Having tried it I would use the new "Output" panel in Bridge. You have to explore its capabilities and settings but for me it’s a vast improvement.
I guess that’s why they relegated the old version to the goodies folder along with the Extract filter.
Contact Sheet II was removed from CS4. As you said it is available to install seperately. The reason it was removed is because they felt the new output panel in Bridge was a better place and they made some improvements to it.
Robert
I’ve also installed the extra plug in’s, can’t find them either in Bridge or under Automate in PS. The output feature is only useful for pdf’s, not for creating contact sheets for sending to a lab. I want jpg’s not pdf’s!
If the "lab" can’t print PDFs just save it as a JPG.
"lab"?
do you think I’m making this up? I print thousands of 7X5 proofs a month at photo labs with accompanying contact sheets. A frontier won’t print a pdf. Strange how people can’t think past their epsons…
There is no option to save as jpg in the output to pdf and I’m damned if I’ll be forced to open, split up the pages and save as jpg.
Hmmm, I didn’t know the Output in Bridge was there. Need to check that out. Thanks guys for the heads up on that. If that doesn’t work out I’ll try to figure out how to install the contact sheet. Or, I could just leave CS3 on the computer and run the contact sheets in there. That might be the easiest solution for now at least until I get Output figured out.
Thanks guys
I have another question about Bridge. I was trying to change the file extensions from psd to jpg on numerous images in Batch Rename and couldn’t get it to work. I tried this in CS3 alsoto no avail. When I attempted it in CS3 the images would not show up in Bridge or open in Photoshop. All that showed was a windows icon and I got a "won’t open because of program error" when I tried to open them. Now in CS4 I’m getting the thumbnails of the changed files in bridge, but still getting a won’t open message in Photoshop when I try to open one. Will this work or am I doing something wrong?
Linda
Linda, you can’t just change a PDF to a JPG by changing the extension name. You would have to open each file and save it a JPG. That’s why you’re getting the error message.
You might have a look at CSX. It produces contact sheets and includes ability to save each sheet as a jpeg (or psd or tiff).
<http://ps-scripts.sourceforge.net/ContactSheetX/csx.html>
I went ahead and installed the Contact II file into the Plug-in file. Thanks for the info on the Read me files Beni. I checked out the Output and liked it except for the fact that I couldn’t change the file names in Adobe Acrobat Reader befor printing them out. Not investing in Acrobat just to be able to change some typing. The Contact II is fine for what I use it for.
As for changing the file types in Bridge with the Batch Re-name. I was at a Photoshop User Seminar in September and was sure he said that you could do it. I checked my notes last night and didn’t have anything about it. I must have heard him wrong. It was during a break and I didn’t start paying attention until he’d started talking about it, so I probably miss most of what he was saying.
How can I install the Contact Sheet II if I downloaded CS4 upgrade without disc that included the plug-in?
Laurel
Look for it on the Adobe site.
When we did that, it advised us to look in the goodies folder on the application disc–which we don’t have because we downloaded upgrade from the site.
Laurel
There is a file that has Photoshop content even if you download it from the Adobe site. Make sure you downloaded all the files. There was a specific Photoshop content file that once I unzipped it had the Goodies folder inside with all the extra extensions, filters, and plugins.
What is that output panel you people are talking about? All I have is a button, on top, that says "Output to Web or PDF". When I click it, the picture just blink and nothing happen… Any clue?
When I open the output workspace I get a panel on the rigth side of Bridge that says Output and that has the options for document setup, layout, overlays, etc. as well as PDF or Web Gallery (which is at the very top). If you want to create a picture package or contact sheet then choose the PDF option. If you want to create a web gallery click on the web gallery option.
Unfortunately the only output option for the contact sheet or picture packages is PDF. You can then of course load that PDF in to Photoshop for printing or saving as a more viable format like TIF, JPG or PSD. Though one shouldn’t have to do that, that should be part of the output module as well as the option to take the completed whatever right in to Photoshop as a document. But I guess Adobe feels the need to cram PDF up our…
Robert
When I click on Window, Workspace and all Panels are grayed. What do I need to do to make them available?
uhhh…. do we have a quick guide to how to make the older version (most useful and interesting version, as well) of contact sheets work??? i downloaded the patch but now don’t know what to do/where to go to get my file, automate, contact sheetII working. and i wouldn’t mind being able to find the icon or keystroke command for opening the "browser" also….. two thumbs down to adobe on this one. please help anyone if you can
You could help yourself by reading this thread!
There are Read me files with instructions, available along with the plug-ins for the deleted functions.
Another alternative is to use the free CSX script at <http://ps-scripts.sourceforge.net/ContactSheetX/csx.html>
