How to Lay-up of Multiple Images on a Single Page

The Scenario From time to time we find ourselves in a situation where we want or need to print several small photographs through a printer. The choice is to try and find paper of the correct size (which can be difficult) or print them out one at a time onto A4 or A5 paper. The first option can be a pain because you need a special sized paper for each size of photograph and the last two options can generate expensive waste. However there is an option that is quick, can cut down on the number of paper sizes you need and save money. The solution is learn how to layup multiple images onto a single sheet of paper that will allow you to fit 2 or more images onto it at a time.

Considerations for Inkjet printing An A4 sheet of the premium quality inkjet printing paper that we will be using, costs approximately $1.00 Some papers cost can cost. The ink cost for an A4 sheet of paper is approximately $2.00 per page.. (cheap inkjet printers, with small cartridges will cost more) So the total cost of printing a photograph to A4 size is approximately $3.00 So it’s not a cheap exercise and waste and mistakes cost money.

Lay-up of Multiple Images on a Single Page During this activity we will learn how to take small images of a set size and lay them up, onto a piece of paper that will accommodate more than one small image The aim is to produce high quality finished prints, whilst also reducing waste. And if you are printing several images, in the end you also save time.

Lets get started

click on the ‘shared’ drive. open folder labeled ‘photography’ click to open images 1.Red box 2.Blue box

Next we will create a new A5 blank page. So open the file menu and select ‘New’ or use the short cut ‘Ctrl N’

Make the width: 15cm height: 21cm resolution: 300pixels/inch Colour Mode : RGB colour We will end up with a blank A5 sized page

300 pixel/inch - Getting the Resolution Right Getting the image resolutions right is a critical step. One of the most common problems I see when students do this exercise, is that they do not match up the image resolutions. It is vital that the image resolutions of each image match. Forgetting to check this is an easy mistake. You will make it at some stage. It’s not fatal, so relax. In every situation here, where you are sending a photograph to an inkjet printer, the preferred image resolution that you need to use is 300 pixel/inch

Understanding Resolution I’d like to say that there is a really basic explanation that would make it easy to understand why we use 300 pixels/inch and why it is /inch and not per cm. However there isn’t one. So for now, just remember the number and remember that it is /inch and not /cm. We will explore this more complex concept in the future.

This is what your screen should now look like

Select ‘red box’. Open ‘layers’ menu. Move curser to ‘flatten image’, click. (This is so that all layers within the image will move together ).

1: flatten layers in ‘Red Box’ *2:click on ‘Red Box’. press and hold left finger on mouse. Drag ‘Red Box’ onto new page. * Use the moving tool

2:Hold left finger down on mouse and drag blue image to new page. 1:Flatten blue image

You are now ready to print Now if you have followed this process correctly you should now have your images set up and ready to print. If you have some images of your own practice the exercise again. You might like to see what can happen when the images resolutions don’t match. This in itself is a great little experiment and a valuable lesson for the future.