How to make a photo contact sheet

A contact sheet puts several small pictures on one page. It helps you see repetition, compare neighbouring frames and choose a sequence before making larger prints or an album. It is an overview, not a substitute for inspecting the original files.

Choose a small set

Start with one walk, a weekend or a manageable part of a month. Use pictures you are allowed to view and share. Copy the chosen files into a temporary selection folder if that makes them easier to find. Keep your original archive separate; you do not need to move or rename original files to use this tool.

Open the contact-sheet maker

Open the free contact-sheet tool. Choose up to 24 JPEG, PNG or WebP files. Each must be no larger than 20 MB or 40 megapixels. Convert HEIC files before selecting them. The sheet uses the order returned by your browser's file picker, which may differ from the order you clicked the files.

Give the sheet a short title and choose two, three or four columns. The tool preserves each photograph's whole frame inside its cell, so pictures with different proportions can have empty space around them. File names can appear under the pictures; turn that option off if the names reveal information you do not want to share.

Download a working copy

Choose Download PNG when the sheet is ready. The exported image is 2400 pixels wide; its height depends on the number of pictures and columns. It is a reduced overview made for selection and sequencing. It is not an original-resolution export of every photograph, and no universal physical print-quality promise is attached to it.

The tool reads the selected pictures in this browser page and has no photo-upload endpoint. It does not create an online account or save a gallery for you. Download the result before leaving, and choose Clear photos when finished. Your source files are read, not edited. Use your own device for private images and check the exported sheet before sharing it.

Make the first edit

Look for repeated information before choosing a favourite. Which picture introduces the place? Which adds a detail? Which changes the distance or pace? Pick a few that do different jobs. A contact sheet can hide fine focus errors, so reopen the selected originals before making a final print or sending them to someone else.

Use the result

Keep the sheet with a clear title and a reference to its source folder or roll. For an album, make a second sheet with only the shortlist. For a diary, try two different orders before choosing one. Our tool was checked using explicitly synthetic colour fixtures for file input, full-frame layout, PNG export and clearing. Those fixtures are not camera samples or a completed photographic project.

Useful next steps

• Make a contact sheet
• Six-picture diary
• Choose a small album