How to install Lightroom Print Templates

It is really easy to Install Lightroom Templates in the Print Module!  We have over 100 free templates available for free at this site, so we have come across about every problem with installing and using them and we are compiling it all here for you.  One of the biggest issues with installing templates is that there seems to be different issues with installing/using on PCs and Macs.  So be sure and watch for those differences as we mention them in these instructions.

HOW TO INSTALL

1. Save the template to your hard drive. Some of the free templates here on my site are in a zipped folder and include a .jpeg or .png as a “background image”.  This part is important:  The background image is built in if you are a PC user, so you don’t need to download the extra file.  If you are a Mac user, you need the .jpeg or .png too (Mac users follow steps 2-4 of “How to Install” and then see section below:  FOR MAC USERS ONLY).
2. Open Lightroom. Click on the PRINT MODULE (one of the top right tabs).
3. In the box on the left, it will say Template Browser. Under that it will say Lightroom Templates. Right click on that and choose New Folder. Name this folder JL Photography Templates.
4. Next right click on your new folder and click Import. Then search for the file that you saved in your hard drive and double-click it and it will install. Now your template will be installed in the Print Module, under the Template Browser, in the file called JL Photography Templates.

You are now ready to start using your templates.  Skip to the “Instructions for Using your Templates” section if you are a PC user.

FOR MAC USERS ONLY

Now, for Mac users, for templates that did not include a .jpeg or .png, those templates are ready to use.  But IF the template you installed included a .jpeg or .png, you are not done.  Because of compatibility issues, Macs throw away the embedded .jpeg/.png background image that is embedded when the template is saved. So you have to manually re-embed it.

1. Click on the template name in the left column. You will likely see a white background with one or more outlined boxes.
2. Next go to the right column and scroll down to the section called Page. Under that the Identity Plate should be checked. Click on the rectangle Identity Plate and click Edit. Another box will pop up and you will choose “Use a graphical identity plate. Then choose “Locate File”.
3. Now navigate to the .jpeg that was included with your download, and named the same file name as your template. It is important if you purchased more than one template with multiple .jpegs, that you match up the correct file names.
4. Select the .jpeg and when you are returned to the Print Module your template should look correct. You are not done!
5. Now you have to update your template with the .jpeg/.png embedded.  Just right click on the installed template in the template list and select “Update with Current Settings”.
6. Now you are done. Your template is ready to use over and over!

Instructions for Using your Templates:

If you are using all photos from the same session or folder for the template you are making, then you can just click on over to the Print Module and drag/drop your photos into your template. After you are done, click “Print to File” at the lower right corner to save. This will create a jpeg.

If you would like to use images from different sessions/folders, you will need to use Collections.  In the Library, find each image you want to use…and as you find a image, right click it and choose “Add to Quick Collection”. After you have found all the photos you want to use, navigate to the top of your folders in the Catalog, and you will see a folder called Quick Collection. Click on that and all the photos you chose will now be in your filmstrip. Now you can click over to the Print Module and use your Templates with all of the photos you just put in your Quick Collection. Just click a template name and drag/drop your photos into it. After you are done, click “Print to File” at the lower right corner to save. This will create a jpeg.

Be aware that when you look at the template, some of the boxes may seem like they are not aligned. They have been tested extensively for alignment and will look correctly aligned when saved to .jpeg. But if you want to move the boxes, they are movable. And then next time you use the template it will return back to my original design.

Last, here are the topics you are going to come across and need to know. This info is also on the Help page:

“The templates won’t Import.  All the file names end with .txt.”

We don’t know why this is happening, but it is a common problem that occurs…we believe it is only with Macs.  Many Mac users report that after download, the downloaded files have .txt on the end of the filename and will not import.  The solution is to go into your hard drive, delete the .txt part, and then you will be fine.  What will be left is .lrtemplate

“The photo boxes you created sometimes move if I click them. What is wrong?”

When you do drag and drop a photo, the box that is there “can” move if you move the photo after dropping it in. If this happens, just go up to Edit/Undo, or just start over by clicking the template on the left column again and start dragging your photos again.

“How do I move my photo around INSIDE the box…like if I put a rectangle image into a square box?”

Just drop the photo in the box, then hold down CTRL (Command for Mac) while you grab the image with your mouse and move it around where you want it placed.

“My saved jpeg is missing the background image. Help!”

If you saved your jpeg, and you open it up and it is either empty, has one photo, or just some elements are missing, you probably had something selected when you saved the jpeg. So go back in to LR and make sure after you are finished with your template, that nothing is selected. Sometimes it is hard to see if the background is selected, so just click on the gray area outside your design. Then save again.

“My saved jpeg only printed one photo in the collage on a blank background. What did I do wrong?”

If you saved your jpeg, and you open it up and it is either empty, has one photo, or just some elements are missing, you probably had something selected when you saved the jpeg. So go back in to LR and make sure after you are finished with your template, that nothing is selected. Sometimes it is hard to see if the background is selected, so just click on the gray area outside your design. Then save again.

“I don’t understand how to put a custom background in my FB Timeline?”

Although the “box” to drop in your background is not visible, if you just drop a photo into the negative space in a timeline, the entire timeline will highlight itself in a yellow fine line…then you can drop your image file. Texture files and Digital Papers are great for backgrounds. And you can even use your own image. If you do use an image, you might want to not put a photo in all the boxes provided. Just leave a box blank and nothing will show there on the finished .jpeg.  Also, please see this blog post How to add a background to a Facebook Timeline Template for a more detailed tutorial.

“When I choose a template, many of the boxes for photos seem to not be aligned right.  What is wrong?”

Be aware that when you look at the template, some of the boxes may seem like they are not aligned. They have been tested extensively for alignment and will look correctly aligned when saved to .jpeg. But if you want to move the boxes, they are movable. And then next time you use the template it will return back to the original design.

Click HERE to get to the Lightroom Template Index page to access ALL the free templates!