In the Library module, select the photo
or photos you want to print.
Last updated on
Sep 25, 2023
Laying out photos in a print template
About print templates
Templates contain layouts for printing your photos, including any text overlays and print job settings. The Lightroom Classic Template Browser in the Print module contains premade templates for common tasks, such as making contact sheets. The Template Browser also lists custom templates you have saved. Moving the pointer over a name in the Template Browser displays its page layout in the Preview panel at the top of the left column. Clicking a template name displays a preview of selected photos in the work area. The preview updates when you choose a different template or specify different print options, such as add text overlays.
Lightroom Classic offers three types of layout templates:
Single Image/Contact Sheet templates let you print one or more photos all at the same size in various configurations, such as in a 2-up greeting card.
Picture Package templates let you print one photo in various sizes, such as for school photos and wedding portraiture.
Custom Package templates let you print various photos at various sizes, in any configuration.
All templates have image cells for containing photos and margin information. If you specify overlay options, a template can also contain text areas. The image cells and margins in a template scale to accommodate the paper size you specify.
Print job settings, including the paper size and printer, are also saved in a print template.
You can create new templates by modifying the settings of existing templates. Select a template, use the controls in the right panels, specify the paper size and printer settings in the toolbar, and then add a custom template. You can also modify the image cells in a template by dragging the margin guides or cell boundaries. Layout setting modifications, overlays, and print job specifications can be saved as a custom template.
Choose a print template
In the Template Browser panel in the Print module, select
a template. The Layout Style panel indicates the layout the template
is:
Single Image/Contact Sheet
Allows you to print one or more photos at the same size on a page.
Picture Package
Allows you to print one photo in various sizes on a page.
Custom Package
Allows you to print one or more photos, in any configuration of sizes, on a page, and allows multiple page layouts.
(Custom Package templates) Drag one or more photos from
the Filmstrip to the page preview.
Specify how photos fill an image cell
You can specify photos to scale and rotate so that their entire image fits within an image cell. Blank spaces fill the areas where the aspect ratio of the photos and the image cells don't match. You can also set an option so that photos completely fill the space within an image cell. When this option is selected, portions of the photos (especially vertical images) might be cropped to fill the aspect ratio of the image cells.
In the Image Settings panel of the Print module,
select any of the following options, depending on which layout you're
using:
Zoom To Fill
(Single Image/Contact Sheet and Picture Package layouts) Fills the entire image cell with a photo, cropping the edges of the image as necessary.
Rotate To Fit
(Single Image/Contact Sheet and Picture Package layouts) Rotates images if necessary to produce the largest image that fits in each image cell.
A. Photos with no image settings applied B. Zoom To Fill C. Rotate To Fit
Tip: If an image cell doesn't display the portion of a photo you want, drag the photo in the cell to reposition it. In a Picture Package layout, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS).
Repeat One Photo Per Page
(Single Image/Contact Sheet layouts) Repeats the selected in every image cell on the page in a Grid template layout.
Photo Border
(Picture Package and Custom Package layouts) Adds a border of the specified width to the photo in each image cell.
Inner Stroke
(All layouts) Adds an inner stroke of the specified width and color to the photo in each image cell.
Specify rulers and guides
- (Single Image/Contact Sheet layout) In the Guides panel of the Print module, select or deselect Show Guides. Specify whether you want to show or hide rulers, page bleed guides, margins and gutters, and image cells.
- (Picture Package and Custom Package layouts) In the Rulers, Grid & Guides panel, select whether you want to view a page ruler, a layout grid, or page bleed guides. Specify a unit of measure for the ruler, snap behavior for the grid, and whether to display image dimensions with the bleed layout.
Modify page margins and cell size (Single Image/Contact Sheet layouts)
In the Guides panel, select Show Guides
and do any of the following:
Drag a guide in the work area to modify a cell or margin.
Use the sliders or enter values in the Layout panel.
Select Keep Square to make the cell shape of the image square.
In the Layout panel, specify the following options:
Ruler Units
Sets the ruler measurement units used in the work area.
Margins
Sets the page margins. All cells fit within the margins. Move the slider, enter a margin value, or drag the margin indicators in the work area.
Page Grid
Defines the number of image cell rows and columns on a page.
Cell Spacing
Defines the space between cells for rows and columns.
Cell Size
Defines the size of the image cells.
A. Vertical cell spacing B. Cell width C. Margin D. Cell height E. Horizontal cell spacing
Print a contact sheet
In the Library module, select photos
for the contact sheet.
Note
The photos can be put into the Quick Collection, or you can create a collection to save the photo selection for reuse.
In the Print module, choose a contact sheet template
from the Template Browser.
If necessary, choose a paper size and printer.
In the Page panel, select the text options you want printed.
(Optional) In the Print Job panel, select Draft Mode
Printing.
Click Print.
Customize package layouts
You can add as many image cells as you like to a Picture Package or Custom Package layout, and arrange them on the page automatically or manually. Lightroom Classic offers six standard photo cell sizes. If you add more photos than fit on a page, Lightroom Classic automatically adds pages to the layout.
In the Cells panel, click to add cells in the desired size or sizes to the layout. Lightroom Classic optimizes their placement on the page for the fewest cuts.
Note
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) to duplicate a cell.
(Optional) Drag the image cells on the page to rearrange
them.
(Optional) To resize a cell, select it in the work area
and drag the handles from the side or from a corner. Or adjust the
Height or Width slider in the Adjust Selected Cell area of the Cells
panel.
Select any of the following options in the Cells panel:
New Page
Adds a page to the layout.
Auto Layout
(Picture Package layouts) Optimizes the arrangement of the photos on the page for the fewest cuts.
Clear Layout
Erases the page layout.
Note
To delete a page, click the red X in the upper-left corner of the page in the work area.
You can save custom picture package layouts as a custom print template.
Printing overlay text and graphics
Print your identity plate
In the Page panel of the Print module,
select Identity Plate.
(Optional) To choose or create a different identity plate,
click the triangle on the lower-right of the identity plate preview
window, and choose from the pop-up menu. See Personalizing
identity plates and module buttons.
To adjust the opacity or scale of the identity plate,
move the sliders or enter a percentage value.
Note
You can also scale the identity plate by clicking the identity plate text in the work area and dragging a slide or corner of the bounding box.
To rotate the identity plate, click the Rotate button (0°)
and choose Rotate Onscreen 90°, Rotate Onscreen 180°, or Rotate
Onscreen -90°.
To move the identity plate, drag it or press the Up Arrow,
Down Arrow, Left Arrow, and Right Arrow keys.
To have the identity plate appear on every photo in a
multiphoto template, select Render On Every Image. The identity
plate is centered on each photo and can be scaled or rotated using
the controls in the Overlays panel.
To have the identity plate text appear behind the photos,
select Render Behind Image.
Note
Make sure the template layout lets enough of the identity plate show from behind the photos.
Print borders in Single Image/Contact Sheet layouts
In the Image Settings panel, select
Stroke Border.
(Optional) Do any of the following:
To change the border color, click the color swatch and select a color in the color pop-up window that opens.
To adjust the width of the border, drag the Width slider.
Print borders and strokes in Picture Package and Custom Package layouts
In the Image Settings panel, select
Photo Border.
(Optional) To adjust the width of the border, drag the
Width slider.
Select Inner Stroke to add an inner stroke to the border.
(Optional) Do any of the following:
To change the inner stroke color, click the color swatch and select a color in the pop-up window that opens.
To adjust the width of the stroke, drag the Width slider.
Print a colored background
In the Page panel, select Page Background
Color, and then click the color swatch and choose a color.
Print photos with a copyright watermark
In the Page panel, select Watermarking
and choose a watermark from the pop-up menu.
Print filename, caption, and other information (Single Image/Contact Sheet layouts)
You can print information about photos, such as the filename, title, caption, and keywords, on Single Image/Contact Sheet photo layouts. The information is taken from the metadata that you enter in the Library module. The information prints below each photo. See also Viewing and editing metadata.
In the Page panel, select Photo Info and then
click Custom Settings and choose one of the following:
Caption
Prints the photo caption.
Custom Text
Prints the text that you type into the Custom Text box.
Date
Prints the creation date of the photo.
Equipment
Prints information about the camera and lens used to take the photo.
Exposure
Prints the shutter speed and f/stop information.
Filename
Prints the name of the photo file.
Sequence
Prints different sequential numbers on the photos based on how many photos you're printing. For example, if you've selected nine photos to print, the sequential numbers would be 1/9, 2/9, 3/9, and so forth.
Title
Prints the photo title.
Edit
Shows the photo information that you specify using the Text Template Editor dialog box.
Click the triangle to the right of Font Size and choose
a size (in points) from the pop-up menu.
Print page numbers, print info, and crop marks (Single Image/Contact Sheet layouts)
You can add page numbers, printing information, and crop marks to the bottom of a Single Image/Contact Sheet layout.
In the Page panel of the Print module, select
Page Options, and then select any of the following items:
Page Numbers
Prints page numbers on the lower-right of each page.
Page Info
Prints the Print Sharpening setting, Profile setting, and the printer name at the bottom of each page.
Crop Marks
Prints crop marks around each photo to use as cutting guides after printing.
Show cut guides (Picture Package and Custom Package layouts)
In the Page panel, select Cut Guides,
and then choose whether to view Lines or Crop Marks in the preview
area.
Work with custom print templates
Saving a custom template preserves any modifications you've made to the image cells and margins, as well as any overlays and print settings you've specified. After it is saved, the custom template is listed in the Template Browser for reuse. You can create new folders in the Template Browser to help organize your templates.
Save custom print templates
In the Template Browser of the Print
module, select any template on which to base your custom template.
Modify the layout and specify options in the panels on
the right side of the Print module.
Click the Plus icon (+) in the Template Browser
in the Print module.
Overwrite "Untitled Template" to give your custom template
a name, and specify a folder (such as "User Templates") for the
template.
Create and organize template folders
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac OS) in the Template Browser and choose New Folder.
Type the name of the folder and click OK.
Drag a template to a folder name to move the template
to that folder.
If you drag a Lightroom Classic preset template to a different folder, the template is copied to that folder.
Update custom templates
Modify colors, layout, text, and output
settings as needed.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS)
a template in the Template Browser and choose Update With Current
Settings.
Delete custom templates
You cannot delete Lightroom Classic preset templates.
Do one of the following:
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a template in the Template Browser and choose Delete from the context menu.
Select a template in the Template Browser and click the Minus (-) icon.
Import and export templates
You can export templates you've created to share with colleagues or to use on a different computer. Templates are saved with an .lrtemplate extension.
- To export a template, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a template and choose Export. Type the name of the template file and click Save.
- To import a template, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the area where you want the template to appear and choose Import. Double-click the template file.
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