Utterly confused about digital print sizes

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shell_w

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Name
Michelle
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Apologies for posting another question on here - hopefully I'll soon know enough to start helping others like those who have helped me! ;)

Anyway, I've never printed a digital picture (shameful, I know), and I'm utterly confused about suitable print sizes.

I'm using a Canon 450d, and I want to print images around 3/4 A4 size.

However, I've seen a couple of options, including 8x6 and 9x6, and I'm really confused as to which to use. I really don't want to end up with white borders or cropped images ( well, by them anyway - I want to crop them myself but that's a different issue entirely!)

Can anyone help on which to choose? I'm hoping to head to Boots or Jessops this weekend and don't want to waste my money printing the wrong size.

Sorry if I sound a bit silly/ignorant :(
 
If you're printing from the entire frame then you need a ratio of 3 : 2 - so 71/2" x 5", 9" x 6" or 15" x 10" etc are all in correct proportion.
 
I know I'm not much help to you with this problem, but it will help you in the future.
The 35mm format of an image taken on a camera has never really related to paper sizes in the real world. It is normal to crop slightly the long edge of an image.
In the future when you take a picture it helps to leave a bit of disposible nothingness at the edges.
 
the 3:2 ratio fits 6x4, 9x6, 8x12 etc

most of the frames you get are not 3:2 aspect A4 for example is 8.3x11.7 inches. images like 8x10 relate to the fact that you got 8x10 negs at the begining of photography so it was 1:1 for printing with no elargement.
 
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do you have the DPP software on your system (it comes with the camera)
As someone has said, 9x6 should be a 'natural' size for the images you have produced already, however, there might be things in the images that you don't like, so have you tried the 'trimming and angle adjustment' under the tools menu?

If you are going to mount your images, or frame them, see what frames you can get before you start, perhaps get a sheet of A4, and draw out the sizes of the frames, and see what you like.
Then under the trimming tool, put in the dimensions of the frame as the X and Y dimensions.
Draw a box around the area you want to print, if you are mounting, then you might need to consider that some of the area will disappear behind the mount usually. Click OK, and the image will be displayed at the new ratio (if it is a RAW file, you are OK here, you will not loose data, not sure about jpeg).
Once you have done the set, I would go to batch process, and enter the dimensions again (or possibly the pixel edge sizes, which would be the inch length multiplied by 300). I then create a new directory, and set the batch process to go to that new directory.
If you are doing this with JPEGS, you may wish to revert the changes to the pictures before moving out of the folder in DPP (I don't know whether trimming is destructive to JPGs).
We have taken many shots into places like Jessops/Boots in the past, and used the photo-booths. Sometimes it appears random as to what gets cropped, it isn't consistent from one shot to the next.
By pre-sizing, it should remove the requirement of the machine to crop for you. Doing it this way, you can get over 500 shots through the machines in one go before it crashes.
 
POAH said:
the 3:2 ratio fits 6x4, 9x6, 10x12 etc
Click to expand...

10x12 is NOT at a ratio of 3 : 2 - 8 x 12 is!

Why not go to a reliable pro quality lab rather than a retail shop. Recommend Loxley. If your pictures are worth printing they are worth printing well!
 
awp said:
10x12 is NOT at a ratio of 3 : 2 - 8 x 12 is!

Why not go to a reliable pro quality lab rather than a retail shop. Recommend Loxley. If your pictures are worth printing they are worth printing well!
Click to expand...


gimmie a break I've been up since 5 with an unwell baby :(
 
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