Setting Aspect Ratios in 350D

Benedictine wrote in post #16413398
I really find this confusing as basically I can not tell whether or not all of the photograph will be printed that I order! This has happened to me quite often and I wish there was some way of knowing before ordering prints. The latest example was a group photo where the people on both left and right were completely cut off although as far as could see there was no reason for them to be. I have now had to order a larger print than I wanted—comes expensive when ordering 8 copies!

Think about the ratio (aka the proportions) of the two sides of your standard image out of the camera. If you want to get a print you either need to specify those rather unusual sizes or you will need to crop the image in post processing. Your solution of ordering larger prints then trimming them top and bottom is one answer to the problem.

Lowner wrote in post #16418030
Think about the ratio (aka the proportions) of the two sides of your standard image out of the camera. If you want to get a print you either need to specify those rather unusual sizes or you will need to crop the image in post processing. Your solution of ordering larger prints then trimming them top and bottom is one answer to the problem.

Ordering larger prints doesn't solve the issue if the print shop doesn't allow the user to specify that the print must not be cropped.

He might just get a larger print spanning the full height of the larger paper but with the sides of the photo losy.

pwm2 wrote in post #16418036
Ordering larger prints doesn't solve the issue if the print shop doesn't allow the user to specify that the print must not be cropped.

He might just get a larger print spanning the full height of the larger paper but with the sides of the photo losy.

The answer is as always, talk to the printer, explain what's wanted.

Lowner wrote in post #16418238
The answer is as always, talk to the printer, explain what's wanted.

Already covered.
https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=16413455&po​stcount=15

I'm on the opposite spectrum. I try to crop for viewing on my HDTV so usually 16x9 ratio if possible

BigAl007 wrote in post #16417482
As you are in the UK I recommend DS Colour Labs. The 16"×12" prints that I have had from them have been great, and only £1.10 each! need to do a few though as if you want next day delivery it's £9.00! Normal, post is only £4.50 so not quite so bad. Here is a link to their FAQ page dealing with cropping and your options.

Alan

Another recommendation for DSCL from me. They are the main printers for most of the camera club members I know (and I am in 3 camera clubs). The prints are excellent quality, suitable for competition entries, and very economically priced.

I usually order around 10-12 prints at a time, 15"x10", and that works out at around £14 - £15 an order (90p a print plus postage).

Alan, you don't need to pay £9,00 for next day delivery (unless it is vitally important). I always pay the basic £4.50 and have always had the prints the next day anyway, so long as I uploaded my order before 1.00

Benedictine wrote in post #16413354
Thanks for this. So am I right in saying that what I ought to do is when shooting, for example, a group photography to allow plenty of extra space either side of the group? Sorry if this is a bit dumb but I do not want to make the same mistake again.

EXACTLY!
Unfortunately you never know if someone wants to order any specific shot as ...
4x6", which is 2:3 aspect ratio (1:1.5), or
5x7", which is 5:7 aspect ratio (1:1.4), or
8x10, which is 4:5 aspect ratio (1:1.25), or
11x14", which is 11:14 aspect ratio (1:1.27), or
13x19", whieh is 13:19 aspect ratio (1:1.46)

...or some combination of all of the above sizes, for various purposes like giving away to grandma as a wall portrait and to great grandma as a framed shot for her bookshelf. So simply maximize the number of pixels in both directions, to permit you to crop any specific shot to a specific aspect ratio at the time you create a JPG file -- to send to a printer for ONE specific aspect ratio print, while providing a different JPG file for a different aspect ratio print -- so as to eliminate the unpredictability of how the printer would crop a shot to make it fit the paper size!

Most commercial printers 'stretch' one direction of the image and crop off the other direction of the image, so as to not have any white space on the final print. If you do NOT want that, you have to give specific instructions to the printer to fit one direction without cropping off the other direction. I had to do precisely that when ordering a very large print from MPix many years ago, because they originally cropped off the long direction of the image in order to fill the short direction on the print...called them up to tell them they did it wrong the first time, and I did not mind the white space and that I would trim the final print so the entire image is preserved!