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Create PDF contact sheet in the Output workspace

Introduced in October 2017 release of Adobe Bridge CC

The new Output workspace in Adobe Bridge allows you to create PDF contact sheets of one of more images. In the Output workspace, you begin by choosing a template for your PDF contact sheet in the Output Settings panel on the right. Then, you drag images from the Content panel (bottom) to Canvas in the Output Preview panel (center). You can choose to customize various output settings─document, grid and margins, header and footer, watermark, and PDF properties─and also save your custom template for reuse later. The settings that you apply in the Output Settings panel are readily rendered in the Output Preview panel. Finally, you're ready to export a PDF output.

Output workspace

A. Output Preview panel B. Output Settings panel C. Output workspace D. Export to PDF button E. Content panel F. Filter and Collection panels G. Favorites and Folders panels 

Output Preview panel

The Output Preview panel displays a preview of the PDF contact sheet with your photos aligned in rows and columns. Any modification in the Output Settings panel is rendered in the Output Preview panel instantaneously. You can drag photos from the Content panel at the bottom of the screen onto the canvas in the Output Preview panel.

Output Settings panel

You can use the Output Settings panel to choose a predefined template or customize the template for the PDF contact sheet. You can customize settings such as DocumentGrid and MarginHeader and FooterWatermark, and PDF Properties. The changes you make in this panel are rendered in the Output Preview panel instantaneously.

Create a PDF contact sheet

  1. Click Output in standard workspace.

  2. Do one of the following in the Output Settings panel:

    • Select a predefined template from the Template drop-down. The default template is 2 x 2 Cells.
    • Select Custom in the Template drop-down and specify settings in Document, Grid and Margin, Header and Footer, Watermark, and PDF Properties accordions. To know about the settings, see Apply Output Settings.
    Note:

    If you choose a predefined template and then make any change in the Output Settings panel, the template is changed to Custom. 

    The changes in the Output Settings panel are rendered in the Output Preview panel instantaneously.

  3. Drag images from the Content panel to the canvas in the Output Preview panel.

    In a Preview document (Output workspace) containing more than one media assets, you can drag a single asset or a selection of assets (both contiguous and non-contiguous) to a new location within the Preview document. While dragging to reorder, a colored highlight appears indicating the new drop location. The selection can be dropped at the start of the page, end of the page, or between other media assets.

  4. (Optional) You can do any of the following in the canvas:

    • Rotate an image: To rotate an image, click an image and then click  or  icon.
    • Remove an image: To remove an image from the canvas, click an image and then click Remove.
    • Show guides: To show guides, select the Show Guides check box in the Output Preview panel. 
    • Reset content: To reset the content of the contact sheet, click Reset button in the Output Preview panel. 
  5. Click Export to PDF in the Output Preview panel.

Apply output settings

Template

You can choose from predefined templates or create your own template to create a PDF contact sheet. You can also choose a predefined template and then customize it according to your requirement.

Output settings

  • Template: Shows the list of predefined and custom templates.
  • Save Template : Saves a custom template.
  • Delete Selected Template : Deletes a custom template selected in the Template drop-down.
  • Quick access menu for preference : Shows the quick access to the output preference options.

Document

Document settings

You can specify the page settings of a PDF contact sheet. The Document accordion in the Output Settings panel shows the following settings:

  • Page size: Shows the page size options for PDF contact sheet.
  • Width / Height: Specifies the width and height of the page in pixel, inches, centimeter, and millimeter.
  • Orientation: Specifies page orientation as landscape  or portrait .
  • Background Color: Specifies the background color for the PDF contact sheet. You can use the standard color box or the Eyedropper  tool to choose the background color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.
  • Resolution: Shows the resolution of the PDF contact sheet in Pixel Per Inch (PPI).
  • Image Quality: Specifies the image quality in the PDF contact sheet.
  • Thumbnail Placement: Shows the options for image placement in the PDF contact sheet. You can place the images across rows (left to right) or columns (top to bottom).
  • Rotate Thumbnail for Best Fit: Rotates the thumbnail of the image to fit in a cell.
  • Repeat One Photo Per Page: Keeps one image per page in the PDF contact sheet.
  • Include Filename: Includes the filename of the image in the PDF contact sheet.
  • Include File Extension: Includes the filename extension of the image in the PDF contact sheet.
  • Filename font formatting: Specifies font formatting such as font, font color, font size, and font style.

Grid and Margins

Grid and margins settings

You can specify layout of your contact sheet by specifying rows and columns. The Grid and Margins accordion in the Output Settings panel shows the following settings:

  • Grid Layout: Lets you set the grid layout for the contact sheet. You can specify the number of rows and columns. 
  • Cell Spacing: Lets you set the spacing between two cells. You can specify the vertical and horizontal space between two cells.
  • Cell Size: Specifies the size of the cells in centimeter. You can select auto spacing to let Adobe Bridge set the spacing between two cells.
  • Margins: Specifies the left, right, top, and bottom margin for the cells in the contact sheet. You can click  icon to link the margin of right/left and top/bottom. 
Header and footer settings

You can add header, footer, and page number to your contact sheet. The Header and Footer accordion in the Output Settings panel shows the following settings:

  • Header settings:
    • Include Header: Enables the header setting for the contact sheet.
    • Text: Enter the text that you want to display in the PDF header.
    • Text alignment: Use the left , center , and right  alignment icons to adjust the text position in the header.
    • Text formatting: Select the font, font Size, and font style for the header text from the corresponding drop-down lists. You can choose the font color from the standard color box or use the Eyedropper  tool to pick a color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.
    • Header Size: Drag the Header Size slider to adjust the area designated to the header in the Preview document. 
    • Divider Size: Drag the Divider Size slider to adjust the width of the divider that appears in the header area. You can set any value from 0 pt through 5 pt.
    • Divider Color: Choose a color for the divider from the color box or use the Eyedropper  tool to pick a color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.
  • Footer Settings:
    • Include Footer: Enables the footer setting for the contact sheet.
    • Text: Enter the text that you want to display in the PDF footer.
    • Text alignment: Use the left , center , and right  alignment icons to adjust the text position in the footer.
    • Text formatting: Select the font style, font size, and font weight for the footer text from the corresponding drop-down lists. You can choose the font color from the standard color box or use the Eyedropper  tool to pick a color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.
    • Footer Size: Drag the Footer Size slider to adjust the area designated to the header in the Preview document. 
    • Divider Size: Drag the Divider Size slider to adjust the width of the divider that appears in the footer area. You can set any value from 0 pt through 5 pt.
    • Divider Color: Choose a color for the divider from the color box or use the Eyedropper  tool to pick a color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.
  • Page number:
    • Include Page Number: Enables the page numbering for the contact sheet.
    • Location: Select any one of the options from the Location drop-down list to display the page number - Header Left, Header Center, Header Right, Footer Left, Footer Center, or Footer Right.
    • Text formatting: Select the font style, font size, and font weight for the page numbering from the corresponding drop-down lists. You can choose the font color from the standard color box or use the Eyedropper  tool to pick a color. For more information on using the Eyedropper tool, see Use Eyedropper tool to choose color.

Watermark

Watermark settings

You can add text or image watermark to your contact sheet. The Watermark accordion in the Output Settings panel shows the following settings:

  • No Watermark: By default, the No Watermark radio button is selected.
  • Text Watermark: Select the Text Watermark radio button to add a text watermark to the contact sheet. 
    • Text: Enter the text that you want to display as the watermark.
    • Text formatting: Select the font style, font Size, and font weight for the watermark text from the corresponding drop-down lists. 
  • Image Watermark: Select the Image Watermark radio button to add an image as watermark to the contact sheet. Click Select File and upload an image.
  • Placement: Any placement settings that you choose are applied on the text watermark or the image watermark, depending on the radio button option that you’ve selected.
    • Type: In Type drop-down, select whether you want to place the text/image watermark on the media assets currently added in the preview document or on each page of the preview document.
    • Rotation: In Rotation text field, enter any value from 0 through 359. The text/image watermark rotates by specified degrees on the Preview document.
    • Position: In the Position field, choose any option in the anchor widget to position the text/image watermark on the media assets or on the preview document.
    • Margins: Use the Horizontal Margin or Vertical Margin slider to adjust the horizontal or vertical offset of the text/image watermark. 
    • Scale: Scaling is applicable only for an image watermark. Use the Scale slider to adjust the scaling of the image watermark.
    • Opacity: Use the Opacity slider to adjust the opacity of the watermark 

PDF Properties

PDF Properties

You can secure your PDF contact sheet and specify the playback settings. The PDF Properties accordion in the Output Settings panel shows the following security and playback settings:

  • Security:
    • Open Password: If enabled, the recipient needs to type this password to open the generated PDF contact sheet.
    • Permission Password: If enabled, the recipient needs to type this password to change permission settings in the generated PDF. This password is not required to open the document in Reader or Acrobat. This password is required only to change the restriction that you've set.
    • Disable Printing: If selected, sets printing restriction in the generated PDF. To change the printing permission setting, the recipient needs the Permissions Password. This option is enabled only when you set the permission password.
  • Playback:
    • Open in Full Screen Mode: Opens the generated PDF in the full screen mode. The PDF fills the entire screen, and the Acrobat menu bar, toolbar, and window controls are hidden.
    • Automatically Advance to the Next Page: If selected, the PDF pages advance automatically in the full screen mode at every set number of seconds specified in the Duration (seconds) field.
    • Duration: Duration of playback for each page in seconds.
    • Loop After Last Page: If selected, the PDF document pages advance continuously, returning to the first page after the last.
    • Transition: Select a transition effect to display when viewing the PDF in full screen mode. If you do not want to apply any transition effects, select None from the drop-down. The Direction and Speed fields are disabled when you set Transition as None.
    • Direction: Determines the flow of the selected page transition on the screen, such as Down, Left, Horizontal, and so on. The available options vary according to the transition.
    • Speed: Select the required speed option for the transition effect that you’ve selected.

Use Eyedropper tool to choose color

You can use the Eyedropper tool to sample a color from anywhere on the screen.

  1. Click the Eyedropper tool next to any color setting.

  2. Keep the mouse button pressed, drag anywhere on the screen. The color selection box changes dynamically as you drag.

  3. Release the mouse button to pick the color.

Save a custom template

You can specify your own settings in the Output Settings panel and save it as a template.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Select a predefined template from the Template drop-down.
    • Select Custom from the Template drop-down.
  2. Apply required settings in the Output Settings panel. When you choose a predefined template and make changes in Output Settings, the template is changed to Custom.

    To know about the settings, see Apply Output Settings.

  3. Click  icon next to the Template drop-down.

  4. Specify the name of the template and click Save.

    Note:

    You can select a custom template from the Template drop-down and then delete it by clicking  icon.

Output preferences

  1. Do one of the following:

    • (Windows) Click Edit > Preferences > Output. Alternatively, press Ctrl+K
    • (macOS) Click Adobe Bridge > Preferences >Output. Alternatively, press Command+K
    Note:

    You can use the Quick Access menu in the Output Settings panel to quickly set the preferences.

  2. Set the following preferences:

    • View PDF after export: If selected, the exported PDF automatically opens in Acrobat or Reader after you save it.
    • Preserve Embedded Color Profile: If selected, preserves the color profile that is embedded in the image, if possible. If the profile is not supported in JPEG, Adobe Output Module converts the profile to sRGB.
    • Use Solo Mode for Output Panel Behavior: Controls the open/close behavior of the accordians in the Output Settings panel - Document, Grid and Margin, Header and Footer, Watermark, and PDF Properties. 
      • If selected, then only one accordion remains open at a time.
      • If deselected, you can open multiple accordions at a time.
    • Prefer Cell Size Over Cell Spacing While Resizing Margins:
      • If selected, the cell spacing changes while the cell size is preserved when you increase or decrease the margins.
      • (Default option) If deselected, the cell size changes while the cell spacing is preserved when you increase or decrease the margins. 
  3. Click OK.

 Adobe

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