Print sizes and why they change..

Help me please. I have a print that needs to be ready for a friend by Wednesday. I have posted the image I need printed. This is straight out the camera. I adjusted color, (skys blown.) and added text. This is the way it needs to be printed in a 8x10 format. I dont print often, but i normally upload to Walgreens web site when I do print, as its often needed quickly and I havent tried other mail order printers. But my dilemma is the walgreens site cuts off the edges when I choose 8x10 format..what do I do to keep this all in the frame at 8x10? I have DPP and zoombrowser..GIMP also, but still a rookie at it. This is a FLICKR image link..

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8x10 is 4:5 shape, which your image is not. Therefore, something has to be cropped. It's basic mathematics, but don't worry, it catches a lot of people out.

Cropping and printing - the 8x10 problem

Might clone in some extra sky to get the aspect ratio you need.

MrAl wrote in post #11441544
Might clone in some extra sky to get the aspect ratio you need.

I would add (not clone) extra sky, color it, and put in clouds using cloud brushes. This is 8x10 aspect ratio. (For print, you obviously need to do this with the full-size image.)

Printing FAQ.

I'd change the ugly font too, and i'd right align the text. Remember prints can be trimmed or framed so don't put it too close to the side.

tim wrote in post #11441720
Printing FAQ.

I'd change the ugly font too, ...

Instead of the flowery script, maybe something closer to the Caterpillar logo on the building. Looks pretty close to Impact.

kjonnnn wrote in post #11441774
To print the full frame dimensions that come out of the camera, you'll need to print an 8x12. If you want an 8x10, you'll have to reduce the size of the image and get space around the sides, like a frame.

Out of you camera, the image is 3 by 4 ratio. Thats means that to have prints that dont get cut off, you need to print them as 4x6, 8x12, 12x14, 15x20 or 18x24s. Any other sizes will HAVE to have something cut, if you dont want a border.

Just a bit of a correction: Canon DSLRs all have a 2:3 aspect ratio, so yes to 4x6 and 8x12 without cropping, no to 12x14, 15x20 or 12x14. So, for example, a 12x18 can be printed without cropping, but that 12x14 would be pretty severe -- worse than an 8x10!

Now, just to broaden things a bit, there is a generation of DSLRs put out now by a few makers with sensors in the 4:3 format so, say, a 12x16 would print without cropping. Also, many if not most "compact digicams" are in the 4:3 format. I have a lot of 12x16 prints made from Point&Shoot as well as "advanced superzoom" cameras.

Some compact cameras also do 16:9.

Peano wrote in post #11441665
I would add (not clone) extra sky, color it, and put in clouds using cloud brushes. This is 8x10 aspect ratio. (For print, you obviously need to do this with the full-size image.)

Wow..cool effect. What would happen if I right clicked this, saved it and tried to get it to print 8x10?

Michael_B wrote in post #11443066
Wow..cool effect. What would happen if I right clicked this, saved it and tried to get it to print 8x10?

Given that this is scaled for the web I doubt you would get a very good looking image. I don't have GIMP but am assuming that it would be as easy to add the sky as it would in Photoshop. Given that your sky area is totally blank it is very easy to select and add clouds to it. I keep a folder of sky shots just for something like this.

I always do the cropping and sizing to exact measurements before I send to a lab. This leaves no question as to what they will crop off when you send it to them. Using the image that you posted it does not lend itself to 8x10 without losing part of the building. What I would do is extend your canvas upwards and add in more sky. Alternately you could do the crop as shown below and move your text in. When adding the sky you would want to choose sky colors that are relatively close to those that are in the windows.

The building is out of line due to the lens distortion. I would skew the image slightly to make your vertical lines in the building more vertical. It is not off by much but it is noticeable to me (I didn't apply this to the example).

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If you want to make sure the entire image is printed you can always "overcrop," then trim off the excess from the physical print.

Here's how to do it if you have Photoshop or Elements:

Select the crop tool and set it to the desired format (8x10, for example). Next, use the tool to draw a crop box on the image -- doesn't matter where or how large. Now, drag a corner of the crop box outside the image. Then enlarge the crop box to take in the entire image and overlap into the space outside the image. Finally, click the OK/Accept check mark. You have now "cropped" your image to include extra "canvas" outside the original image. When you have the image printed you should get your entire picture plus the extra while space, which can be trimmed off if desired.

Note that you can't (at least in Elements) draw the initial crop box to extend outside the image. You have to draw it within the image borders first, then drag it outside.

I'm attaching an example of this using your image, which I have also corrected for perspective.

By the way, you can also use this to add space for a caption below or above the image (instead of on the image) and/or to add a fancy border (perhaps using a gradient or double gradient color-keyed to the image, or to create a pseudo-mat effect.

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Michael_B wrote in post #11443066
Wow..cool effect. What would happen if I right clicked this, saved it and tried to get it to print 8x10?

Might work. The resolution is about 102 ppi. Most print labs want 150 ppi minimum and prefer up to 300 ppi. But it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

A better approach would be to fix the original, and while you're at it, correct the perspective distortion of the building. See how the sides are leaning in? That should be fixed along with the sky.

That's not all distortion, i had the camera at knee height to give a sense of size and grandeour. The edits look good thanks all..

Michael_B wrote in post #11443699
That's not all distortion, i had the camera at knee height to give a sense of size and grandeour.

It's distortion. Holding the camera low is what caused it. It's a judgment call whether to correct it or leave it. I'd be inclined to straighten it, since there's not much size and grandeur to a two-story building.