Today I received an email from a reader of the post In The Swim asking for help in created this type of collage in Lightroom.


The collage is 8x8 and uses 2 large vertical photos and 2 small horizontal photos. So here are some instructions on how to create it. Once you have mastered this technique you will be able to create photos of any size you want in any quantity.

2. Begin by selecting a Custom Package.

3. Click on Page Setup to ensure you have US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) selected.

4. On the right side of the screen, expand your Rulers, Grid & Guides panel. Switch on Show Guides.

5. Then expand your Cells panel. Select 4x6 and it will add to the sheet of paper. If it adds a border then you'll need to remove it in the Image Settings panel by switching off the Photo Border option. I like to keep the Inner Stroke option selected to create the white line around the photo and because it's an Inner Stroke it's inside the 6x4 and doesn't make the page wider.

6. Adjust your image boxes to be only 4 x 5.53 inches by playing with the Adjust Selected Cell Height and Width. Notice you can move the sliders or manually type in the number of use your arrows to go up and down. Position your box in the top left corner.

7. Once you have the box the perfect size you can hold down your Alt Key and then click and drag it to make a duplicate box which you'll position at the right edge of our imaginary 8x8 sheet of paper (note you are likely to have an 1/8th inch margin so take that into account.

8. Then add another cell that is 2.47 x 4 inches and position it in the empty corner space. Again press the Alt key and click and drag a second copy into the other corner.

9. In the Template Browser select the + sign to create a New Template.

10. Enter a template name "8x8 - 2v + 2 h" (this format tells me the size and how many vertical and horizontal photos I can add, and that the vertical photos are larger than the horizontal because they are first at a glance). Click Create.

(Note: if you have to edit after you create the template, you right click the template name and select "update with current settings".)

11. The image you see in the center which says Marina Garrison Photography, is the logo image prepared in advance in .png format. To switch on your page identify plate, expand the Page panel, select Identify Plate and add it from the drop down menu. If you don't have an existing logo, you will need to Choose the image from the Image Options panel.

You could also prepare a large amount of text as a .jpg image to insert into one of the cells.

12. To add the images you simply select your photos before going to the Print module, then drag them from the area at the bottom of the screen into the cells you created.

You should now have a collage similar to the one in the post. This template is reusable and can be used as a starting point for making additional templates - try making one with 2 large horizontal photos and 2 small vertical photos next.

Have fun with your Lightroom photo collages!

Edited (09/15/2012):
Instead of steps 2 and 3 above, you could also select Layout Style > Custom Package and Cells > Clear Layout. This will give you a blank layout to start out with.

To change your page size, select Page Setup and select your paper size.