Create your own photo CDs and DVDs

If you have a disc drive that can burn discs, you can share or archive your photos (and video clips) by putting them on a CD or DVD.

You can burn photos, albums, and video clips to disc, but you can’t directly burn slideshows or projects (such as books, cards, and calendars) created in iPhoto. You can, however, turn any project or photo album into a slideshow, and then put the slideshow on a disc. To do this, you export your project from iPhoto to iDVD, an Apple application for designing and creating your own DVDs. You can also export a video clip from iPhoto to iDVD. (See the instructions below.)

To burn a CD or DVD for viewing in iPhoto:

  1. Select the albums, photos, or video clips you want to burn to a disc.

  2. Choose Share > Burn.

  3. Insert a CD-RW disc or a blank CD-R or DVD-R disc into your drive.

    Disc information appears at the bottom of the iPhoto viewing area. The green area on the disc icon represents the amount of disc space your photos require.

  4. If necessary, type a new name for the disc in the Name field.

  5. Click the Burn button.

  6. Click the Burn button in the Burn Disc window.

It may take several minutes to burn the disc. You can cancel the burn by clicking the Stop button next to the progress bar, but if you’re using a CD-R disc, you might not be able to use the CD after canceling.

To create a CD or DVD to be viewed in Windows or by a photo-processing company:

  1. In iPhoto, select the photos, albums, or video clips you want to burn to a disc.

  2. Choose File > Export.

  3. In the Export Photos window, click File Export, and then select your options.

    For best results, choose JPEG, Maximum, and Full Size. For more information, see Export a photo.

  4. When you’re ready, click Export, and export the photos to a folder on your computer.

  5. When the export is finished, quit iPhoto.

  6. Click the Finder icon in the Dock, and then insert a CD-RW disc or a blank CD-R or DVD-R disc into your drive.

  7. Drag the folder that contains your exported photos to the disc’s icon.

  8. When the files have been copied, choose File > Burn Disc, and then click Burn.

To export your project, album, or video clip to iDVD:

  1. Select the item you want to export.

  2. Choose Share > “Send to iDVD.”

    Your project, album, or video clip opens in iDVD with the same name as its iPhoto name.

If you can’t burn a CD or DVD:

Make sure that:

  • Your disc drive is a compatible CD-RW (CD-rewritable) or DVD-R (recordable drive).

    All Apple internal disc drives work with iPhoto.

    If you’re using an external disc drive, make sure it has CD-burning capability. Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, click More Info, and then click Disk Burning.

  • You’re using blank CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, or DVD-RW discs. You can’t reuse or erase a CD-R or DVD-R disc that already has files on it. If a CD-RW or DVD-RW disc isn’t blank, you must erase it before you can put other files on it. From the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help, and then search for information about erasing discs.

  • Your computer or display doesn’t go to sleep while burning a disc. To keep your system from going to sleep, increase the sleep timing settings in the Energy Saver pane of System Preferences. From the Finder, choose Help > Mac Help, and then search for information about changing these settings.

  • You’re not attempting to burn a slideshow or project (such as a book, card, or calendar). Instead, try selecting an album or a set of photos in an album or in the library.

Tip:  If your burn is unsuccessful and your external drive becomes unresponsive, try resetting the drive by turning its power off and on.