Lightroom Layouts: Free Print Presets/Templates
by Gavin Seim: Most of us who use Lightroom have heard about print templates. What most don’t know is the super cool trick to use them for cool page layouts for albums and press printed books. Matt recently posted a great video on LR Killer Tips about tweaking template settings to allow multiple images on one layout.
I’ve made a sampler of print presets that allows you to make some quick square layouts like the one’s below. Great for press printed books and albums. Load em up, select the layout, then select the photo’s you want used. There’s seven in this set, and all have a 1/4″ edge free space to allow trim room for books. Best of all their FREE. If people enjoy them I may make a BIG set.
I know of no way to have LR add a black background itself, so I used this workaround. I’ve included a black file in the download, and there’s details in the help file. UPDATE: 6/2009, V1.1 Minor tweaks were made and a new square preset was added.
Download Lightroom Print Presets 1.1
Using The Presets:
Unzip the and install. If you don’t know how to install presets check this article out. It centers around Develop presets but the install method is basically the same. If you get errors trying to export try the power user method outlines in the same article.
In the print module select the preset you want (once installed) Then select multiple images from the filmstrip. This will populate the layout. If an image goes into a cell you don’t want it to, you can manually drag an image onto the layout. This tends to place an extra frame on the layout which can just be deleted.
If the crop of the cell is not the way you want, just hold the CMD key (CNTRL on PC) and drag the image inside the cell to the crop you like.
Exporting & Printing:
Once you have the desired look you can print it out directly. More often however you’ll probably want to export them to send to a lab. While export does not actually work from the print module, you can quickly achieve the same result.
To export the layout just use “Print To JPEG” from the “Print Job” menu in the right side (see image). Click the “Print To File” button and the file will save out as high res JPEG file ready to be used. Repeat for each layout and Presto you have your ready to upload or save for later.
UPDATE: Regarding the “Failed to convert native image to blob” error. This seems to be a problem with Lightroom as it sometimes with other print presets than my own. I suggest you install them manually by copying them directly into the print presets folder. If you don’t know how to do that, this article will explain how.
February 12th, 20092:46 pm at
Hi Gavin
First, I would like to say how pleased I am with all the Lightroom and PS pre-sets that I have purchased from you in the past,they are highly recommenable.
I also saw the Video that Matt posted about the Lightroom Print Module Template, and then I saw your blog pop up with some of your own. I downloaded yours and followed the instructions,but when it comes to loading the Presets in LR I keep getting an error message stating “Failed to Convert native Image to Blob!!” thats a new one on me,any ideas?
P.S.
I created a new folder within the Print Module,but still same message.
Regards
James
February 12th, 20096:21 pm at
Thanks James glad you like my effects. That’s really weird. I just tested them on another machine and I can’t find a thing wrong. I Re-zipped and uploaded them again just in case there was a file issue.
I suggest you skip LR’s built in import function and copy them directly to the print presets folder to see if that helps. See this article is you need help… http://www.prophotoshow.net/blog/2008/03/21/lightroom-tip-manage-your-presets-like-a-fanatic/
Gavin
February 12th, 200910:08 pm at
While this is interesting, the problem is that most print drivers will not allow the typical sizes of a lot of the wedding books. For example 8×8, 10×10, 12×12. Not even the Adobe PDF driver (which is really needed to do this right) will allow for those custom sizes (at least not on Windows XP) rendering this process pretty useless for most people. I think this is actually the problem James had, if you try to load these presets into Lightroom on Windows XP with a driver that wont support that mode you get that error.
February 12th, 200910:10 pm at
Adding them manually WILL allow them to load up in Lightroom without the error but unless your printer driver can support 10×10 (My Epson, Adobe PDF, and Cute PDF wont) then you get the 8.5×11 size and cant change it.
February 13th, 20091:44 am at
Gavin: Thanks for the templates, and please put together a BIG set of templates. One I have in mind is a production type template with 3-4×6 slots on a 8.5×11 sheet. This would really save paper. Like Picture Package in PS. So far in LR all three slots take the same image and triplicates it.
February 13th, 20097:59 pm at
No need to have a print setting of that size Kerry. One of the main purposes id to make albums n things. All you have to do is print to JPEG as I noted above. I’ll update the post to clarify it a bit… Gav
February 13th, 20098:25 pm at
[...] This article over on Seim Effects give the details, as well as a set of FREE layout presets to get you going. I’m pretty stokes about the new possibilities of making multi image layouts right form Lightroom. While it won’t replace In Design for my full scale albums, it’s so fast at making quick attractive layouts for things like Press Printed Books. Check it out. [...]
March 3rd, 20096:05 pm at
All I have to say is, please do a big set. One of the things that LR misses on it’s own, is the ability to make fast simple layouts for portfolios, books and albums without a lot of graphic design and technical knowledge.
March 3rd, 20096:17 pm at
I’m so excited about this, I forgot to thank you. Thank you very much for what you are doing with LR.
March 5th, 20095:50 am at
Perfect! Thrilled to d/l the templates. This is going to make my press books, portfolios & preschool packages so much quicker!
Thank you!!
March 21st, 20097:48 pm at
Gavin,
I, too, am getting the same message James talks about. I’ll try installing directly to presets folder.
Craig
April 10th, 20094:31 am at
[...] – Gavin’s Print templates: A group of print presets to make basic page layouts. These are also a great way to learn how print [...]
April 13th, 20099:44 am at
This sounds like a great idea. I did download the sampler and do get that same error message. I will try your alternative suggestion. If they work well and you develop a good size set, I can see this being a great place to send our customers who currently use Lightroom.
May 23rd, 200911:36 pm at
i like infrared photo
July 1st, 20098:37 am at
Regarding the “Failed to convert native image to blob” error.
It seems to be problem with print presets other than mine. Not sure what causes it, but I added an update at the bottom of the post with some tips… Gav
July 23rd, 20099:11 am at
I also tried the manual method and was unable to convert ‘native image’. Thanks for all the other presets though I am just getting started in learning LR and they have helped a lot.
August 31st, 20094:56 am at
Thanks for doing the code changes and suppying the templates. However, is there any way to include the filename info beneath each photo when using the picture package template rather than the contact sheet template (tweaked from your original picture package templated file)??
I changed the code in text edit to produce the same templates but could not utilize the filename function to label each picture.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andy
August 31st, 20097:34 pm at
Theres not a way to do it that I know of Andy. I’ll keep my eyes open though.
September 3rd, 20099:07 am at
I was able to resolve the issue by installing doPDF (a Free PDF creator), changing the printer to doPDF, creating a 10 x 10 custom size inside doPDF and Bingo!!! Templates and pictures fit fine.
Afterwards, all you have to do is print to File and save it as a JPG.
This solves the issue with the Printer Driver (what Mr. Garrison mentions about the paper size).