Gridify Images

Remember “Gridify” (page 191)? We can place a lot of images simultaneously in a grid. If the images vary in size and shape, we’ll have to deal with how they fit or fill their frames afterward.

Placing a Grid of Images

We need a Place Gun with multiple images in it. So go to File > Place…, as usual, and choose multiple images, or drag image files directly from a folder in the operating system. Either way, you have a cursor with a number in it. Note the number; will that many images make an even grid? Odd numbers can be tricky. If it’s seven images, you could create a two-by-four grid with an empty slot. That’s allowed, of course, but unfortunate. Nine, though odd, make a lovely three-by-three grid.

With the loaded cursor in hand, start dragging and keep that mouse button down! Once you’ve started dragging, use the arrow keys to create more (↑ or →) or fewer (↓ or ←) columns and rows. Pressing ⌘ + arrow/Ctrl + arrow will change the distance between rows or columns (up and down for row spacing, left and right for column spacing). Some users think they need very large hands for this because they’ve forgotten that there’s a ⌘/Ctrl key on both sides of the keyboard.

When you have enough areas to accommodate your images, you can release the mouse. You will now have a grid of identically sized frames with images fit proportionally within each one. This means there’s some extraneous frame, which may not trouble you. But if the images vary much in size or shape, you may consider using the many fitting options discussed just a few pages back.