How to provide an 8x10 with a 3:2 aspect ratio?

<p>I'm currently including a few prints in my base wedding price. I give the bride the option to choose which sizes she wants, up to an 8x10. How do you provide an 8x10 (16x20, etc) if something major has to be cropped out? Do you simply put a white border on each side? Do you shoot wide and compose later? I don't like the idea of those options, but I can't see any way around this.</p>

<p>There is no way around it, unless you offer 8x12" rather than 8x10". The aspect ratio is fixed.<br>

Personally, I shoot wide, and loose, in order to allow for cropping.</p>

<p>+1 Alex DC. Don't offer 8x10, offer 8x12. Too many headaches.</p>

<p>Just tell them that the important parts of the image demand a 2x3 aspect ratio, and than they're either looking at an 8x12, or they'll just need to cut a mat window that favors a slightly less-than-8x10 image on an 8x10 piece of paper. It's one or the other, and no big deal. <br /><br />If they want to be able to drop the image into an off-the-shelf 8x10 frame, then something has to give. If the image will be ruined by copping, then they need to go to an 11x14 frame, and you just print your 2:3 image on an 11x14 piece of paper. The margins can work out very close to being even. Like this:</p><div></div>

<p>I just assume that people are most familiar with an 8x10, and would rather have that. Probably for ease of framing something themselves. I guess I could offer an 8x12 as a solution. I do explain the aspect ratio to people in the beginning, and I even have visual aids. They probably tune it out though. :)</p>

<p>Thanks for your input everyone!</p>

<p>Try:</p>

<p>Content Aware Scale</p>

<p>It's in PS.</p>

<p>Or when you make the photo allow enough room so as it can be cropped into an 8/10, 11/14 and so on.<br>

Hope this helps you.</p>

 

If they don't get the aspect ratio, instead offer something a bit cheesy like their names in nice font on the sides so you

can have content added to the short sides, or just do bars on either side in a complimentary color, like black or eye

dropper some color from the shot like the wedding color. 8x12 frames aren't nearly as available as 8x10s.

<blockquote>

<p>Don't offer 8x10, offer 8x12. Too many headaches.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Don't like headaches? Just wait to the client complains about the 8x12 not fitting in to the common sized frames.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I just assume that people are most <strong>familiar with an 8x10</strong>, and would rather have that. Probably for ease of framing something themselves. I guess I could offer an 8x12 as a solution<strong>. I do explain the aspect ratio </strong>to people in the beginning, and I even have visual aids. <strong>They probably tune it out though.</strong> :)</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Yes. The Clients are generally not interested in the technical stuff.<br>

Shoot wide and accommodate the customer’s requirements: stated; implied and assumed.</p>

<p>OR </p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>“I give the bride the option to choose which sizes she wants, up to an 8x10”</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Offer a very precise and very defined product, only.</p>

<p>The point is, if you are offering a 8 x 10, in you package: then <strong>you really do</strong> have to shoot to accommodate that request, should it be demanded of you.</p>

<p>WW </p>

<p>One final option that hasn't been outright mentioned, but has been skirted around, is to print the image as an 8x12 and then frame and mat the image yourself in an 11x14 frame. Any arts and crafts store will have 11x14 frames in a variety of colors and designs. Something simple and elegant, (3/4" -1" frame in black or ash), with a white (or white with black core; or double mat white outer/black inner) should only run you about $15-$25. Consider it a learned lesson and next time shoot loose so you can crop to 8x10.</p>

<p>RS</p>

<p>I think the best approach is to compromise quality and shoot 8x10. I once worked in a photofinishing lab. A customer came in and wanted an 8x10 print from his negative. I made an 8x10 with tight crop but it did cut into important part of the pic. So the customer wasn't happy so I made an 8x12 and he wasn't happy because he can't frame it. So I made a 6.5x10 and he wasn't happy because it has white border on the 2 sides or if I cut them off it's too small for his frame. I tried to explain the problem with his negative (it's his shot not mine any way) but he would never understand why I can't make an 8x10 that include everything in the negative.<br>

Because I was doing everything I could to please him, he did become a very good customer of the lab but he never could understand why I couldn't make that 8x10.<br>

So simply leave room that you can crop. You don't use all the valuable pixels available but well sometimes clients won't understand the problem.</p>

<p>Great advice everyone. I'll consider the suggestions. Thanks!</p>

<p>Why are you limiting yourself to 3:2 ratio? Most of your photos will need cropping. I try to crop my photos to 5:4 because it usually make better compositions. Not always, sometimes square is better, sometimes something like 3:2 does work. I do not want to start an argument, but 3:2 in portrait orientation to me rarely looks that great. Landscape orientation, yes, wide can be great.</p>

<p>If you insist on 3:2 because you are fantastic at getting the perfect original framing every time, or are too lazy to crop, then you will need to add a white area using the canvas size tab in PS. OR, a<em><strong> very few </strong></em>number of printing vendors allow the photo to fit into the print area with no cropping which adds the white area for you automatically.</p>