Question on size to print photos . . . help please :)

[Kathy O]

I have a question for those of you who print your photos. What are the most common sizes of photos that you print or people request you to print. I always thought a framed 11x14 with a mat was nice size but I am finding that size does not work with a lot of my landscape photos (it crops to much off the sides). Please share your ideas and opinions with me.
Thank you in advance smile

Kathy

[Shadowman]

I print as large as 36x24, what I'd take into consideration is framed or mounted photo. With the framed photo consider your borders of the frame and how much it will obscure the edges of your photo; with the mounted photo it's all a matter of getting what you want on the page. On my mft camera I have the composition set to 16:9 ratio but I can alter during the RAW conversion, with my DSLR I'm composing the shot at 6:4 and I'm usually trying to fill the frame, but sometimes I have a lot of extra space around my subject.

[Davidgypsy]

Hi Kathy, I usually go up one size to 18x12 for landscape photos. Main reason being that I normally crop the height and this format prints well and also doesn't result in too big a presentation when framed. I find the 18x12 is good for panoramic work as well.

Cheers, David

[Kathy O]

I print as large as 36x24, what I'd take into consideration is framed or mounted photo. With the framed photo consider your borders of the frame and how much it will obscure the edges of your photo; with the mounted photo it's all a matter of getting what you want on the page. On my mft camera I have the composition set to 16:9 ratio but I can alter during the RAW conversion, with my DSLR I'm composing the shot at 6:4 and I'm usually trying to fill the frame, but sometimes I have a lot of extra space around my subject.

Please bear with me, I don't always understand things and don't always know how to explain. For example lets say I would like to frame this photo with a mat, I like the crop, I believe it is shot at 6:4 which I think would allow me to print an 8x12, a couple of problems I have with this is I would like it a little bigger (such as a 11x14) but then it changes the crop, if I use the 8x12 I have to custom cut a mat and I do not have the resources to do that at this time. Any suggestions of a size that would work for this crop that is larger than an 8x12, and easy to find a mat for? I hope this makes sense. Thank you for your help.

[Shadowman]

Please bear with me, I don't always understand things and don't always know how to explain. For example lets say I would like to frame this photo with a mat, I like the crop, I believe it is shot at 6:4 which I think would allow me to print an 8x12, a couple of problems I have with this is I would like it a little bigger (such as a 11x14) but then it changes the crop, if I use the 8x12 I have to custom cut a mat and I do not have the resources to do that at this time. Any suggestions of a size that would work for this crop that is larger than an 8x12, and easy to find a mat for? I hope this makes sense. Thank you for your help.

Kathy,

You can resize this particular shot to 11" x 16.5" , A3 print paper is 11.7"x16.5", you are going to have to lose a bit off the length or print on A3 paper and trim excess. You could also resize to 9.33"x14". Another option would be to add more canvas area around your photo.



I used Elements crop tool to resize the image to 11.7" x 14.463".

[Mike Buckley]

My solution is very simple: make the frame and matting, if used, fit the photo, not vise versa. It's all about the image, not the frame. If the frame has to be a custom size, so be it. If I don't want to spend the money or time custom making a frame when the only size that works is a custom size, I don't frame it.

Some printers, such as mpix.com, will make a frame with or without a mat that will fit any print size that they make.

[Kathy O]

Kathy,

You can resize this particular shot to 11" x 16.5" , A3 print paper is 11.7"x16.5", you are going to have to lose a bit off the length or print on A3 paper and trim excess. You could also resize to 9.33"x14". Another option would be to add more canvas area around your photo.



I used Elements crop tool to resize the image to 11.7" x 14.463".

When you talk about resizing it, did you resize it so that there is white around the outside? If so do you or anyone else know how I could do this in lightroom?

[Manfred M]

Kathy - I tend to photograph all my images so that I have space to trim off the ends to a printable format. I tend to print my own and generally stick to standard paper sizes, most commonly 17" x 22". If I shoot a off-standard image, I will trim the image on a paper cutter to size.

[Shadowman]

When you talk about resizing it, did you resize it so that there is white around the outside? If so do you or anyone else know how I could do this in lightroom?

in Elements, I selected the crop tool, placed a crop outline within the borders, dragged the edges to the outside of the actual composition and accepted the change. In Lightroom, you can use the Print Module and create a custom layout.

[Kathy O]

Kathy - I tend to photograph all my images so that I have space to trim off the ends to a printable format. I tend to print my own and generally stick to standard paper sizes, most commonly 17" x 22". If I shoot a off-standard image, I will trim the image on a paper cutter to size.

Definately something I need to keep in mind when I am shooting . . . still learning Thank you for your help

[Kathy O]

in Elements, I selected the crop tool, placed a crop outline within the borders, dragged the edges to the outside of the actual composition and accepted the change. In Lightroom, you can use the Print Module and create a custom layout.

Thank you so much for all of your help

[DanK]

Kathy,

Since you are in Nebraska, I'll put this in inches.

My solution is very simple: make the frame and matting, if used, fit the photo, not vise versa.

I mostly agree with Mike about this. I compose images however I think they will look good. I don't worry about aspect ratios at that point. I do when I start editing them.

You can buy frames that have pre-cut mats. For example, I use a lot of the Nielsen Bainbridge photo frames, http://www.dickblick.com/products/ni...-photo-frames/, particularly when I print 8 x 10. The 11 x 14 comes with an 8-ply white acid free mat cut to accommodate an 8 x 10 print, and they sell a 16 x 20 with a mat cut to 11 x 14.

I find that with a lot of my photos, these aspect ratios are close enough. For example, I drop an 8 x 10 crop on the image in Lightroom. If that looks OK, I will often stick with a pre-cut mat. If that aspect ration just won't do, I cut the mat. When I first started, I had a neighborhood framer cut mats for me, but I finally bit the bullet and bought a Logan mat cutter so that I can do them myself.

There is another option, which is to buy a custom frame in pieces. I have done this with American Frame, http://www.americanframe.com/. You specify the art size, the size of the border you want, the type of mat you want, and the type of frame, and they ship you the pieces. The only drawback is that no one I have found is willing to ship glass larger than 16 x 20, and I don't believe American Frame ships glass at all. They use acryllic, including UV-protective acryllic. I was skeptical, but I have one hanging in my house, and it looks fine.

As for size: most of the prints I give away are 8 x 10, in an 11 x 14 frame. I print myself up to 13 x 19.

[rpcrowe]

I have a mat cutter which allows me to cut just about any size mat from a blank mat board. That way I am not constrained to a standard size print *although I will most often use a standard size blank mat board to cut my mats from. That way, I an select a standard size frame rather than needing a custom frame. I will pick up frames occasionally when a local shop has them on sale or if I spot a nice frame at a rummage sale...

It took me a while to learn to use the mat cutter and I ruined quite a few boards in the attempt. I still cut single mats because I am not at the skill lever in which I can confidently cut double ot triple mats...

Possible solution to other than standard size prints is to mount the borderless print onto a plain (or colored) board. I don't have a mounting press but will use rubber cement...

[Saorsa]

I too seldom print to common sizes.

The issue of printing a non-standard aspect ratio image on a standard sized piece of paper is resolved by whatever your editting software considers 'canvas size'. Canvas size is the term used by FastStone and it creates a border around your image similar to a mat.

Once that is determined, you can decide where to place the image on the 'canvas'.

As another point to this, you can choose the color of the 'canvas' when printing. A friend of mine enters prints into competitions. These are always unmatted and stuck to posterboard. While he usually makes his own prints he has found that commercial printers base their prices on the size of the print and not the color. He uses them when he wants a monocolor mat effect on a non-standard aspect ratio image. He decided this was the way to go after one panorama used most of a cartridge of black ink for two prints.

Once you've made the print, it's easy to make the measurements to cut a mat.

[Shadowman]

I have a mat cutter which allows me to cut just about any size mat from a blank mat board. That way I am not constrained to a standard size print *although I will most often use a standard size blank mat board to cut my mats from. That way, I an select a standard size frame rather than needing a custom frame. I will pick up frames occasionally when a local shop has them on sale or if I spot a nice frame at a rummage sale...

It took me a while to learn to use the mat cutter and I ruined quite a few boards in the attempt. I still cut single mats because I am not at the skill lever in which I can confidently cut double ot triple mats...

Possible solution to other than standard size prints is to mount the borderless print onto a plain (or colored) board. I don't have a mounting press but will use rubber cement...

Have you tried spray adhesive? I'm sure the longevity of the adhesion won't last as long as rubber cement, but sometimes the works we exhibit at home is short lived.