P_Elting wrote in post #16430099
There might be an easy way to figure it out but I just use trial and error. I just sketch it out on paper and figure out the image size after I decide how much of a border I want and how much space between the pics I want. So for example, your canvas is 10 x 30. Let's say you want a 1/2" border around the whole thing and maybe a 1/2" in between the images. So your left with 4 images that are 6-7/8 wide by 9 tall. Maybe I'm over complicating it but it only takes a minute to work the math out. Or you could just equally space 4 - 5 x 7 images across the print.
This is pretty close to what I do. I use Photoshop's rulers and guides pretty often, too, especially for more complex layouts.
Some print styles will need a "trim" or "bleed" area - be careful of this when you're doing your layout. What this means, is that you design your image a little bit too big (often around 1/8" too big on every edge) with the knowledge that a little bit will be cut off from the edges at the time of printing. This ensures that your printed colors will go right up to the edge of the print medium without any slivers of unprinted white.
However! it makes it difficult (or impossible) to get clean, even borders around the edges of the print. Maybe they request a 1/8" bleed but in actual printing they happen to take off 1/16" from one edge, and 3/16" from the other edge - that means that if you designed borders as part of your print, they'll end up being a little uneven.
To fix this, just design a little "loose" - don't use borders, and make sure no important parts (heads, hands, text) are right up against the edges of your layout.
Additionally, some print styles such as canvas wraps will have some extra design and layout needs. When you wrap canvas around a wood frame, there's some visible canvas on the sides of the finished product. What do you want to be there? Plain white or black? Parts of your original image? A stretched extension, or a mirror image, of the edge of your original image? The printing company/person will be able to help you figure this out.
It can get complex, but not unnecessarily so. We'll be happy to help you figure out all the terminology and pixel dimensions and stuff.