Cropping / Printing

[frownsarefun]

If you aren`t quite sure whether you want an 8x10, 10x20 or something monumentally bigger - say for an art exhibit - how do you know what aspect ration to keep or how ig/small you can crop without disrupting that balance?

Is it better to keep the ratio as `original?`

Having never had a print made before, I am a bit in the dark - so to speak.

Can someone walk me thru the start to finish once I have an image imported and ready to crop?

[JFSanders]

Well, to be honest there have been books written on this subject. But for general starters you have your cameras native resolution. This will determine the practical limit to the size of your print. You should always save the original image as a back up and resize a copy to the resolution required by the printer to give the best image print at the size required.

Jim

[OsmosisStudios]

If you have a dSLR made by anyone except Olympus, then you have a 2:3 native size; you can therefore make prints in the following sizes without cropping

2x3
4x6
6x9
8x12
10x15
12x18
16x24
20x30
24x36
etc.

These are standard sizes (though not necessarily the most common ones). For any other standard size, you'll need to crop.

[lunathea]

Alright I just discovered this today while figuring out some printing options for some portraits I took the other day. Apparently I'm moronic because it's just flying over my head. So say I take a picture and end up cropping in to fit a 8x10, will that crop then work for 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc? I feel like an idiot and perhaps I'm over thinking it.

[Doug Sundseth]

The short answer is "No, not really".

An 8x10 print is a different shape than a 5x7 print. (Etc.)

[lunathea]

Then how does one decide what to size the images so whoever prints them has options?

For instance I took some shots of my best friend's two year old (which, btw Doug thanks so much for the 4/6ft advice, worked like a charm he almost never stopped running but I got some nice crisp shots in the half second pauses lol), do I just dictate what sizes certains one's should be based on how I crop them?

I guess what I'm asking is, what do you do lol?

Sorry if I'm being a pain.

[Mike367]

The question here is one of aspect ratio, that is, the short side measurement divided by the long side measurement. As has been stated, most cameras have a 2/3 aspect ratio.
4x6, 4/6=2/3
8x12, 8/12=2/3
16x24, 16/24=2/3

Etc.

8x10, 8/10=4/5, a different aspect ratio. There are 2 options. You can crop the photo to a 4/5 aspect ratio, or you can print a 6.6in. x 10in. image on 8x10 paper, leaving lots of white on the 2 narrow sides. I order prints online from Adorama, and have the option to specify if I want it cropped, and how I want it cropped when I place the order.


If someone else is going to order prints, I give them a cropped copy in the appropriate aspect ratio. This allows me to specify what to crop out.

If you don't specify, most printers will automatically crop the image dead center, which may not be what you want.

[gturner]

It also depends where the image is going to end up. If it is for a specific frame or album, then plan accordingly.

It may be that the image is fantastic at 8x10... then you need to find a frame or place that works.

Never leave it to the lab to crop. I group my prints in folders based on the crop ration. IE. All 5x7 in one folder, all 8x10 in another. All enlargements in another. That way there is zero confusion.

[Doug Sundseth]

I do separate crops for different aspect ratios.

In Lightroom, and I think Aperture, you can make virtual copies and edit them differently. I first do my general editing, then make a virtual copy for each crop size, then export.

[lunathea]

Thank you very much for all the responses, I appreciate it. I'm going to have to start keeping cropping in the back of my mind when I snap now. I have a tendency to get too close and then have nothing to work with later, gonna be a little bit of a challenge to get out of that habit