12. Printing

Introduction

One of the most common ways to share your favorite photos is to create prints of them. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to print your own photos using a home-based inkjet printer rather than sending them off to a professional printing service. This is partly because it is now affordable to purchase inkjet printers capable of producing high-quality photographic prints. The downside to taking on this task yourself is that you may find it overwhelming to try and demystify the complexities of the operating system print dialog boxes. You may also find it difficult to make the colors in your photographic prints match what you see onscreen.

Thankfully, Lightroom makes the home-based inkjet printing process much easier. In this chapter, you learn how to set up a print layout using Single Image/Contact Sheet mode or the Picture Package style. You also learn how to print additional photo info, such as filename, shot date, or exposure setting; page options, such as crop marks; and an Identity Plate overlay, such as a custom watermark or a graphic border.

This chapter also teaches you how to manage color successfully using either your printer’s driver or using Lightroom. In addition, you learn how to save printing time by enabling Draft Mode Printing, and save set-up time by storing your favorite layouts and print settings as custom templates.

Choosing Image Settings

The options in the Image Settings panel enable you to control how the selected images fill the cell areas in a print layout. You can choose to zoom in on the images to fill the entire cell areas. You can also allow Lightroom to auto rotate the images so that they fit best in each cell. Note that the border options in the Image Settings panel differ depending on which layout style you use (Single Image/Contact Sheet mode or Picture Package).

Select print display options

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo(s) in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Image Settings to display the Image Settings panel.

Enable any of the following image settings:

The Image Settings dialog box in Single Image/Contact Sheet mode.

The Image Settings dialog box in Picture Package mode.

• Zoom to Fill—Fills the entire cell area with the image.

• Rotate to Fit—Auto rotates the image to fill the cell area.

• Repeat One Photo per Page—Assigns a single page to every photo in the selection.

Lightroom places as many copies of the photo as it can fit on the page.

• Stroke Border (Single Image/Contact Sheet mode)—Places an outer border around the image. To determine the stroke width, adjust the Width slider. To determine the stroke color, click the neighboring color swatch icon and choose one from the Color Picker.

The print layout with the Zoom to Fill option enabled.

• Photo Border (Picture Package)—Places a white border around the image. To determine the border width, adjust the Width slider.

The print layout with the Zoom to Fill and Rotate to Fit options enabled.

• Inner Stroke (Picture Package)—Places an inner stroke around the image. To determine the stroke width, adjust the Width slider. To determine the stroke color, click the neighboring color swatch icon and choose one from the Color Picker.

The print layout with the Repeat One Photo per page and Stroke Border options enabled.

Creating a Single Image/Contact Sheet Layout

The Single Image/Contact Sheet style enables you to choose how an image (or multiple selected images) are positioned in a print layout. This is accomplished by entering specific settings in the Layout panel. Note that Margins settings take precedence over the Cell Spacing and Cell Size settings. After the margins have been set, the Cell Spacing and Cell Size settings automatically adapt to fit.

Select the Single Image/Contact Sheet Layout Style

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Layout Style to display the Layout Style panel.

Select Single Image/Contact Sheet from the Layout Style panel.

Choose Window > Panels > Layout to display the Layout panel.

At the top of the Layout panel, choose a measurement option from the Ruler Units drop-down list. The default Ruler Units option is inches.

To determine the margin widths for the contact sheet, adjust the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom sliders in the Margins section of the Layout panel.

To determine the number of rows and columns to include, adjust the Rows and Columns sliders in the Page Grid section of the Layout panel.

To determine the amount of cell spacing to include, adjust the Vertical and Horizontal sliders in the Cell Spacing section of the Layout panel.

To determine the size of the cells, adjust the Height and Width sliders in the Cell Size section of the Layout panel.

A completed Single Image/Contact Sheet print layout.

Creating a Picture Package Layout

Picture Package is similar to Single Image/Contact Sheet mode in that it also enables you to control how the photos are positioned in the print layout. However, unlike Single Image/Contact Sheet mode, Picture Package enables you to include photos of all different sizes on a single page. You can use this style to print multiple variations of a portrait image on a single sheet of paper and then trim them to size.

Select the Picture Package Layout Style

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Layout Style to display the Layout Style panel.

Select Picture Package from the Layout Style panel.

Choose Window > Panels > Rulers, Grids & Guides to display the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel.

In the Rulers section of the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel, choose a measurement option from the Units drop-down list. The default Units option is inches.

Choose Window > Panels > Cells to display the Cells panel.

Click the Clear Layout button in the Cells panel.

Add cells to the blank Picture Package layout by clicking the Cell Size buttons in the Cells panel. The cell sizes range from 2 x 2.5 inches to 8 x 10 inches.

To assign a new cell size to a button, click the down-facing arrow and choose one from the drop-down list. To assign a custom size, choose Edit from the drop-down list; then enter the dimensions in the New Custom Size dialog box and click Add.

If necessary, adjust the size of a cell by selecting it in the Content area and dragging the Height and Width sliders in the Adjust Selected Cell section of the Cells panel.

If necessary, click the Auto Layout button to automatically rearrange the cells to fit best on the page.

A completed Picture Package print layout.

Creating a Custom Package Layout

Custom Package is similar to Picture Package in that it also enables you to include photos of all different sizes on a single page. The difference is that with Custom Package you can drag and drop thumbnails directly from the Filmstrip and position them in the Content area however you like.

Select the Custom Package Layout Style

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Layout Style to display the Layout Style panel.

Select Custom Package from the Layout Style panel.

Choose Window > Panels > Rulers, Grids & Guides to display the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel.

In the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel, enable the Show Guides and Page Grid options.

Add cells to the blank Custom Package by dragging thumbnails from the Filmstrip. Note that you can drag multiple selected thumbnails at once.

Reposition the cells on the page by clicking and dragging each one in the Content area. Use the Page Grid to help align the cells on the page.

Choose Window > Panels > Cells to display the Cells panel.

If necessary, adjust the size of a cell by selecting it in the Content area and dragging the Height and Width sliders in the Adjust Selected Cell section of the Cells panel.

To maintain the photo aspect ratio as you resize the cells, enable the Lock to Photo Aspect Ratio option in the Cells panel.

A completed Custom Package print layout.

Displaying Rulers, Grids, and Guides

When creating a print layout in Single Image/Contact Sheet mode, you can display rulers, grids, and guides by enabling the options available in the Guides panel. To do so in Picture Package mode, you must enable the options in the Rulers, Grid & Guides panel. Displaying rulers, grids, and guides in the print layout can help you select, reposition, and align the photos on the page.

Display rulers, grids, and guides in Single Image/Contact Sheet mode

With a Single Image/Contact Sheet layout already set up in the Print module, choose Window > Panels > Guides to display the Guides panel.

Enable the Show Guides option at the top of the Guides panel.

Enable the items in the Guides panel that you would like to display in the layout. Options include: Rulers, Page Bleed, Margins and Gutters, Image Cells, and Dimensions.

A Single Image/Contact Sheet print layout with all guides made visible.

Display rulers, grids, and guides in Picture Package mode

With a Picture Package layout already set up in the Print module, choose Window > Panels > Rulers, Grids & Guides to display the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel.

Choose View > Show Guides.

To display guides in the layout, enable the Show Guides option in the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel.

To display rulers in the layout, enable the Ruler option in the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel.

Choose a measurement option from the Ruler Units drop-down list in the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel. The default Ruler Units option is inches.

To display bleed guides in the layout, enable the Page Bleed option.

To display grids in the layout, enable the Page Grid optionl.

Choose a snapping option from the Grid Snap drop-down list in the Rulers, Grids & Guides panel. You can choose to snap images to the cells or the grid, or turn snapping off entirely.

To display image dimensions in the upper-left corner of each cell, enable the Dimensions option.

A Picture Package print layout with all guides made visible.

Inserting an Identity Plate Overlay

Just as you can choose to display an Identity Plate in the Lightroom Module Picker, you can also choose to display one in your photo prints. By enabling this feature, you can add contact info or captions by inserting a styled text Identity Plate. By inserting a graphical Identity Plate, you can apply a graphic border to your print images.

Insert a styled text Identity Plate

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page to display the Page panel.

Enable the Identity Plate option in the Page panel.

Lightroom applies the Identity Plate currently displayed in the Module Picker.

To edit the Identity Plate settings, click the Identity Plate preview in the Page panel and choose Edit from the drop-down list.

In the Identity Plate Editor dialog box that appears, enable the Use a Styled Text Identity Plate option and enter some text in the field below.

Highlight the preview text with the cursor. From the drop-down lists positioned below the text preview, choose a font, style, and point size.

Click the color swatch icon to launch the system Color Picker and choose a different color for the Identity Plate.

Click OK to apply the Identity Plate as an image overlay.

To apply a background color to the page, enable Page Background Color in the Page panel. Click the neighboring swatch icon to access the Lightroom Color Picker and choose a different color

Choose a rotation option from the Rotate Identity Plate drop-down list, located in the upper-right corner of the Page panel.

If necessary, enable the Override Color option and click the neighboring swatch icon to access the Lightroom Color Picker and choose a different color for the Identity Plate text.

To adjust the opacity level of the Identity Plate, drag the Opacity slider.

To adjust the size of the Identity Plate, drag the Scale slider.

Choose one of the following Rendering options:

• Render Behind Image—Positions the Identity Plate behind the image in the layout

• Render on Every Image—Repeats the Identity Plate in a multiple grid cell layout

A custom watermark created using a styled text Identity Plate.

Insert a graphical Identity Plate

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page.

Enable the Identity Plate option in the Page panel.

Lightroom applies the Identity Plate currently displayed in the Module Picker, or the last created Identity Plate.

To edit the Identity Plate settings, click the Identity Plate preview in the Page panel, and choose Edit from the drop-down list.

In the Identity Plate Editor dialog box that appears, enable the Use a Graphical Identity Plate option.

Click the Locate File button located under the preview area.

In the Locate File dialog box that appears, browse to the file on your system and click Choose. You can also drag and drop, or copy and paste the image into the preview area.

Click OK to apply the Identity Plate.

To apply a background color to the page, enable Page Background Color in the Page panel. Click the neighboring swatch icon to access the Lightroom Color Picker and choose a different color.

Choose a rotation option from the Rotate Identity Plate drop-down list, located in the upper-right corner of the Page panel.

To adjust the opacity level of the Identity Plate, drag the Opacity slider in the Page panel.

To adjust the size of the Identity Plate, drag the Scale slider in the Page panel.

Choose one of the following Rendering options:

• Render Behind Image—Positions the Identity Plate behind the image in the layout

• Render on Eevery Image—Repeats the Identity Plate in a multiple grid cell layout

A custom border inserted as a graphical Identity Plate overlay.

Creating a Watermarking Preset

Lightroom enables you to save your favorite settings for applying custom text and graphic style watermarkings. By saving a watermarking preset, you can apply these settings to all images in your print layout by simply choosing the preset from the Watermarking list in the Pages panel.

Save a text watermarking preset

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page to display the Page panel.

Enable the Watermarking option in the Page panel.

To edit the watermark settings, choose Edit Watermarks from the neighboring drop-down list.

In the Watermark Editor dialog box that appears, choose Text as the Watermark Style.

Enter the custom watermark text in the field below the preview image.

Highlight the preview text with the cursor. Choose a font and style from the Text Options Font and Style drop-down lists.

Click one of the Align buttons to specify a text alignment option (left, center, or right).

Click the color swatch icon to launch the system Color Picker and choose a different color for the watermark text.

To apply a shadow to the watermark, enable the Shadow option and specify the following settings using the respective sliders:

• Opacity—Specify an opacity value for the drop shadow.

• Offset—Specify an offset distance for the drop shadow.

• Radius—Specify a softness value for the drop shadow.

• Angle—Specify where to position the drop shadow in relation to the text.

In the Watermark Effects section of the dialog box, Use the Opacity slider to specify an opacity value for the watermark. You can also enter a value in the Opacity field.

Choose an anchor option by clicking one of the Anchor radio buttons.

Specify a size for the watermark by selecting one of the following Size options:

• Proportional—Click to size the watermark proportionally. Drag the slider or enter a size value in the neighboring field.

• Fit—Click to fit the entire watermark in the image area.

• Fill—Click to fill the image area with the watermark.

If necessary, specify an inset value by dragging the Horizontal and Vertical Inset sliders. You can also enter inset values in the respective fields.

If necessary, rotate the watermark by clicking the Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counterclockwise buttons.

Click Save.

In the New Preset dialog box that appears, enter a name in the Preset Name field.

Click Create.

Save a graphic watermarking preset

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page to display the Page panel.

Enable the Watermarking option in the Page panel.

To edit the watermark settings, choose Edit Watermarks from the neighboring drop-down list.

In the Watermark Editor dialog box that appears, choose Graphic as the Watermark Style.

In the Choose a File dialog box that appears, browse to the file on your system and click Choose.

In the Watermark Effects section of the dialog box, Use the Opacity slider to specify an opacity value for the watermark. You can also enter a value in the Opacity field.

Choose an anchor option by clicking one of the Anchor radio buttons.

Specify a size for the watermark by selecting one of the following Size options:

• Proportional—Click to size the watermark proportionally. Drag the slider or enter a size value in the neighboring field.

• Fit—Click to fit the entire watermark in the image area.

• Fill—Click to fill the image area with the watermark.

If necessary, specify an inset value by dragging the Horizontal and Vertical Inset sliders. You can also enter inset values in the respective fields.

If necessary, rotate the watermark by clicking the Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counterclockwise buttons.

Click Save.

In the New Preset dialog box that appears, enter a name in the Preset Name field.

Click Create.

Inserting Page Options

When creating a print layout using the Single Image/Contact Sheet style, the Page Options section of the Page panel enables you to include useful extras. The Crop Marks option is especially useful for trimming down photos after they have been printed. The Page Info option inserts information relating to the print output method, such as the chosen Print Sharpening setting and color profile. The Page Numbers option enables you to apply a specific page order to your contact sheets.

Print crop marks, page info, and page numbers

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page to display the Page panel.

Enable Page Options in the Page panel.

Enable any of the following page options:

• Page Numbers—Inserts a page number in the bottom-right corner of each page

• Page Info—Inserts the chosen Sharpening and Color Management settings, as well as the name of the chosen printer, in the lower-left corner of each page

• Crop Marks—Inserts crop marks around each image cell

At the bottom of the Page panel, choose a font size for the page number and page info text from the Font Size drop-down list.

A contact sheet print layout with page options displayed.

Adding Photo Info

The Photo Info section of the Page panel enables you to display specific information about the photos at the bottom of each image cell. You can choose to display a single info item, such as shot date or exposure setting, by selecting one of the preset options from the Photo Info list in the Page panel. You can display multiple info items by choosing Edit from the Photo Info list and selecting the items in the Text Template Editor dialog box. Lightroom also enables you to save custom Photo Info settings as presets.

Print additional photo info beneath each grid cell

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Page to display the Page panel.

Enable Photo Info in the Page panel.

Choose a photo info preset option from the Photo Info drop-down list, or to create a custom setting, choose Edit. In the Text Template Editor dialog box that appears when choosing Edit, use the drop-down lists to choose the items that you’d like to include. Click the neighboring Insert buttons to add the text items.

If you’ve chosen to apply a custom setting, click the Done button in the bottom-right corner of the Text Template Editor dialog box.

At the bottom of the Page panel, choose a font size for the text from the Font Size drop-down list.

A contact sheet print layout with custom photo info displayed.

Configuring the Page Setup Dialog Box

Before you can print a photo from Lightroom, you must first enter the proper settings in the Page Setup dialog box. This dialog box is native to your operating system (Mac OS X or Windows XP/Vista/7) and enables you to specify which printer to send the file to. You must also select a corresponding paper size and orientation (portrait or landscape). Note that paper size options may vary depending on which printer you’ve chosen.

Configure the Page Setup dialog box in Mac OS X

Choose File > Page Setup or click the Page Setup button located in the lower-left corner of the Print module interface.

In the Page Setup dialog box that appears, choose the printer that you’d like to use from the Format For drop-down list.

Choose the paper size that you are using from the Paper Size drop-down list.

Choose the paper orientation by clicking the portrait or landscape Orientation button.

Click OK to close the page Setup dialog box.

Configure the Page Setup dialog box in Windows XP/Vista/7

Choose File > Page Setup or click the Page Setup button located in the lower-left corner of the Print module interface.

In the Page Setup dialog box that appears, choose the printer that you’d like to use from the Name drop-down list.

Choose the paper size that you are using from the Size drop-down list.

Choose the paper orientation by clicking the portrait or landscape Orientation button.

Click OK to close the page Setup dialog box.

Printing in Draft Mode

When outputting normal prints, Lightroom reads the image data from the original master files and resizes them to match the print sizes specified. Although this printing method ensures that you output your images in the highest quality possible, it can also take a long time to process, especially when outputting multiple images. If saving time is more important to you than producing high-quality prints, you can enable Draft Mode Printing. With this printing method, Lightroom reads the image data from the image previews, which doesn’t take as long to process. Note that if Standard previews are all that have been generated, that is what will be used. To generate better-quality Draft Mode prints, choose Library > Previews > Render 1:1 Previews prior to printing.

Print low-quality images in a much quicker amount of time

With a multipage layout already set up in the Print module, choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

At the top of the Print Job panel, choose Printer from the Print To drop-down list.

Enable the Draft Mode Printing option in the Print Job panel.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button located in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, click Print.

Enabling Print Sharpening

Lightroom’s Print Sharpening feature enables you to compensate for the natural softening process that occurs whenever you print an image. Unfortunately, you are unable to preview Print Sharpening prior to printing, but you can rest assured that the Standard setting will apply enough extra sharpening to ensure that your printed photo will appear as sharp as it does onscreen. Note that Print Sharpening is not treated like a develop setting and is only applied during the printing process.

Add some extra sharpening to your images prior to printing

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

Enable the Print Sharpening option in the Print Job panel.

Choose the sharpening quality from the Print Sharpening drop-down list. Options include Low, Standard, and High.

Select the type of paper you are printing on from the Media Type drop-down list. Options include Matte and Glossy.

Choosing Color Management Options

There are two ways you can manage color during output: via the printer driver or via Lightroom. To achieve the highest-quality prints, you should allow Lightroom to manage your color and choose the printer’s custom profile from the Profile drop-down list in the Color Management section of the Print Job panel. Note that the Managed by Printer options will vary depending on what printer you are using and what options are available through the printer driver.

Use Managed by Printer print settings in Mac OS X

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

In the Color Management section of the Print Job panel, choose Managed by Printer from the Profile drop-down list.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button located in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, enable the color management option available through your printer driver.

Click Print (Print Command) or Save (Print Settings command).

Use Managed by Printer print settings in Windows XP/Vista/7

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

In the Color Management section of the Print Job panel, choose Managed by Printer from the Profile drop-down list.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button located in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, click Properties.

In the Properties dialog box, enable the color management option that is available through your printer driver.

Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.

Click OK.

Use Managed by Lightroom print settings in Mac OS X

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

In the Color Management section of the Print Job panel, choose Other from the Profile drop-down list.

In the Choose Profiles dialog box that appears, select the color profiles that you would like to appear in the Profile drop-down list.

Click OK to close the Choose Profiles dialog box.

Select the custom profile from the Profile drop-down list.

Choose one of the following options from the Rendering Intent drop-down list:

• Perceptual—Maps all the colors in the image to fit smoothly using the selected print profile. All color differentiations are preserved.

• Relative—Maps all the colors in the image to the nearest equivalent in-gamut color using the selected print profile. Colors that fall outside the print space gamut are clipped.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button located in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, disable the color management option available through your printer driver.

Click Print (Print Command) or Save (Print Settings command).

Use Managed by Lightroom print settings in Windows XP/Vista/7

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

In the Color Management section of the Print Job panel, choose Other from the Profile drop-down list.

In the Choose Profiles dialog box that appears, select the color profiles that you would like to appear in the Profile drop-down list.

Click OK to close the Choose Profiles dialog box.

Select the custom profile from the Profile drop-down list.

Choose one of the following options from the Rendering Intent drop-down list:

• Perceptual—Maps all the colors in the image to fit smoothly using the selected print profile. All color differentiations are preserved.

• Relative—Maps all the colors in the image to the nearest equivalent in-gamut color using the selected print profile. Colors that fall outside the print space gamut are clipped.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button located in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, click the Properties button.

In the Properties dialog box, disable the color management option available through your printer driver.

Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.

Click OK.

Printing 16-Bit Images

Most inkjet printers are only capable of reading 8-bit image data, but there are a few models, such as the Canon ipf5000, that are now enabled for 16-bit printing. Recognizing this new and emerging technology, Adobe has included a 16-bit Output feature in Lightroom 3. To take advantage of this feature (provided you already have a 16-bit-enabled printer), you must enable the 16-bit Output option in the Print Job panel.

Print to an inkjet printer enabled for 16-bit printing

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

Enable the 16-bit Output option in the Print Job dialog box.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, choose the preferred print settings.

Click Print.

Printing to JPEG File

The Print to JPEG feature enables you to generate JPEG images of your contact sheets rather than sending the data to a printer. This feature is especially useful for creating contact sheets that you can email to a client, or for creating JPEG print files of individual photos that others can share and print from.

Generate a JPEG image

From the Library module Grid or the Filmstrip, select the photo(s) you would like to print to a JPEG file.

Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the upper-right corner of the interface.

Lightroom displays the photo in the Content area of the Print module.

Choose Window > Panels > Print Job to display the Print Job panel.

At the top of the Print Job dialog box, choose JPEG File from the Print to drop-down list.

Adjust the JPEG Quality slider in the Print Job dialog box to determine the quality of JPEG compression to apply.

Choose File > Print or click the Print to File button in the lower-right corner of the interface.

In the Print dialog box that appears, enter a name for the JPEG file in the Save As field.

Browse to a save location for the JPEG file on your system.

Click Save.

Saving a Custom Template

Lightroom enables you to save your favorite print layouts as templates. Doing so enables you to reinstate your most commonly used layouts with a simple click of a button. You can save templates in the User Templates folder or create new folders within the Templates Browser panel. In addition, the Templates Browser panel also contains a Lightroom Templates folder that contains all the templates (Single Image/Contact Sheet and Picture Package) that ship with Lightroom.

Save commonly used layouts and print settings as templates

With a print layout already set up in the Print module, and the Page Setup and Print Settings dialog box options already configured, choose Window > Panels > Template Browser to display the Template Browser panel.

Choose Print > New Template, or click the Create New Preset button (the + symbol) in the upper-right corner of the Template Browser panel.

In the New Template dialog box that appears, enter a name in the Template Name field.

Choose a folder to save the template in from the Folder drop-down list. The default is User Templates.

Click Create.

Lightroom adds the new template to the Template Browser list.