Smart Photo Selection guide

How to Generate Album Sheets

Q: Where are the files saved?

In the browser's storage with the project, listed under Generated files. Download all writes them to disk as a ZIP.

Q: What if a job fails halfway?

The job stays listed as Failed with a Retry button, and the reason (for example a template PSD missing from this device) shows in the error line.

Render the album into print files: pick JPG, PNG, Layered PSD, TIFF, PDF or WebP, pass the preflight checks, watch the job run, and download the sheets.

By Smart Photo Selection TeamUpdated 2 October 2026Published 30 September 20264 min read

Album export panel generating print-ready sheets with progress and a list of generated files — Album automation: selected photos mapped into a template, composed by AI and generated into a finished sheet.

Short answer

On the Generate step choose your formats (JPG with Quality 95 (recommended), plus PNG, Layered PSD, TIFF, PDF or WebP) and click Generate N sheets. The job walks Preparing photos → Sheet 1 of N → N files ready with a progress bar you can Cancel. Results land under Generated files with sizes, DPI and a verified badge for PSDs; Download all collects them. Warnings open Check before generating, where you can Go back and fix or Generate anyway.

What You Need

Sheets with a completed mapping — no duplicates, and every photo still in the project.
The formats your lab asks for (JPG or TIFF for most labs, Layered PSD for hand-off).
Enough free space for full-resolution files: sheets render at the template's full pixel size.

Before you press generate

Generation is a local render job: each sheet is composited from the original photo files at the template's full resolution with DPI set for print, then written in every format you ticked. It runs sheet by sheet so memory stays bounded, and it remembers what it produced — an interrupted page marks unfinished jobs Failed, which is what Retry is for.

Step by step

1
Choose the formats
Tick what you need. JPG — Flattened, full template resolution with DPI set for print. Rendered from the original photo files. — with the quality select: Quality 92, Quality 95 (recommended) or Quality 100 (largest). PNG keeps transparency where a sheet has no background. Layered PSD keeps the template's own layers, masks and text with each photo on its own clipped layer, and each file is re-opened after writing to verify it. TIFF is Deflate-compressed with DPI and the RGB profile embedded; PDF puts one page per sheet at album size; WebP is for web sharing only — No DPI metadata — not for print.
2
Clear the blockers
Preflight runs automatically. Blockers stop you outright: There are no sheets to generate., Choose at least one format., A sheet uses a template that no longer exists on this device., "Layer 4" on Sheet 2 refers to a photo that is no longer in the project., and A photo is placed in more than one slot. Fix the mapping first.
3
Read the warnings
Warnings don't stop you but should be read: N slot(s) are empty — they will show the template's placeholder artwork. and N photo(s) will print below 200 ppi (layer: ppi, …). If any exist, Check before generating lists them with Go back and fix and Generate anyway.
4
Generate
Click Generate N sheets (or Generate 1 sheet). The button becomes the running job: Queued, Preparing photos, then Sheet 3 of 20: compositing, with a progress bar and a Cancel button.
5
Collect the files
On success a toast reports Album generated: N file(s) and the job appears under Generated files with a status badge, per-output details (Album size · W×H px · DPI · size), verified or not verified on PSDs, and buttons for Download all, per-file download, Retry (on failures) and Remove.

Which format for which job

Format cheat sheet
Format	Use it for	Remember
JPG	Everyday lab delivery and client previews	Quality 95 is the sane default; 100 is huge
PNG	Sheets with transparency / web use	Lossless but heavy at 300 DPI
Layered PSD	Handing off to a retoucher or designer	Text added in Album Editor is rasterized
TIFF	Print labs that demand TIFF	Deflate-compressed, profile embedded
PDF	Reviewing or sharing the whole book	One page per sheet at the exact album size
WebP	Web galleries and WhatsApp previews	No DPI metadata — never send it to print

Tips

Tick Layered PSD alongside JPG on the first run: you only avoid it if you never need to reopen the book.
Fix warnings rather than clicking Generate anyway — empty slots and low-ppi photos are exactly what a proof catches.
Generate in smaller batches with the sheets selector when a 60-sheet album chokes your machine.
Keep the tab open until N files ready appears; closing mid-job leaves the remainder marked Failed for Retry.

Common Mistakes

Sending WebP to the lab
WebP carries no DPI. Use JPG or TIFF for print, WebP only for screens.
Ignoring `not verified` on a PSD
The re-open check failed for that file. Retry just that job before shipping it to a designer.
Regenerating after a small edit without re-checking
Edits invalidate the previous outputs. Run the preflight again — a duplicate or missing photo shows up as a blocker, not a surprise at the lab.
Cancelling mid-run and assuming the files are there
Only completed outputs are listed. The unfinished sheets need another run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the files saved?

In the browser's storage with the project, listed under Generated files. Download all writes them to disk as a ZIP.

Can I generate one sheet only?

Yes — the sheets selector scopes the job; the button label follows the selected count.

Do exports use the JPG quality for other formats?

PDF and WebP reuse the JPG quality setting; PNG, TIFF and PSD are lossless regardless of it.

What if a job fails halfway?

The job stays listed as Failed with a Retry button, and the reason (for example a template PSD missing from this device) shows in the error line.

Try It in Smart Photo Selection

Open Album Studio with a photographer account, pick a booking and follow the steps above on your own photos.

Create Your Album

Smart Photo Selection guide

How to Generate Album Sheets

Render the album into print files: pick JPG, PNG, Layered PSD, TIFF, PDF or WebP, pass the preflight checks, watch the job run, and download the sheets.

By Smart Photo Selection TeamUpdated 2 October 2026Published 30 September 20264 min read

Short answer

What You Need

Sheets with a completed mapping — no duplicates, and every photo still in the project.
The formats your lab asks for (JPG or TIFF for most labs, Layered PSD for hand-off).
Enough free space for full-resolution files: sheets render at the template's full pixel size.

Before you press generate

Step by step

1
Choose the formats
Tick what you need. JPG — Flattened, full template resolution with DPI set for print. Rendered from the original photo files. — with the quality select: Quality 92, Quality 95 (recommended) or Quality 100 (largest). PNG keeps transparency where a sheet has no background. Layered PSD keeps the template's own layers, masks and text with each photo on its own clipped layer, and each file is re-opened after writing to verify it. TIFF is Deflate-compressed with DPI and the RGB profile embedded; PDF puts one page per sheet at album size; WebP is for web sharing only — No DPI metadata — not for print.
2
Clear the blockers
Preflight runs automatically. Blockers stop you outright: There are no sheets to generate., Choose at least one format., A sheet uses a template that no longer exists on this device., "Layer 4" on Sheet 2 refers to a photo that is no longer in the project., and A photo is placed in more than one slot. Fix the mapping first.
3
Read the warnings
Warnings don't stop you but should be read: N slot(s) are empty — they will show the template's placeholder artwork. and N photo(s) will print below 200 ppi (layer: ppi, …). If any exist, Check before generating lists them with Go back and fix and Generate anyway.
4
Generate
Click Generate N sheets (or Generate 1 sheet). The button becomes the running job: Queued, Preparing photos, then Sheet 3 of 20: compositing, with a progress bar and a Cancel button.
5
Collect the files
On success a toast reports Album generated: N file(s) and the job appears under Generated files with a status badge, per-output details (Album size · W×H px · DPI · size), verified or not verified on PSDs, and buttons for Download all, per-file download, Retry (on failures) and Remove.

Which format for which job

Format cheat sheet
Format	Use it for	Remember
JPG	Everyday lab delivery and client previews	Quality 95 is the sane default; 100 is huge
PNG	Sheets with transparency / web use	Lossless but heavy at 300 DPI
Layered PSD	Handing off to a retoucher or designer	Text added in Album Editor is rasterized
TIFF	Print labs that demand TIFF	Deflate-compressed, profile embedded
PDF	Reviewing or sharing the whole book	One page per sheet at the exact album size
WebP	Web galleries and WhatsApp previews	No DPI metadata — never send it to print

Tips

Tick Layered PSD alongside JPG on the first run: you only avoid it if you never need to reopen the book.
Fix warnings rather than clicking Generate anyway — empty slots and low-ppi photos are exactly what a proof catches.
Generate in smaller batches with the sheets selector when a 60-sheet album chokes your machine.
Keep the tab open until N files ready appears; closing mid-job leaves the remainder marked Failed for Retry.

Common Mistakes

Sending WebP to the lab
WebP carries no DPI. Use JPG or TIFF for print, WebP only for screens.
Ignoring `not verified` on a PSD
The re-open check failed for that file. Retry just that job before shipping it to a designer.
Regenerating after a small edit without re-checking
Edits invalidate the previous outputs. Run the preflight again — a duplicate or missing photo shows up as a blocker, not a surprise at the lab.
Cancelling mid-run and assuming the files are there
Only completed outputs are listed. The unfinished sheets need another run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the files saved?

In the browser's storage with the project, listed under Generated files. Download all writes them to disk as a ZIP.

Can I generate one sheet only?

Yes — the sheets selector scopes the job; the button label follows the selected count.

Do exports use the JPG quality for other formats?

PDF and WebP reuse the JPG quality setting; PNG, TIFF and PSD are lossless regardless of it.

What if a job fails halfway?

The job stays listed as Failed with a Retry button, and the reason (for example a template PSD missing from this device) shows in the error line.

Try It in Smart Photo Selection

Open Album Studio with a photographer account, pick a booking and follow the steps above on your own photos.

Create Your Album

How to Generate Album Sheets

What You Need

Before you press generate

Step by step

Choose the formats

Clear the blockers

Read the warnings

Generate

Collect the files

Which format for which job

Tips

Common Mistakes

Sending WebP to the lab

Ignoring `not verified` on a PSD

Regenerating after a small edit without re-checking

Cancelling mid-run and assuming the files are there

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the files saved?

Can I generate one sheet only?

Do exports use the JPG quality for other formats?

What if a job fails halfway?

Related Guides

Related Features

Further Reading

Try It in Smart Photo Selection

How to Generate Album Sheets

What You Need

Before you press generate

Step by step

Choose the formats

Clear the blockers

Read the warnings

Generate

Collect the files

Which format for which job

Tips

Common Mistakes

Sending WebP to the lab

Ignoring `not verified` on a PSD

Regenerating after a small edit without re-checking

Cancelling mid-run and assuming the files are there

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the files saved?

Can I generate one sheet only?

Do exports use the JPG quality for other formats?

What if a job fails halfway?

Related Guides

Related Features

Further Reading

Try It in Smart Photo Selection