# Efficiently print many images (9 to a page?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383 "2009-02-04T05:56:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/1 "2009-02-04T05:56:14Z")
I have a large number (500ish) of small jpeg images that I’d like to be able to print out, 9 to a page. All the images are the same size. I’m really hoping that I won’t have to manually add the images to a document in some manner, since that would take a really long time. I am vaguely familiar with ImageMagick, but I couldn’t figure out a good way to say “tile all the images in a directory, 9 to a page”. I have Windows XP, Mac OS 10.4, and Ubuntu at my disposal, but the Mac is my machine of choice. Thanks in advance for any help. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/2 "2009-02-04T06:41:01Z")
If you have access to Adobe Photoshop or InDesign, you may create a [contact sheet](http://www.huzeyk.blogspot.com/2006/06/creating-contact-sheet.html). The only issue I’ve found is that the computer sometimes takes a long period of time to chew through a lot of images; it might be best to choose subfolders with x images each for x/9 sheets at a time - I stick to 4 or 5 sheets at a time on the computer at work. Um, YMMV. I think. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/3 "2009-02-04T06:49:23Z")
Try GraphicConverter for the Mac (shareware). Down at the bottom of the file menu is “Catalog” which will do what you want. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/4 "2009-02-04T06:53:19Z")
Hmm. I think I have an old version of Photoshop around somewhere. That process looks like it still might take a long time, though. It sounds like I might have to select the images for each page (or create 50ish directories, each with 9 images). Is there a way to script it so that it’ll do the same thing for all the images? ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/5 "2009-02-04T06:55:09Z")
I think Photoshop will make multiple pages automatically… I just tried GraphicConverter, though, and it’s way faster. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/6 "2009-02-04T07:01:55Z")
I’m downloading Graphic Converter. So far, the download has halved in speed quite regularly. It’s been a perpetual 10 minutes away from completion. Zeno’s program. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/7 "2009-02-04T07:31:57Z")
If it’s just “X” images per page printing you want you don’t really need to go to the trouble of loading them into a document. The built in printing wizard in XP (and assumedly vista) allows you to tag as many files as you wish (then right click & choose print) and print them in 3-6-9 (9 is “wallet” prints) or whatever images per page setups of your choosing. Try it. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/8 "2009-02-04T07:47:06Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If it’s just “X” images per page printing you want you don’t really need to go to the trouble of loading them into a document. The built in printing wizard in XP (and assumedly vista) allows you to tag as many files as you wish (then right click & choose print) and print them in 3-6-9 (9 is “wallet” prints) or whatever images per page setups of your choosing. Try it. Ah, a good suggestion, except that I don’t actually have a printer. I’m outsourcing that job to Kinkos or someone. Graphic Converter X does exactly what I want. Thanks a bunch. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficiently-print-many-images-9-to-a-page/484383/9 "2009-02-04T08:19:38Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If it’s just “X” images per page printing you want you don’t really need to go to the trouble of loading them into a document. The built in printing wizard in XP (and assumedly vista) allows you to tag as many files as you wish (then right click & choose print) and print them in 3-6-9 (9 is “wallet” prints) or whatever images per page setups of your choosing. Try it. Wow, I never knew you could do that. Thank you for this!!!