Print PDFs and contact sheets

Make a sheet for choosing photographs or prepare one photograph per page.

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A contact sheet and a print PDF are different outputs
Print and contact sheets

Film recorded with an earlier version; the written reference is current.

Where it is

Output → Contact sheet or Print layout

Quick overview

Contact sheets use edited Library thumbnails in a grid, with captions, a title, columns and rows.
Print layout renders photos at 300 dpi for the chosen paper and places one on each page inside margins.
A paper ICC profile can convert the PDF to the lab or printer’s colour space. Avoid applying the same conversion twice when printing.
Soft proof in Develop previews a lab or printer profile without changing exported photographs.
Open the finished PDF in a printing application or send it to the lab. PPI metadata on a photo does not add pixels.

In this film

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Select the photos for the sheetContact sheets use edited Library thumbnails.
Set a destination for the PDFKeep the finished layout separate from the source photos.
Open the print and contact-sheet controlsChoose paper, orientation, rows and columns.
Create a contact sheet PDFA captioned grid is useful for reviewing a shoot.
The last PDF is listed on the leftPrint PDF uses one full render per page; soft proof helps assess paper colour.

A contact sheet and a print PDF are different outputs

A contact sheet is a review grid made from edited Library thumbnails. A print layout renders a photo for each page at the chosen paper size, within margins. Use the full source for print-quality output and a contact sheet for selection and communication.

Soft proof helps anticipate the chosen paper or lab profile on screen. Physical results depend on the monitor, paper, printer and printing settings; avoid applying the same profile conversion twice. The reference below explains page layout, profile choice and proofing controls.

Print and contact sheets

Both make PDFs in the destination folder, from the same Output page.

Contact sheet

The source photos as a captioned grid: columns × rows, paper, orientation, an optional title. Built from the Library thumbnails, edits included.

Print layout

Every photo is rendered at 300 dpi for the chosen paper, then placed one per page inside 10 mm margins, the page turning to suit each photo.

Paper profile: an RGB ICC with an intent and black point compensation converts the PDF pages into the paper's colour. When printing that PDF, avoid applying the same conversion again. Without a paper profile, pages stay sRGB.
Print PDF, one per page: writes the finished layout to the destination folder. Open the PDF in another application to print it, or send it to your lab.

Soft proof

In Develop's left dock: pick the printer's or lab's profile and the viewer shows the render as it would print, with an optional magenta warning for colours the paper cannot hold.