Photography · Practical guide
Make a contact sheet to choose photos for a small print set
Make a contact sheet by arranging small previews with readable filenames, then use it to shortlist photographs for a specific print set. Keep the originals unchanged and check final candidates at a suitable size before ordering. A thumbnail helps comparison, but it can't show every focus, detail or cropping problem in a larger print.
Begin with a small collection from one event or project. Decide where the prints will go and whether they need a shared orientation. That purpose makes selecting easier than judging every photograph against an undefined idea of best. You can use software you already have if it offers a suitable supported layout.
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Define the print set before selecting
Write down the number of prints and the intended display. A pair of frames asks for a different selection from a small album. Check the required print dimensions and any crop imposed by the lab or frame. Don't alter originals to fit before you have considered those details.
Choose what the set should communicate. You might want the sequence of an outing or different views of one subject. Similar photographs can be useful alternatives, but they don't all need to reach the final set. Work from your own purpose rather than assuming that a technically sharp image is always the most useful one for a personal display.
Create a readable comparison view
Use your software's official guidance for a contact sheet or equivalent grid. Adobe's Lightroom documentation is one example for users of that application. Check the current instructions for your own version and don't install an unfamiliar plugin merely to produce a simple preview.
Include filenames or another reliable identifier beneath the thumbnails. Keep text large enough to read on the screen or test print you will use. Avoid exporting private location information or personal details unnecessarily if you share the sheet. Save the comparison separately from the original photographs. A contact sheet should provide a useful map back to the files, not create another unidentified group of copies.
Compare the sequence, then inspect individual files
Look at the group for repetition, orientation and the relationship between images. Mark a shortlist using a method your software supports or a separate note with filenames. Keep rejected candidates available until the final choice is settled rather than deleting them during a quick comparison.
Open shortlisted files at an appropriate viewing size and inspect the details that matter to the intended print. Check faces, focus and the proposed crop. A small thumbnail can conceal an issue, while an image that looks ordinary in a grid may have a useful detail when viewed properly. Don't rely on the contact sheet as the final quality assessment.
Check the actual print order
Read the lab's current file, crop and colour guidance. Use an appropriate export from your working file while retaining the original. Inspect the exported file and the lab's preview before confirming an order, including whether an automatic crop cuts off something important.
If the display is valuable to you, consider a suitable small test before a larger order. Keep the shortlist and filenames so that you can repeat the same selection later. The useful result is a deliberate set with checked individual files. The contact sheet makes the selection process easier to follow; it doesn't prove print colour, paper finish or final appearance without the relevant production checks.
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