need to edit the page by hand.

Is there a faster alternative to Photoshop for contact sheets?

An online contact sheet maker builds a multi-page PDF with filenames in one step, without opening each file. It suits client PDFs; Photoshop remains useful when you want to edit the finished page by hand.