1. Cull before you send
Clients cannot un-see a frame. Remove blinks, missed focus, near-duplicates and anything you would not be happy to deliver before the sheet goes out. If you rate in Lightroom, Capture One, Bridge or Photo Mechanic, reject or leave unrated the frames you are dropping, then hide them on the sheet. Ratings saved in .xmp sidecars come across with the files.
2. Number every frame
Frame numbers are the whole point. They give the client a short, unambiguous way to name a picture, and they survive printing, forwarding and phone screens. Keep the filename underneath so you can find each file in seconds when the reply comes back.
Number the sheet in a single sequence across all pages. "Page 2, third row" is exactly the kind of description you are trying to avoid.
3. Choose a layout clients can judge
Clients are judging expressions, not composition, so give them frames large enough to see faces: 4 or 5 across on Letter or A4. Group by scene or outfit if the shoot has natural sections, and put the strongest frame of each section first. The client selects template is set up for this.
4. Write instructions they cannot misread
Put the instructions in the email and in the sheet's header. Say how many to choose, how to reply and by when. Here is a version you can adapt:
Please choose your favourite 15 frames and reply with their numbers, for example: 4, 18, 22, 37. If you would like a different crop or a retouch on any frame, add a note after its number. If more than one person is choosing, please send one combined list. I will start editing as soon as I have your picks, ideally by Friday 24 October.
5. Set a limit and a deadline
A clear number keeps the edit within what you quoted, and a date keeps the job moving. If the package includes 15 images, say 15. If extra selections are charged, say so in the same message so it is not a surprise later.
6. Turn the reply into files
When the numbers come back, read the filenames off the sheet and mark those files in your catalogue, for example with a colour label or a collection named after the client and date. Reply to confirm the list before you start editing, so any mistake is caught while it is still cheap to fix.
PDF sheet or online gallery?
| PDF contact sheet | Online proofing gallery | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One file, sent by email | Upload, then manage a link |
| Client needs | Any PDF viewer, or paper | A browser and often an account |
| Works offline and in print | Yes | No |
| Unreleased work leaves your computer | Only the sheet you send | Every uploaded file |
| Best for | Selects from up to a few hundred frames | Large deliveries and print sales |
Many photographers use both: a contact sheet for the selection, a gallery for delivering finished files.
Contact Sheet Studio's Studio plan has a middle option: a proofing link. Only small watermarked proofs of the frames you choose are uploaded, the client needs no account, and their picks and notes come back to you by email, ready to copy as filenames or flag in your project. The link and its proofs are deleted after 7, 14 or 30 days.