1. Select the photos
In the Library module, filter and sort the photos you want on the sheet, for example by rating or flag, then select them. Put them into a collection if you will want to make the sheet again. The order on the sheet follows the sort order in the filmstrip.
2. Open the Print module and pick a template
Switch to the Print module. In the Template Browser on the left, open Lightroom Templates and choose one of the contact sheet templates, such as 4x5 Contact Sheet or 5x8 Contact Sheet. In the Layout Style panel on the right, make sure Single Image / Contact Sheet is selected.
3. Set the grid
In the Layout panel, set the margins, the number of rows and columns under Page Grid, and the cell spacing. Under Image Settings, turn off Zoom to Fill if you want whole frames rather than cropped ones, and decide whether Rotate to Fit should turn portrait frames sideways.
4. Add captions and page details
In the Page panel, tick Photo Info and choose what to show under each frame, such as the filename, the sequence number or exposure details, and set the font size. Page Options adds page numbers, page info and crop marks.
5. Print or export
In the Print Job panel, choose Printer to print directly, or JPEG File to save each page as an image at the resolution you set. For a PDF, print to the system's PDF option (on a Mac, PDF › Save as PDF in the print dialog). Save the setup as a custom template so the next sheet takes seconds.
Limitations to know about
- It only works in Lightroom Classic, not the cloud-based Lightroom app.
- Photos have to be imported into a catalogue first.
- Building a multi-page PDF goes through the print dialog, page by page settings and all.
- There are no film strip layouts or comp card templates.
Without Lightroom
If you rate in Lightroom but want a quicker sheet, save metadata to .xmp sidecars (Metadata › Save Metadata to Files), then drop the folder with its sidecars into the contact sheet maker. Your stars and rejects come across, so you can hide rejects or show only picks.