Proof Sheet for school portraits

[LisaEberman]

HI I am new to this forum. I am not sure where to turn for help. I was given a fantastic opportunity to photography over 40 kids in a preK. Now I have to create 'proof sheets' to the parents. What I am defining as proof sheet is - to show the different packages with price (8x10,2 5x7, wallets = $X or 2 - 8x10 and wallets = $y) but the main purpose of it is to give a small thumbnail sharp image of the child with the web page and password where the parents can view the kids picture and order online. I created something in word and printed it in printing company - the thumbprints look horrible - not sharp at all. I opened the pictures in PS and then did a screen shot and pasted the screen shot into the word document -so it lost its resolution and so forth. I read about contact sheet = but I am not sure how I can put the text into PS (with my Logo, package information and site loggin information andddddd the thrumbprint that contact sheet generates). Please help!!! I need to give these out to the parents in 2 days.

 

[Tom Mann]

First. Let me make sure I understand exactly what you want.

Am I correct that you want:

1. One page per student? (Y/n)?

2. That page contains one or more fairly small images showing the different poses for that particular child (y/n)? How big is each?

3. The above images are all identical in shape and are simple rectangles, ie no ovals, vignettes, or special frames (Y/n)?

4. The above images are all placed in some simple, fixed pattern such as a single row, a 2x2 grid, etc. (Y/n)?

5. Each page also contains some text and/or to-scale drawings of the layouts and/or relative sizes of the various "packages" (Y/n)?

I need to be sure that I understand exactly what you want before I start to explain your options.

Tom

 

[Tom Mann]

A couple more questions:

Are you working with a full version of Photoshop, or just Photoshop Elements? What version?

Do you have (and know how to use) Adobe Lightroom or any page layout program such as Adobe InDesign?

Would u prefer to stick with Microsoft Word to do the layout?

T

 

[LisaEberman]

Tom -Yes one sheet per child. On the bottom 1 or 2 small images. I have ap ps version 8 (new user and using online tutorials to do things). Just purchased lightroom and am waiting to get it from amazon in the meantime downloaded the 30 day trial of lightroom (never used it before). I think its the full version of PS. I think that MW looses the integrity of the pictures.

 

[Hoogle]

Lightroom is all you need it has pre built in templates for galleries which can be converted to web galleries or for print..

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-lightroom-5/creating-a-contact-sheet/

Adobe currently do an offer $9.99 a month for photoshop and lightroom, a good investment for a photographer, not sure what you have purchased from amazon.

just make sure you have some kind of watermark on your gallery because these days people tend to do the print it yourself option and share images via social media rather than paying for prints

 

[LisaEberman]

Thank you for your response. I have the watermark and I saw this video before. I am not looking to add so many pictures and I am dense I don't see where I can add my text to the existing templates. I only want to add 2 pictures below and above I am adding my company name and text of packages and text of website and password information. What am I missing? I don't see the template that allows this

 

[Tom Mann]

Hi Lisa -

you are correct that the LR & PS contact sheets are more appropriate when the photographer has quite a few poses that need to be shown with less emphasis on text on that page. I thought this was the case from your first post, but had to be sure, hence all the questions.

So, it sounds like u would be happy with the Word approach that u tried except for the low quality of the pix. If this is the case, the solution is very easy: instead of trying to get the image into Word by taking a screenshot, have PS save the result as a jpg, and then use Word's "insert picture" command. If the jpg is larger than a few hundred pixels on the side, it will look fine in Word.

HTH,

T

 

[Tom Mann]

Also, should you want to switch from Microsoft Word to Lightroom, that can be done almost as easily. The trick is that you *don't* use their contact sheet template.

Instead, stay in the Print output module, but set it up for only one or two images per page, place them where you want, and then, expand the "Page" section (under the "Print" module), and turn on the "Identity Plate" option. Click on, "Render behind image" and "Render on Every Image". You can then change the default for the identity plate (which is just the word, "Lightroom") to a graphical background that contains the text, drawings and anything else you want to appear on the same page as each pair of images.

While you are at it, you can also turn on automated watermarking in LR.

One big advantage of the LR approach over the Word approach is that it's more automated. OTOH, since it sounds like you've already got the Word version done (except for the quality of the photos), it may not be worth it to switch over.

Hoogle also pointed out another advantage, namely that it can easily output a web gallery just as easily as it will produce printed output (for a local printer), or files to be printed (for a commercial print service).


HTH,

Tom

PS - One thing just occurred to me. There is another possible reason that the images that you had printed did not turn out to your satisfaction, and that it wasn't any fault of the screen grab method, but was a problem with the printing method used. Did your word document look ok on your monitor?

 

[Tom Mann]

Obviously, it goes without saying that if you would like us to take a look at one of the pages of your word file and check it before you go to the printer again, we will be happy to do so.

T

 

[LisaEberman]

Tom - Thats exactly what I did - I went into word and inserted the picture and then sized it preportionally... i tested it and it looks better than before. I tested 2 kids - 1 I know looked bad before - not sure why.... and it looks better but still not 100%. I just thought there was a smarter/more automated way of doing this that would keep the resolution of hte pics in PS or in lightroom. I am going to try what you suggested.

 

[Tom Mann]

If it's still giving you problems, just send one page of your word file, as well as the jpg that u saved from PS. I'll check them out ASAP.

T

 

[blitz]

good luck with your learning.