Comments on: image packing algorithm for photoshop

Question: image packing algorithm for photoshop

Infernarl — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:52:02 -0800

I have 200 scanned images of matchboxes. The matchboxes have different dimensions. I want to arrange the images automatically, with as few gaps as possible, into a large image to be printed as a poster. I think what I need is a "packing algorithm" but I don't know how to proceed. Is there a way I can do this automagically in Photoshop or with an existing freeware program? I don't need any special effects, just to simply arrange the images with the most efficient use of space.

By: xyzzy

xyzzy — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:40:10 -0800

Maybe Picasa's image collage feature?

By: zinon

zinon — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:41:30 -0800

The term you are looking for is nesting (wikipedia). A search for image nesting software (google) turns up several different options.

By: ouke

ouke — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 01:22:33 -0800

in photoshop this can be done with file > automate > contact sheet

By: Lanark

Lanark — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:33:33 -0800

The problem with using a nesting algorithm is that it will arrange everything in straight rows and columns like a contact sheet, which is a rather dull layout for a poster. If you look at Peter Blakes matchbox pictures he alternates between vertical and horizontal placement so that the slight differences in size don't really matter.

Also unless they are all the same colour you will probably want to swap them around manually to get a decent colour balance.

By: samj

samj — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:45:34 -0800

This is a common thing in game development (or other 3d texture work), sometimes called texture packing, where you want to get as many images onto one 2d texture as you can.

There are various tools available, if you're on Windows I've used this one before and it worked fine for me: unchaos [garagegames.com]
(Make sure your output image is big enough to hold everything!)

It will just try and pack everything together as efficiently as possible, so it depends how artistic you are trying to make your poster (however if you set a decent border around each one then add a background and drop shadows in photoshop it could still look quite nice).

By: rokusan

rokusan — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 22:07:33 -0800

If this is an artistic effort (rather than, say, an insurance record), then don't you really want to do it by hand, so that you can control the color and theme aspects of each tile?

Sure, it's an afternoon's work, but fiddling around with automation tools will take that long anyway.