Quick help with printing larger than 4x6

If I want to print a shot larger than 4x6 that was taken in 2:3 aspect ratio from my DSLR how can I go about getting the most from the pic/least amount of croping? For example, I have LR3 and when I go to the crop/aspect ratio feature and select 8x10 or 8.5x11(I think) it crops the heck out of my photo. I am prob. going to print this at Costco. I can go to a custom lab if needed. I jsut want to not have the shot croped like crazy. I know this can be done.

The image dimensions(aspect ratio) out of camera is longer / disproportionate to some print sizes. Setting the crop to the size as you have already done is going to throw away a portion of the picture you took and there is no other way around it without distorting the picture. That is why it is important that you frame your shots accordingly so that you can crop what you want to keep for printing.
Better you crop and save it the way you want rather than allowing a print shop or custom lab choose what they think you would want.

If you had CS5 there is a work around using Content Aware Fill.

On Edit: Sorry, Ignore most of what I said above unless you are printing 11x8.5 prints on a home printer. If for some reason you must print to those dimensions then you will have to crop, otherwise you shouldn't have to crop your pictures if you take them to a custom print lab.

No, it can't. The only way that it could be possible is if there is nothing on the top and/or bottom of the frame that can be cloned in, to make up for the framing changes that can happen. Other than that, there is nothing you can do.

This is one reason I try and frame a bit loosely, not knowing the final output.

idsurfer wrote in post #12369826
If I want to print a shot larger than 4x6 that was taken in 2:3 aspect ratio from my DSLR how can I go about getting the most from the pic/least amount of croping? For example, I have LR3 and when I go to the crop/aspect ratio feature and select 8x10 or 8.5x11(I think) it crops the heck out of my photo. I am prob. going to print this at Costco. I can go to a custom lab if needed. I jsut want to not have the shot croped like crazy. I know this can be done.

The proportions of the length:width are initially indicated by the crop marks, but the actual size/position is 'stretchable' by you, while the program retains the proportional relationship.

You dLSR photo is inherently 50% longer than tall, while the 8x10 is 25% longer than tall. So a crop to 8x10 print dimension (starting with what inherently is 8x12 image proportion) forces two inches to be cut off the long dimension. You get to choose which two inches get left off. An alternative is to give the lab instructions that you have an 8x12 proportion image that you want printed within the length of 8x10, and that you know and accept that the end result is 1.33" of white space along the 8" short dimension of the print.

Print an 8x12?

bohdank wrote in post #12370076
No, it can't. The only way that it could be possible is if there is nothing on the top and/or bottom of the frame that can be cloned in, to make up for the framing changes that can happen. Other than that, there is nothing you can do.

I can't tell who that is directed at. The OP or my comment?.

So, if I have a shot I like out of camera and want to print it just as it is, Ihave to keep it 4x6 or accept the crop? Boo Hoo.

René Damkot wrote in post #12370123
Print an 8x12?

Actually I thought of this. Would I have to set it as a custom aspect ratio in LR3?

tkerr wrote in post #12370128
I can't tell who that is directed at. The OP or my comment?.

OP.........

idsurfer wrote in post #12370136
So, if I have a shot I like out of camera and want to print it just as it is, Ihave to keep it 4x6 or accept the crop? Boo Hoo.

4x6, 6x9, 8x12, 10x15, 12x18, etc....

idsurfer wrote in post #12370145
Actually I thought of this. Would I have to set it as a custom aspect ratio in LR3?

You do realize that 4x6 proportion is identical to 8x12 proportion...so a crop of 8x12 actually requires no 'cropping' at all.

Wilt wrote in post #12370177
You do realize that 4x6 proportion is identical to 8x12 proportion...so a crop of 8x12 actually requires no 'cropping' at all.

Yes...Yes...Yes, I'm a bit slow this am. I have thousands of shots from over the years and haven't printed jack! So, I'm a bit new to this. I knew this was an easy one. Thanks again everyone, and no need to continue this discussion.

Am guessing that a lot of folks do not have a good handle on the truly unique proportions of prints. All prints fit within:
2:3 (e.g. 4x6, 8x12, 20x30, 24x36)
4:5 (e.g. 4x5", 8x10", 16x20")
5:6 (e.g. 20x24")
5:7 (e.g. 5x7")
8.5:11 (e.g. 8.5x11")
11:14 (e.g. 11x14")
13:19 (e.g. 13x19")
14:17 (e.g. 14x17")

Of that list, only the 8.5x11 and 13x19 is truly unique to digital photography due to the emergence of home printing on inkjet printers, all the rest of the sizes pre-existing during the days of film photography.

Thanks Wilt. ONe frustration I have is with the 4:3 ratio of the G11. I don't see this ratio in your list. I suspect in order to get a shot printed without croping you would have to print at 6x8, 7.5x10, or 9x12. How the heck do you get these sizes or how do you work around the funky 4:3 ratio?

idsurfer wrote in post #12370397
Thanks Wilt. ONe frustration I have is with the 4:3 ratio of the G11. I don't see this ratio in your list. I suspect in order to get a shot printed without croping you would have to print at 6x8, 7.5x10, or 9x10. How the heck do you get these sizes or how do you work around the funky 4:3 ratio?

Oh, yeah...that format ! A departure from the classic proportions of film and standard paper sizes historically in the USA. Actually very close to 4:5 it amounts to only 0.64" crop of the 4/3 photo to make an 8x10. Not much of a departure from the classic proportion. It is not unlike the 645 film format being somewhat variable, like 42.5x55mm (or 1.29:1) Bronica ETR, or 43x55mm (or 1.28:1) in Mamiya 645 or 41.5x56mm (or 1.35:1) in Pentax 645, the capture proportions are close to classic 4:5 proportion but not exactly conforming.