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Photography Question 

Keri E. Pinney
 

Why are printed images coming out so cropped?


I'm just learning to do some post-shoot processing and I enjoy being able to crop my images. However, I'm noticing that when I print cropped images, they are coming out much more cropped than I what I have done (e.g. cutting off part of a face, etc.). Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can prevent it? Is this just a function of printing digital images or is it my processor?

Also, should the image I'm seeing on my PC be the same image I will receive when it's printed? If not, is there a way to preview what the printed image will look like using Photoshop Elements? I just purchased this program but have yet to start using it.


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February 21, 2007

 

Sharon Day
  Keri, that happens because of the proportion of your photos not matching up with the size of the photo paper and printing process at the lab or with your printer. What I do is size (or crop) a photo to the size I want before printing them. If I'm wanting a 4x6" print I make them that way first so I know it will come out the way I want it. There's probably easier ways, but I don't know what they are. I'm sure someone here will know. I would imagine PSE has a print preview. Look under File.


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February 21, 2007

 

Michael A. Bielat
  That seems like the case...

Your camera is probably shooting at something like 8x12" prints. That means you will need to leave enough room when shooting to crop your subject into a 8x10 format.

Prints work in a ratio of each other so for example...

4x6" > 8x12" > etc...
5x7" > 8x10" > 11x14" > 16x20" > etc...


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March 01, 2007

 

W.
  It's an excellent demonstration of how difficult it is to get a round peg into a square hole.....


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March 01, 2007

 

Denyse Clark
  Hi Keri-
I found the same problem when I switched to digital... my pro store told me it's something specific to digital, they actually project the image when they print it, and it ends up a tiny bit larger (like 2% or something).

All I do to compenstate is just don't crop in so tight! Leave like an extra 1/2" clearance when you crop, knowing that the processing will bring it in a little. This way no faces, heads, etc get cut off.

As far as ratio, michael is right. If your image is scaled for a 4x6, going to 8x10 will chop off 2" of the image! Gotta get 8x12, or when you crop in elements, specifically select the size of 8x10. That's a different issue than what I mentioned above tho.


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March 01, 2007

 
- Gregory LaGrange

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  She said she's doing the cropping before hand and she's doing the printing. Or at least she made it seem like she's doing the printing. If so, are you trying to print border less?


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March 01, 2007

 

Keri E. Pinney
  Thanks everyone...I'm actually not doing my own printing, but I am cropping most of my images before getting them printed.

Okay, so is it best to crop to a specific print size (e.g. 8x10) before I get prints or just leave the 1/2" margin on all sides? If I crop to a specific print size (e.g. 8x10), will the image still be enlarged a bit when it's printed or can I expect it to look just like the image I cropped?


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March 01, 2007

 

Denyse Clark
  "If I crop to a specific print size (e.g. 8x10), will the image still be enlarged a bit when it's printed "

YES it will be. That's why I said they are really 2 different issues...

ALL printing from digital will enlarge slightly in the print. (i'm not an expert, it's just what I understand from what the pro lab told me.... if i'm wrong, someone feel free to jump in)

On a whole separate issue- 8x10 size does not translate properly from the ratio you shoot at. (e.g. you can't take a 4x6 print and get a 8x10 version of it without losing 2" of the photo.)In that case you either have to get an 8x12 (clients hate this because it doesn't fit any frames they have) or specifically crop an image for 8x10 size. REGARDLESS you have to account for the 2% (or whatever it is) that it will enlarge in printing.

I had MANY re-prints done and many hours of re-editing images before I figured this out because I often like a very tight composition! :-)


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March 01, 2007

 

Keri E. Pinney
  Thank you so much for your feedback Denyse. I also tend to take really tight shots, so this is vital information for me when shooting and cropping after the fact. Looks like I'll be doing some re-editing as well - ugh...


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March 01, 2007

 
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