Image sizing for a dummy ...

[larry w]

That dummy would, evidently, be me.

 

Ok, so here's my problem (besides being a dummy). For some reason my wife and

I think our photographs will sell and we do have a store front/outlet (two of

them in fact, on opposite sides of the country), which we think would be a

great place to test the waters.

 

After doing a bunch of reading about all the various pieces of this puzzle,

and after spending a pretty decent chunk of change to convert to digital ...

From capture to print ... And a lot of time figuring out a decent workflow and

developing mad Photoshop skillz (heh) ... We've decided to sell prints in a

couple different ways.

 

Framed and Unframed ... heh ... See? Dummy I tell you. No DUH, framed and

unframed ... heh

 

What I mean is that we want to sell custom framed prints and unframed, but

prematted (to standard size) prints. Prematted to standard sizes so people

can just go get themselves a standard sized frame and stick the prematted

print in it ... No fuss no muss.

 

Here's my problem. For the unframed, but prematted standard size prints, I

don't understand how to go about sizing the prints.

 

I mean a 5x7 print can be matted to 8x10, which is a standard frame size ...

And for example a 13x19 can be matted to an 18x24 ...

 

BUT .... The same image can't be printed at both 5x7 and 13x19. It has to be

either cropped or stretched somehow because 5x7 doesn't scale to 13x19. In

fact I can't figure out how prints scale at all (remembering I'm trying to

stay at standard FRAME sizes). For the custom framed photographs we're going

to make and sell, this isn't an issue.

 

But we'd like to offer three different sizes for each image ... Something like

an 8x10, 11x14, and 18x24 (which would be prints of 5x7, either 8x10 or

8.5x11, and 13x19) ... But I don't see how the image can remain the same for

three different standard frame sizes. Meaning I could have the same image for

the 5x7 and 8x10 print (though the matting on the 8x10 print, to make it an

11x14 frame wouldn't be the same scaling as the 5x7 to make it an 8x10), but

would have to have a seperate image altogether for the 13x19 print size. Not

to mention I like the idea of printing at 8.5x11 for the 11x14 frame size.

 

I'm thinking the solution involves a photo trimmer (like a paper cutter, Kodak

makes one for like $200ish) and wasting paper (not covering the entire 13x19

sheet) ... But to be honest, I'd rather not waste paper. Yet I simply can't

figure out how the image can remain the same at three different standard frame

sizes ...

 

So ... Can someone help a dummy out here?

[Jochen_S]

If I get you right you're planning to inkjet on apropriate paper. I didn't grow up with American inkjet paper sizes; their German counterparts have a side length ratio of 1 to sqrt of 2, which allows printing either 1, 2 or 4 pictures of the same side ratio on one sheet and cutting them out later, to glue them on a apropriate sized mat. I don't know if your printer is capable of rimless printing, if not, you'll need the phototrimmer anyhow.

[alan_olander1664878205]

The 5 x7 image is close to the same ratio as the 13 x 19, as is the 8 x 10 and the 8.5 x 11, but none are exactly the same. In other words, you can't make all the images the same. You will have to crop the image either in PS, with a trimmer, or the matt edge. The only way to have the image be the same is to print with a border that will show inside the matt.

[dave_powell2]

Hi Larry,

 

To add to Alan's response, this very problem is why I often frame subjects in the viewfinder with a little extra background space around the main subject. That way, I can usually crop in to different "aspect ratios" without too much trouble. Still, this issue gives one a lot of practice with resizing and cropping...and perhaps resizing and cropping again!

 

Sincerely,

 

Dave

[ronald_moravec1]

First off, make three files from your psd. Label them xxxpic.5x7.psd, and so on for one of each size.

 

Next crop each to the size you desire. If important data will be lost because length -width ratios are different, use image-free transform to squish or expand the length or width as necessary.

 

You can`t get away with this on a fashion shoot `cause you don`t want a short fat model, but on a lot of scenics it will not show.

[larry w]

Thanks for the replies guys ...

 

I was pretty sure that the only way to do this was to have a file for each size, which I currently have set up ... Basically I have a folder for each size and after I finish with an image I resize it and save it in each folder ... That way I can quickly get to and print what I need.

 

I just kinda found the whole process to be fairly inefficient and was hoping there was an easier solution that I was somehow just missing.

 

As for printing, I do print on appropriate sized paper, meaning I print 5x7s on 5x7s and 8.5x11 on 8.5x11 ... I was just kinda not wanting to scale up a 5x7 to 10x14, print it on a 13x19 and then trim. Just seems to defeat the purpose of have nice big 13x19 prints to say nothing of being wasteful.

 

It also just seems to me that when all these "Standard" sizes were figured out a million years ago ...

 

They'd have done a little math before settling on the final sizes ;-)

 

Dang artists ... Math is your friend :-)

 

Thanks again guys ... Sorry for being such a dummy.

[b_hall1]

If you don't print full-frame images on the standard size paper then you must be a mini-lab...and composition is by luck.

 

For instance 35mm is 24x36 or an aspect ratio of 0.6667 .

 

On 5x7 paper that's 6.5" on the long side and 6.5 * 0.6667 or 4.33" on the short side. The long side has 1/4" borders and the short side has 0.335" borders...

 

On 8x10 paper that's 9.5" on the long side and 9.5 * 0.6667 or 6.33" on the short side. The long side has 1/4" borders and the short side has 0.835" borders...

 

The same image is on both paper sizes and now just custom cut mats...

[larry w]

B Hall ... Thanks for that.

 

I am a full frame kinda guy. I either have 35mm negatives and slides or my 5D.

 

Last night I was messing with print sizes and settled on 7.75x10.25 centered on 8.5x11 paper, which will be matted to an 11x14 standard frame size. That gives .375 inch overlap on each side for matting.

 

I decided that I'll always scale the image up or down, then crop to get the size necessary ... And I guess I'll use that same .75 inch less than the paper size (or .375 inch per side) border to allow for matting.

 

This must all be really basic stuff ... And I really do appreciate the input ... But being that up until very recently the most I ever worried about printing images was who to take the film to and what size prints I wanted for which images, I never really understood the process.

 

It's one of those things I never bothered to think about ...