DO NOT read this if you can't promise not to laugh-print size question

hairy_moth wrote in post #10139339
Most of the photo editing tools that I have used have a crop feature that allows you to choose the aspect ratio of the crop (e.g., 8x10, 5x7). If you use this, it will guarantee that your resulting image is in the right shape. Use that feature so that you can choose the crop, not the printer's computer.

Sounds like this is the answer to my question about sizing it in Photoshop, right? But, using this method, every time you get a print order you'd have to open PS, do this to the original, save it, then upload that image to the printer? That's not a real problem for me right now, considering the bleakly small amount of printing I've had to do thus far, but what about when I (not IF I!) get busier? I guess when filling a print order, I could just see which images were not acceptable using the original, and resize just those...

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #10139503
Sounds like this is the answer to my question about sizing it in Photoshop, right? But, using this method, every time you get a print order you'd have to open PS, do this to the original, save it, then upload that image to the printer? That's not a real problem for me right now, considering the bleakly small amount of printing I've had to do thus far, but what about when I (not IF I!) get busier? I guess when filling a print order, I could just see which images were not acceptable using the original, and resize just those...

Sure, something like that -- if you get a request for a specific size, then you have to do that bit of work. Otherwise, you could look at saving versions with two or three different aspect ratios and pick the one with the least cropping needed...

sevillafox wrote in post #10139302
You shoot to leave a little room for cropping.

+1 (x a bazillion) Alyways leave some extra room on the long axis, as thats the one that gets chopped for different crops.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10139851
+1 (x a bazillion) Alyways leave some extra room on the long axis, as thats the one that gets chopped for different crops.

It would be interesting to know if the printers have a standard algorithm for cropping off the ends of pictures when the original is too long. For example, do they center it and crop equal amounts from both sides, or do they crop the bottom for portrait and the right for landscape?

I would guess they center it. Knowing this might avoid the problem all together if you were able to compose your shots with this in mind.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10139851
+1 (x a bazillion) Alyways leave some extra room on the long axis, as thats the one that gets chopped for different crops.

Ok I understand the reasoning behind this, but what if the extra room just doesn't have the same "oomph" as a crop (done by me) does? Does that make sense? I can see how much better an image looks cropped, and that's what I want the client to see, but how to do this & keep the extra room for cropping to a size they might later want? Seems like I am over thinking this...

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #10140165
Ok I understand the reasoning behind this, but what if the extra room just doesn't have the same "oomph" as a crop (done by me) does? Does that make sense? I can see how much better an image looks cropped, and that's what I want the client to see, but how to do this & keep the extra room for cropping to a size they might later want? Seems like I am over thinking this...

Shoot wide, display cropped. But if you shoot tight to improve your display ommph and they want an 8x10 and you have to cut off feet or heads then you lose. You want it to be easy, but you have to make choices. The other option is to only offer prints in the 2x3 ratio, 4x6, 5x7, 8x12, etc. But that makes the customer pay more for framing on the larger sizes as you cant get precut mats and frames for the odd sizes.

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #10140165
Ok I understand the reasoning behind this, but what if the extra room just doesn't have the same "oomph" as a crop (done by me) does? Does that make sense? I can see how much better an image looks cropped, and that's what I want the client to see, but how to do this & keep the extra room for cropping to a size they might later want? Seems like I am over thinking this...

At this point, yeah, you probably have all the info you need, and just need to sort it out on an as-needed basis. You make the "tough" decisions!

For people using a 7D, shooting in RAW and not using DPP as their RAW processor, I suggest setting the camera's aspect ratio to be 4:5. This makes no difference to the resulting image but it adds a pair of blue bars in LiveView and when chimping that show where the image would be cut off to do an 8x10 print. 8x10 seems to be the most common print format and doing this really helps when composing the shots out in the field.

krb wrote in post #10140252
For people using a 7D, shooting in RAW and not using DPP as their RAW processor, I suggest setting the camera's aspect ratio to be 4:5. This makes no difference to the resulting image but it adds a pair of blue bars in LiveView and when chimping that show where the image would be cut off to do an 8x10 print. 8x10 seems to be the most common print format and doing this really helps when composing the shots out in the field.

Does the 5D MKII have this feature also? The 7D is actually my husband's. I rarely use it.

Don't have a 5D so I don't know.

On the 7D this value is set in "C.Fn IV:Operation/Others Add aspect ratio information" so that may be a good place to start looking.

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #10140597
Does the 5D MKII have this feature also? The 7D is actually my husband's. I rarely use it.

If it doesnt, get a bit of masking tape and make your own on the review screen. But honestly it shouldnt be that hard to just imagine your own cropping guide. Open an image in photoshop, use the crop tool set to 8x10, or 10x8 and apply it, notice how much you lose. It becomes second nature.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10140655
Open an image in photoshop, use the crop tool set to 8x10, or 10x8 and apply it, notice how much you lose. It becomes second nature.

Exactly. It doesn't take long to get used to.

D Thompson wrote in post #10140733
Exactly. It doesn't take long to get used to.

Here is a quick visual. As you can see, as long as you print a 4x6, 8x12, or 12x18 you don't have to crop. For an 8x10 you lose a little off the bottom. The difference from a 8x10 to a 5x7 is a little off the sides.

Hope this helps a little.

My only quibble with your diagram is the 5x7 line doesnt have to be so small a portion of the frame

Dennis, your grahic gives somewhat of an off perspective on the 5x7 as far as the aspect ratio part of things -- the proportions of the 5x7 are much closer to the 2:3 than the 4:5 proportions are.

gonzogolf wrote in post #10140743
My only quibble with your diagram is the 5x7 line doesnt have to be so small a portion of the frame

tonylong wrote in post #10140753
Dennis, your grahic gives somewhat of an off perspective on the 5x7 as far as the aspect ratio part of things -- the proportions of the 5x7 are much closer to the 2:3 than the 4:5 proportions are.

Back to the drawing board later tonight . Yeah, looking at it I realized I set the 5x7 from the 8x10 crop instead of the full.