Cropping

**kat** · 03-30-2009, 11:20 AM

Getting the final touches on my images for a friend and of course, all are at that 4x6 size (well actually it's 10x16 but I think you know what I mean). I can crop most to look good at a 5x7 and not to many at 8x10.

So now I'm thinking, you know how Walmart and places give you those packages that are all those different sizes, how do they do that without cropping everything? Just take a bigger image and crop from that for every size?

How do I go about that? I've noticed that between the 4x6 to 8x10 there is a BIG difference, what do you do?

Sorry if there is a thread out there like this, I just couldn't find it with a "crop/crop sizes" search.

**Marko** · 03-30-2009, 12:17 PM

Not sure if I understand correcly...but if i do....

If you need to 'force' an image into a standard size but don't want to artificially increase the file size because it will lose sharpness...just save the image from the raw file as close to the standard size as possible and put a border around it...

did I misunderstand?

**JAS_Photo** · 03-30-2009, 12:29 PM

As far as I know the 8 X 10 sizes originated from the 4 X 5 and 120 roll film size enlargements. The natural enlargement size of 35mm film is 8 X 12 which the digital cameras use as well. It is possible to buy ready made frames and mats to fit the 8 X 12 format but they are not common. Yeah, it's quite annoying when you go to print a photo yourself at home and a portion gets cut off and you do not even have control of positioning where it gets cropped. I guess the only way to avoid that is to do your own 8 X 10 crop before printing. When I print from my lightroom I can add a border like Marko says and make it slightly smaller but still in proportion to the original size. Lol, I have been playing around printing a lot of stuff lately.

**kat** · 03-30-2009, 12:57 PM

I'm slightly confused. If I have a 10x16 (8x12 or 4x6) what size should I shrink it down to to get to a good fit for 8x10 and get a boarder?

Think it's time to save for a printer..I can't print things without a daytrip.

When you shrink things down, like from 8x12 to 7x11, just to say, wouldn't it alter the photo?

I am absolutley confused here...!

**kat** · 03-30-2009, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by marko

Not sure if I understand correcly...but if i do....

If you need to 'force' an image into a standard size but don't want to artificially increase the file size because it will lose sharpness...just save the image from the raw file as close to the standard size as possible and put a border around it...

did I misunderstand?

I'm actually I guess cropping down. From what I understand my images come out at 10x14 inches which is a 4x6 scale so I don't need to crop them for those.

It's getting to the 5x10 without croping and losing half a face where I'm confused. Is there a way to get a 10x14inches image to a 8x10inches without losing any of the photo or making it altered too much from shrinking? (if that even happens..lol)

Does that make sense?

**JAS_Photo** · 03-30-2009, 01:45 PM

The photos can not be compressed to 8 X 10 without altering the proportion, which would look weird or cropping which causes a loss of two inches of the natural proportion. So the best compromise to fit within the 8 X 10 parameter is to reduce the size to the nearest correct proportion and to leave a border, for instance 6 X 9 and leaving a border all around. I think that is what Marko is saying.