Sizing Images for Print in Elements

This reader wants help sizing images to gang print onto single photo paper sheets...

Laurence Molloy from Edinburgh, Scotland, using Photoshop 6.0 with Windows 2000, writes in with:

[Quote:] I need to take a number of photos and try and create a single page with as many of these photos on this page as possible (to avoid wasting photo paper on single 6x4 or 7x5 sized photos) - however, not knowing the terminology I'm not even sure what I should be searching for. I've tried opening a new A4-sized "page" and dragging and dropping suitably resized photos into it but they seem to shrink in size when I do this i.e. there should only be enough width on the page for 1 6x4 or 7x5 photo to fit but, once the photo is copied to the "page", it looks like I could fits 3 or 4 copies next to each other in a row before the width of the "page" is used up. Can you help explain this to me with e.g. a quick N-step guide for assembling an A4 sheet with 2 photos of a specified size on it, ready to send to teh printer?

Reply:

First, try "Picture Package". This helps automate printing multiple images per page. If you don't like this technique, later we'll show you how to do it manually.

In the Organizer (Browser) Shift/Click the images you want to print.

2. In the Options Bar click Print Photos (Or Menu: File > Print)
The "Print Selected Photos Dialog should appear.

Choose Picture Package from the Select Type Of Print menu.
Now click "Select Layout" and browse the selections. Try a few test prints if you like, you should familiarize yourself with all the various layouts available.
Since the Picture Package will use the same photo, you'll need to replace some of the slots with the photos you choose. Just drag-and-drop pictures from the left pictures previews. You can drag the photos around to put them where you want them but you will not be able to rotate them.

Make sure your printer is turned on and loaded with the paper you want to use. Now click "Print" and you're off and running.

So, if this doesn't do the job for you, read the next section on custom printing. Download instructions in PDF form