question on photo sizing
Oct 18, 2014 13:03:39 #
Any suggestions will be appreciated. When I upload my RAW photos into photoshop CS6 I can choose the sizing. I usually set the size to 4x6 which then leads to 8x12, 12x18, all 2x3 format. I sometimes have prints made at Walgreens (I know, not exactly great quality) but I use it to look for imperfections prior to sending to a pro lab. If I change the size to 8x10, they just crop the photo. I thought they would shrink the photo to fit. So, to the essence of my question. Which sizing should I use? I would like to be able to print off photos that are small and into the larger sizes, 20x30 or larger. Thank you all in advance for your help.
Oct 18, 2014 16:22:22 #
The 3:2 ratio gives you 4x6, 8x12, 12x18 and 20x30 without any cropping.
You can crop your photo ahead of time to 8x10 so you'll be able to choose what is cropped. When you take an SD card or flash drive to the machines at places like Walmart, you can do the cropping as you go through the steps to order.
Have you asked Walgreens if they have a shrink to fit option?
You can crop your photo ahead of time to 8x10 so you'll be able to choose what is cropped. When you take an SD card or flash drive to the machines at places like Walmart, you can do the cropping as you go through the steps to order.
Have you asked Walgreens if they have a shrink to fit option?
Oct 18, 2014 16:43:05 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
The 3:2 ratio gives you 4x6, 8x12, 12x18 and 20x30 without any cropping.
You can crop your photo ahead of time to 8x10 so you'll be able to choose what is cropped. When you take an SD card or flash drive to the machines at places like Walmart, you can do the cropping as you go through the steps to order.
Have you asked Walgreens if they have a shrink to fit option?
You can crop your photo ahead of time to 8x10 so you'll be able to choose what is cropped. When you take an SD card or flash drive to the machines at places like Walmart, you can do the cropping as you go through the steps to order.
Have you asked Walgreens if they have a shrink to fit option?
No, I haven't. I send the digital file to them. I didn't realize that they just do a random crop until I picked up some photos that were done in 2x3 but printed in 8x10. So, the question is, which sizing format is better.
Oct 18, 2014 16:56:00 #
manderson wrote:
No, I haven't. I send the digital file to them. I didn't realize that they just do a random crop until I picked up some photos that were done in 2x3 but printed in 8x10. So, the question is, which sizing format is better.
Maybe I'm not understanding your question. If I know I want an 8x10 print, I crop that way in my editor before sending to the printer. Maybe explain what you mean by "better" :)
Oct 19, 2014 01:02:50 #
I edit my photos and save them in 2x3 sizing format. I print some larger ones for me, 20x30. If someone else wants one but they want an 8x10 vs 8x12, then something gets cropped out. If it's left up to the printing company, it is a random crop, which means the subject may get cut off or moved from a central placing to a placing too close to the edge and really ruins the photo. If I edit my photos cropped to 8x10, that doesn't match a 5x7, 20x30 etc. By better, I mean is there a preferred sizing format that is best. Finding a frame for an 8x12 is a lot harder than an 8x10. An example, I took a picture of an F22 jet, edited in 2x3 ratio sizing. Printed an 8x10 and the tail of the jet got cut off, in essence, ruining the photo. I assumed that the photo would be shrunk to an 8x10 but keep all aspects of the photo the same. I guess I should use the term "ratio" instead of "sizing".
Oct 19, 2014 05:42:18 #
2:3 is too wide to suit me. I like 3:4. Forget Walgreens, print at home with Epson and save money and time.
Oct 19, 2014 08:07:53 #
Kevin R. Roberts wrote:
2:3 is too wide to suit me. I like 3:4. Forget Walgreens, print at home with Epson and save money and time.
Save money? Really?
Are you figuring in the costs for ink and paper?
On the rare occasions when I need a print I let Sam's Club do the printing. I login to their site and upload the images and order the sizes I want. In each case where cropping is needed I have the opportunity to choose how it is to be done. I happens that last week I requested three prints - 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6. The three of them cost $.96 plus tax.
Oct 19, 2014 08:25:58 #
Bottom line is anything that is not a multiple of your cameras 2x3 ratio, will be cropped. If you don't do it up front, the printer will. I only allow customers to buy 8x10 of certain photos, ones I have pre-cropped. This is one reason for online proofing.
You need to learn to leave some room for cropping when shooting. And don't let the printer do the cropping. Even if they do it manually, or let a customer do it as most labs do. They don't know what you were trying to capture, or convey.
You need to learn to leave some room for cropping when shooting. And don't let the printer do the cropping. Even if they do it manually, or let a customer do it as most labs do. They don't know what you were trying to capture, or convey.
Oct 19, 2014 08:49:48 #
manderson wrote:
I would like to be able to print off photos that are small and into the larger sizes, 20x30 or larger. Thank you all in advance for your help.
I think you will lose quality trying to upsize an image.
Keep your original images, and make a copy of the image, to the specific size you want to print.
Program like Lightroom is great for this, it does not change your original image.
You can crop to your needed size, then export as new image, before sending to photo lab.
Oct 19, 2014 09:29:00 #
manderson wrote:
Any suggestions will be appreciated. When I upload... (show quote)
When you're making the original 4x6, in order to retain ALL the image when blown-up, you will have an 8x12 image. To order an 8x10 from the 4x6, you will lose two inches somewhere in the process.
Oct 19, 2014 09:51:06 #
If it often happens that someone will want an 8x10, then the suggestion to leave room in your composition for different cropping is probably the best. So basically, you end up sending two versions of the same shot to the printer, one for your 20x30 and one that you crop to 8x10 before having printed.
One other suggestion is to incease the canvas size in pp, if you have the software. In Photoshop Elements, I can have an 8x10 outside dimensions while my image itself remains 3:2 ratio. If placed in 8x10 frame, then of course there will be white space (or other color, your choice), top and bottom.
One other suggestion is to incease the canvas size in pp, if you have the software. In Photoshop Elements, I can have an 8x10 outside dimensions while my image itself remains 3:2 ratio. If placed in 8x10 frame, then of course there will be white space (or other color, your choice), top and bottom.
Oct 19, 2014 09:58:11 #
You can't shrink an 8X12 photo to 8X10 and still keep all aspects of the photo. You will lose 2 inches somewhere. If you did manage to shrink it the photo would be compressed by 2 inches and the subjects would look weird. Try it yourself if you use post processing. Use image resizing. Uncheck 'constrain proportions' and type in 8 wide and 10 long. The results will show what happens if you shrink a photo without keeping the proportions consistent.
Oct 19, 2014 10:25:47 #
My camera's native aspect ratio is 4:3.
If I want prints at a different ratio (1:1, 2:3, 5:7, 16:9, etc), I crop the photo to that aspect ratio, then add white strips on the long or short sides of the photos before sending them off to the lab, to make them the ratio they need to be to print at the size I want.
An easy way to do this: I have blank files of the common print sizes (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc.) all at 300ppi.
After I've finished PP'ing a photo, I just drag and drop the photo to the size file I want to have it printed.
Or, if the photo allows enough space on top and/or bottom, or left and/or right side, I'll crop it to the correct aspect ratio, without using the blank file.
If this sounds confusing, I can post a couple of sample images later today.
If I want prints at a different ratio (1:1, 2:3, 5:7, 16:9, etc), I crop the photo to that aspect ratio, then add white strips on the long or short sides of the photos before sending them off to the lab, to make them the ratio they need to be to print at the size I want.
An easy way to do this: I have blank files of the common print sizes (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc.) all at 300ppi.
After I've finished PP'ing a photo, I just drag and drop the photo to the size file I want to have it printed.
Or, if the photo allows enough space on top and/or bottom, or left and/or right side, I'll crop it to the correct aspect ratio, without using the blank file.
If this sounds confusing, I can post a couple of sample images later today.
Oct 19, 2014 12:12:23 #
romanticf16
Loc: Commerce Twp, MI
manderson wrote:
Any suggestions will be appreciated. When I upload... (show quote)
If you "shrink the photo to fit" you introduce distortion, that is why they won't do it. Back in the"film era" people learned to leave 1/8" on each side of the 35mm image as a crop for the 8x10 proportion when composing- the rule still works if you remember to use it
Oct 19, 2014 14:07:17 #
Yooper 2 wrote:
You can't shrink an 8X12 photo to 8X10 and still keep all aspects of the photo. You will lose 2 inches somewhere. If you did manage to shrink it the photo would be compressed by 2 inches and the subjects would look weird. Try it yourself if you use post processing. Use image resizing. Uncheck 'constrain proportions' and type in 8 wide and 10 long. The results will show what happens if you shrink a photo without keeping the proportions consistent.
Agree with yooper. I just finished up some photos, three of them were to be printed in three different sizes. I cropped the orig three times into the separate sizes naming them as such, sent them to the printer and was very happy with the results.
Long ago I didn't pay attention to that and got some interesting results. Now if I want an 8x10, I crop, save and have it printed as 8x10.
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