MAC software for making contact sheets?

[Don Dudenbostel]

For most of the ten years that I've been digital in my commercial studio I've worked mainly on PC's. Last year i purchased a Macbook Pro for field use and have been extremely satisfied with it. I'm now thinking of purchasing a new Mac for my studio work and image processing and need advice on a high quality contact generating / printing software. On the PC I ran Compupic for down and dirty contacts when time was more important than quality and for very high quality I use Qimage. The only features I use in both are the contact or custom size printing feature not the image editing. Qimage is a very high quality RIP type software that is a little slow but makes exceptional images of varying sizes on the same sheet or paper. It also makes stunning custom contact sheets.

I will be running OS 10.5 and can go to Boot Camp or another app that will allow windows xp to run on the mac but I would rather stay in the OS X environment if possible.

I know Photoshop makes contacts under automate but the quality is only OK, speed is slow and placement of the images is poor with wide spacing between rows.

Anyone have a good app that will run in OS X Leopard and make beautiful contacts and have custom sizing?

Thanks!

[donner]

i've never done it personally, but you might try downloading a demo of photo mechanic. It presents everything as a contact sheet and i think you can print them as such too. Don't know about the custom sizing, though.

hope that gives you something to try.

[Don Dudenbostel]

I used photomechanic before but tjeversion I had wouldn't print contacts. Atleast I don't remember it doing that.

Thanks and will take a look at the current version.

[donner]

i may be wrong. I've used it for exporting to html, but i can't remember if i've printed contact sheets from it or not.

sorry if it was a bust

[Paul H]

iPhoto can create contact sheets. Select the photos, then print and choose contact sheet.

You can also create contact sheets using Automator (http://homepage.mac.com/cjrtools/automator-apps/files/tag-graphics.html).

[yuhang919]

iPhoto can create contact sheets. Select the photos, then print and choose contact sheet.

You can also create contact sheets using Automator (http://homepage.mac.com/cjrtools/automator-apps/files/tag-graphics.html).

iPhoto ,I don't use it.
It's really good!

[Don Dudenbostel]

Thanks for the information. I really haven't decided on whether I'm going back to MAC. My wife has a newer Imac with the intel processor but I can't get used to the gloss screen. I've calibrated and profiled it and still have trouble adjusting to the high gloss look after years of using a CRT. I'm thinking I will continue with my Lacie CRT and PC until MAC introduces a matte screen IMAC if they ever do. I was looking through the Apple website and noticed they no longer offer a matte in the macbook pro like I bought last year. I appears they are condensing their models and only selling the high gloss screen with the exception of the 30" cinema display at $1900.

[Paul H]

You'll get used to it! It's become increasingly difficult to get CRTs, and most people are on LCD screens.

Anyway, there's nothing to stop you using an external monitor, even on the iMac.

[Robert Oliver]

Photoshop > Automate > Contact Sheet II

i used to use it.... didn't notice low quality when setting it up at 300 dpi and you can set up the number of pics per page that pleases you....