ratios in printing

[fralexis]

I am sure something is addressed in this forum about my question. I find it frustrating to shoot something I am pleased with only to find that when preparing to print I have a ration that doesn't permit standard print sizes. Cropping doesn't work because the shot is framed just right for a full size sensor at the standard camera ration. Are there good explanations and charts about the proper ratios and how to plan for this sort of problem? Thanks!

[waffles]

You have three options. Either fake it by putting a border around the image, get some mats cut so that your image shows how you want it inside a frame, or print at non-standard sizes. Perfect Posters is one place that will do that last one, and I've used them with good results.

[dcclark]

You're right: most SLRs take photos in 2:3 ratio, which prints correctly on 4x6, 6x9, 8x12, etc. sized prints (incidentally, these ARE standard sizes, but perhaps not the most common sizes). My main advice would be: why not print at these sizes?

But, if you really want to print 5x7, 8x10, etc., then the trick is to learn to compose with cropping in mind. This actually isn't too hard. For example, to shoot with an 8x10 crop in mind, leave about 1/6 of the end of the frame empty. This is the space that will be cropped, and you'll have plenty of room to crop it correctly if you leave that space.

[Doug Pardee]

This is one of the remaining big annoyances of photography (digital and otherwise), and you'd think that somebody would be addressing it. But I haven't seen any sign that they are.

You just have to learn not to fill the frame. The usual print sizes (in the US) are:

• 4x6 (1.67)
• 5x7 (1.40)
• 8x10 (1.25)

Each of which is more square than the previous one.

There are two standard sensor aspect ratios in use:

• 4x3 (1.33) on digicams and Olympus and Panasonic DSLRs
• 3x2 (1.67) on DSLRs other than Olympus and Panasonic

In addition to all that, if you're getting borderless prints (which most people do) you're going to lose some of the image on all edges because the image is printed slightly larger than the paper to be sure to reach the edges.

Then if you mount the photo into a frame, the mat will cover a bit more of the edges.

[corry]

this is interesting, i never really understood the issue, i have had photos come back with edges cut off but now i see why.....so if you get them printed with a border (say at 4x6) do you not have any cropping occur?

I've also tried to print right from photoshop after cropping something (to a fixed aspect like 4x6) and it says the same, cropping will occur or outside the printing area....

[waffles]

The printer will crop, but if you know how the printer will crop you can in theory set up the corder so that the crop only takes off the border.

[dcclark]

Some printers (home or professional) will crop the images. Others will allow you to print the whole image, but with ugly white borders on the sides that didn't "fill up" the print. Neither choice is particularly good -- the best, in my opinion, is to compose with cropping in mind (if you want to crop at all) and then crop it yourself.