© Ake Vandervelden
Update: if you like this tutorial, then also check out this one, in which I take the template a notch up 
When I saw the beautiful pictures and the beautiful print template that my talented fellow-photographer Ake Vandervelden had made, I asked her if she’d done it in Lightroom. She replied to me she had made it in Photoshop (with a lot of hard work) and that she had no idea if this could be pulled off in Lightroom.
Well, actually, it can… It’s just one of those occasions where you have to think Lightrooms different modules through. And with some creativity, and some ‘out of the box’, or should I say ‘out of the modules’-thinking, you can make this work and then save it as a Print Template, and never have to worry about doing this in Photoshop again… We will be adding the text with the… Slideshow module, of all things!
There’s a lot of advantages to keeping it in Lightroom:
- you don’t have to own (or open) Photoshop
- you don’t have to create a new (big) Photoshop file
- you can change your mind about which pictures to add, and where to put them
- you can easily make minor tweaks to the print template, and update the template with your new tweaks or save the tweaked version as a different template. Want one without white space between the pictures? Just make a new template…
Here’s a video explaining how you create this effect yourself. No Photoshop or Indesign was used during this movie .
Look ma, only Lightroom from MoreThanWords on Vimeo.
It’s actually the very first video tutorial I made (writing this down would have been far too long), so bear with me if not everything is perfect. I hope to be posting more ‘how-to’ videos because there’s a ton of stuff you can do in Lightroom.
For those of you who have bought my (Dutch) book on Lightroom: this technique is similar to the one discussed on page 192, but it goes even further!
In this video, I did everything in Lightroom, just to show you that it’s possible. However, there are some issues with adding text through the Slideshow Module: the biggest one is that it works okay for smaller sized prints. If you would want to make something poster-sized, you run the risk of running into the limitations of the Slideshow JPG Export feature. In an upcoming blogpost, I will show you that, with a little use of Photoshop (for those who have it), it’s possible to speed up the workflow even more and circumvene the resolution limit of the Slideshow Module text, while maintaining Lightrooms flexibility.
P.S. In my video, you will see the ‘Iran’ text centered in the frame. If you want to have it slightly above the center (like ‘Juliaan’ on Akes template), you can make use of the crop tool to make a square crop of the text and in the mean time reposition the text where you like.
P.P.S. Just a quick note to all you overseas visitors. I am planning on posting more English videos like this. So keep checking every once in a while!
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WOW!
Great tutorial!
@ Kurt: Thanks. And I’m pretty sure it also works with dogs
Amazing! Seems to work like a charm
Thank you for the explanation! I
YEP it does! I already made some templates, but asymmetrically templates are still a challenge…
Great tutorial!
Also I think you could use photoshop to make a text image and then import that in to. It opens up the creative window more I guess.
Well done!
Nice video tutorial. I’ve never really explored the print module of Lightroom, but I will now for sure.
Thanks!
Piet,
Fantastic! I’ve been looking for a way to create just this type of product for postcards and notecards. For a first video, bravo!
I’ve subscribed to the blog and will look forward to more of the expertise you are so kindly sharing.
@ The Laddie: You’re absolutely right… That’s what I’m going to discuss in the follow up video!
@ Ake: Thank you for providing the raw material
Thank you very well done….will look forward to your next video!!!
Really great tutorial! I liked it a lot! Keep going for more.
Piet, I have to congratulate you with this first and very informative video! Very relaxed pace, no silly distracting humour and your explanantion is very clear! Thanks!
Because I finetune my pictures in PS, I suppose I can re-import them in LR to create this template?
@ Serge… Normally, if you choose the Edit in Photoshop command from Lightroom to finetune your pictures in Photoshop, they’re automatically imported into the catalog… (for those instances where you choose ‘Edit a copy’ or ‘Edit a copy with Lightroom adjustments’. If you choose ‘Edit Original’ (not available with your original Raw Files), the files are already in the Catalog, of course…
Thanks a TON for taking time out to create this simple, but very very useful video! Much appreciated!
Looks nice, hadn’t actually noticed the “save as jpg” in the slide show module. But, and correct me if I’m missing something here, but isn’t it better to use the identity plate-custom text function inside the print module? That should give even more flexibility when it comes to making tweaks if you change your mind about the text, cos it can all be amended there and then and saves you of redoing the whole “colored box step” all again?
@ Bryan: yes, very well thought. You could actually do that too… As usual, there is more than one solution to a problem in Lightroom. However, you’d still have to make the coloured background in the slideshow module (assuming you want to do everything within Lightroom)… So putting the text there as an Identity Plate has the advantage of being flexible and editable, but at the cost of an extra step in the workflow. Also, you would no longer be able to use the Identity Plate (you can only use one at a time) to add a copyright or logo somewhere in the bottom right corner of the template. I will be showing how to do that in a future video…
There is a way to even take it a little further, using the method you propose… You could imagine just making some differently coloured backgrounds in the slideshow module (without text) and exporting those (and re-importing them) until you come up with a collection of differently-coloured backgrounds, handily tucked away in Lightrooms database for later use. That way you could choose a background colour for the text that goes with the pictures at hand and you could then add the text as you propose with an Identity Plate.
Yes, the copyright and one-time use of id plate is a good point, of course…
And I also assume that pure color backgrounds could be tweaked in hue/sat like any other jpg, making it easy to set the right tone to the picture u’r using. I see endless possibilities here
I still hope Adobe takes the layout bit of lightroom a step forward next time around though
Your page is bookmarked, and I’ll be looking for more videos to come
Great video, thank you very much!
Thanks, Piet, I think you’re really adding value (and adding readers) to your blog by switching to English. I like the way you made the video voiceover!
heel leuke tutorial!
Fantastic video i look forward to more of the same
Will your book be printed in english (I hope so)
Alan Charles
Nicely done
WOW! Thank you for a great tutorial. I gave it a quick try and it works so well. I love quick and easy and you explained it so well.
I’m looking forward to more of your great help.
I have a PC so my version of Lightroom and it is a little different. Any idea how I go about redefining my page size? All I can see to do is have it at 8.5 x 11″. When I head into my Page Setup button it takes me to the print module and I don’t really want to change my paper size…or do I?
Thank you for showing this creative look in easy to understand steps!
Excellent tutorial. One question. I would like to save this mosaic image I’ve now created as an image! Am I able to that in any way? (Except for installing a JPG printer module).
Christina, I’m in Windows, too. I’m able to select “Custom” as one of the available paper sizes in the Page Setup dialog. But I have to go all the way into the specific printer’s setting to decide what that “Custom” paper size actually means. There I’m allowed to select Custom paper size and set it to 200 x 200 mm.
Hi Yngvar, you don’t really have to install a jpg printer module. Lightroom lets you print to a jpeg file. In the ‘Print Job’ Panel, next to ‘Print to’, choose ‘JPEG File’ instead of ‘Printer’ and you’re all set. You just enter the resolution and the desired amount of sharpening, and you can even attach an icc profile!
!
Thanks for helping Christina out as well! I was going to do a follow up post on her question, but you beat me to it
Thanks so much for sharing this. Never realized I could do text boxes like that with LR as I don’t yet have PS. The only thing is, kind of like others have said, I can’t find a custom or manual option for my paper size. Is that because my printer is one of the cheapest ones you can find? Or does it not matter what kind of printer? Anyone know?
Very well done & thank you for sharing this great tip!
I enjoyed your presentation very much, tried it out last night.
Great tutorial on getting the most from Lightroom.
What is the best way to crop a collection of photos to the same square ratio?
Thanks Alan.
Ha! And you get mentioned on Jnack’s blog… way to go!
Hi Alan,
Werkelijk fantastische tut, dank je wel. Kon hem in 1x afmaken. Eén opmerking: Laat even zien hoe je een nieuw formaat papier aanmaakt, in dit geval 20x20cm. Dat kwam niet helemaal duidelijk uit de verf vond ik. Nogmaals dank! Hoop op meer.
Hallo Piet,
Mijn laatste comment kan verwijderd hoor. Ik heb het antwoord al kunnen lezen in een ander artikel van je. Jammer maar het lijkt erop dat Canon printers geen ‘aangepast papier formaat’ kunnen onthouden/saven. Zeker niet met een logische naamgeving anders dan ‘aangepast papier formaat’. Telkens zal opnieuw het nieuwe ‘aangepaste’ format aangemaakt moeten worden in de printer-setup/properties van de Canon printer. Vervelend maat doe je eraan. Prettige vakantie verder op Bali, ben benieuwd naar de foto’s.
@ Martin: Jammer… Volgende keer een Epson of een HP, dan maar?
@ Mike: hadn’t noticed yet, but that explains that suddenly my blog stats were skyrocketing
Thanks so much for sharing this. I used it to make a 4×4 of my baby girl and I’m so pleased with the results.
It does take an extremely long time to print to file so I’m using the time to write to thank you for your generosity in sharing this with us “newbies”. I’m definitely coming back to this blog more often
Melvin from Singapore
@ Melvin (and all other interested): I just spent some time in the Singapore airport on my way to Bali
Small world it is! If the file you’re printing is relatively small, and you have created standard or 1:1 previews in your Library, then you can save a lot of time by checking ‘Draft Mode Printing’. Lightroom will then use the previews to generate the print, instead of the original Raw Files. Especially in templates that involve a large number of relatively small pictures, this will be much faster, while quality should not degrade that much. You can at least give it a try to see if image quality is still sufficient for you.
Very useful! I love the square cards
Thanks for the tutorial video. My friends like it! 
Wow. Thanks for the information. Today I used the technique you described to create a collage of pictures – fours rows: 3 pics, 4 pics, 3 pics, 4 pics. It took a while to get everything to line up (thanks to Excel), but the time was worth it. I can send a copy if you’re interested.
@ Scott: yes, please mail an example of the layout and the relevant settings you used and I will put it online as an example of how others adapt the theme!
All went well on the above video until I tried to move the text to the smart collection and it refused to accept it. I could drag and drop in every file on my computer but the one I wanted. This is natural. I could not, of course, move my pics around like you did. Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong. It is a great video and greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Richard
You also left off how to save the template with all sixteen pics as a file. I tried everything and it did not work.
thanks
@ Richard: Hi Richard, I don’t have access to the video right now, and it’s been a while since I put it online, so I don’t remember all of it, but you cannot manually move photos to a Smart Collection. Smart Collections only accept photos that match a predefined set of criteria, like a certain keyword, for instance. So try giving the ‘text’ photo the same keyword (if that is the criterium) as the others in the Smart Collection, and it should be automatically added to it.
Also, to change the order of the thumbnails, be sure to set the Sort Order in the toolbar to ‘User Order’.
Hope this helps, let me know!
@ Richard: in the Print Module, under ‘Print Job’, choose Print to: JPEG File. Depending on how big the card must be, you can select Draft Mode Printing (for smaller cards: it speeds up the process). Actually, Print to JPEG is like a kind of ‘Save as’ for your finished template.
Again, hope this helps.
Good luck!
Fantastic Lightroom tutorial. Very practical and helpful. This will be quite useful for our portrait and wedding photography.
Many thanks for sharing!
Curtis
Wedding Photography Miami
Excellent tutorial !!!!
Would it be possible to share the template 4×4 5mm ? because I couldn’t make it my self. In fact I don’t have the page setup pop up windows, the only one is the print setup popup. It’s weired ! I am on PC, BTHW.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Salem
I was directed over to your tutorial from Matt Kloskowski’s Lightroom Killer Tips pages and was delighted to find your easy to follow tutorial on making this wonderful collage. The result can be seen on my webpage at http://www.lorrequer.com (still a work in progress).
I can see great potential for this tip and had never even thought of using the print or slideshow module inside Lightroom for work such as this. I know I can go back and finetune this collage now and have some ideas for adding more print utilising Photoshop.
Thanks so much for the great tutorial. I’ve bookmarked your blog and put a link to your blog in my website.
Regards,
Lin
I have loved using the tutorial in the past, but I just went to try to use it in the LR 3.2 Beta and there is no longer the option to export as a JPEG (only as PDF or Video) do you have any ideas as to how to still export a text from the slideshow module? Thanks again for this video. It has been so helpful!
Hi Rachel, actually the possibility to export as JPG still exists. I’m not near LR right now, but try alt-clicking on the export PDF or export Video: one of those buttons doubles as the old Export JPG function…
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