Digital Photo - new print size About This Page:

[Mouseketeer]

Has anyone ever ordered digital prints in this size - 4x5.3 - instead of 4x6? I was uploading pictures to order and was offered this option. It is supposed to fit most of the digital image on the print instead of cropping off a portion. Thoughts?

Lynda

[Colexis Mom]

Never knew that size existed : What site was it??

[Mouseketeer]

The site is Welcome to Mystic Color Lab. I haven't ordered from them before - the option for picture size came up when I went to place my order and it kind of threw me for a loop. I'm trying to decide what to do.

Lynda

[Colexis Mom]

I think my main concern would be trying to find picture frames for that size. If you're going to put them in a collage where you cut them up a bit, then you should be fine, but it sounds like they won't fit into a 4x6 frame, and you'd have to cut them for a 3.5x5 frame

[bradk]

a photo size can be anything. won't make it any more of a standard though. i get, but don't get the avoiding a cropping issue. i mean, 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 are all popular standard options, right? except they aren't in proportion to each other. so they'd require cropping going from size to size anyway.

[Mouseketeer]

I ended up placing an order for the prints. The size reminded me of proofs that you get from a photographer. I don't mind the size of the prints being a little smaller, as they are going to be used for scrapbooking. I also liked that the entire digital image was on the print. I still like the 4x6 but this was a good alternative.

Lynda

[bradk]

hmm.. well, i guess it depends on the camera.. i just took one of my shots and 4x5.3 cut off a significant portion.. turns out my camera's images are a perfect 4x6.

although, if your sig photo came from your camera and isn't cropped at all, it's not exactly 4x5.3 but it's pretty darn close.

[lbarnes]

I've also been asked this when ordering prints. My understanding is that the printing process will crop parts of your digital pictures. This happened recently when I had a great, but slightly off-center photo. It looked useable on my computer screen, but when I took it to a kiosk to print, the top portion (where the person was!) was cut-off. I'm not sure why this happens, but there must be something to what they are saying.

[bradk]

well like i said above, popular traditional photo sizes aren't in proportion to each other, so there's always some cropping that's done.

it depends on the camera. my camera is a perfect 4x6, but it's a dSLR. if I were to make a 4x6 print, it'd be the full image, but if i were to make a 5x7 print or 8x10 print, i'd have to crop something.

if you simplify 8x10, you get 4x5. so that's a whole 2 inches difference.

[RobinKay6573]

ALL cameras are different. If you want to make sure nothing is cut off on your photos you can edit them at home then send them out. No camera is a standard 4x6 or 4x5.3. I think it is just a marketing ploy to get you to by prints from them. When you take the photos you can also be careful and place the subject away from the outside edges of the print so if the photo is cropped you won't be able to tell.

[Nancyspe]

I've had the cropping thing come up when I use the kiosk at the local Wal-mart. It takes my digital image and centers the 4x6 print which, in landscape mode, crops a little off of the top as well as the bottom - can be annoying when the main focus is more on something either near the top or bottom - then if I select 5x7, it crops less and more of the image is displayed - brad's right - it depends on the print size you select vs the image size of your camera.

Usually what I do is edit each photo individually, to get the exact print I want. I've found it's easier to do it at home on the computer and then order them from either shutterfly or Wal-mart. If you don't mind waiting a few days to get them, Wal-mart's the cheapest at 12cents each print.

I think my main goal has changed to "frame" my shots better - so that I don't have to worry about the cropping as much. But that comes with practice.

[WillCAD]

Proportions vary from camera to camera, but many cameras follow the 1x1.5 proportions of 35mm film stock. That proportion equals 4x6, or 8x12; if you print an 8x10, you have to crop a little off, or if you print 3x5 you have to crop a little.

My own camera, a Canon Digital Rebel, follows that format, and so does the current Rebel XTi model (in fact, I believe that all Canon DSLRs follow that format).