Hi,

I've not ventured in here before and forgive me if this maybe a 'computer related forum' question.

BUT, everytime I take digital photo's to be developed, they always come back 'cropped'.

i.e. they take a bit off the top AND the bottom.

They suggested to my wife (as she does all the dirty work) ;) that 'we should crop them first.

Is there an easy way do do this ?

I envisage a template that I hover over the picture (Template = 7 x 5 in my case) and it cuts the picture where i want it and makes a file from that ...?

Could anyone have a go at explaining an easy way ?

Possibly

ps I use a Ricoh Caplio R3

MANY thanks in advance, coz some of (what I would call 'good pics' ) are often spoilt by them cropping top/bottom........

Aarrrgghhh

Thanks in advance

(edited to change which camera I use )

Which is top and which is bottom - long side or short side? Maybe having 6x4in prints would suit the format ratio of your camera better?

But unless your camera has an identical format ratio (short side : long side) then the image is going to have to be cropped somewhere if you want to fill the whole print.

For the optimum result, you can do this with simple (probably free) software. Somebody else will advise you on that better than I can.

Good luck,

Richard.

Hi m8 - everywhere you go you cause problems ;) :D thought there would be some safety in the Photographic Forum ;)

As Richard mentioned it may be that you are better off requesting a different size of print that better fits the ratio of the pictures from your camera.

If you want to email me a pic from your camera (not one of the dodgy ones ! ;)) I'll have a look and offer some suggestions.

Let me know if you haven't got my email - I'll PM you if necessary

Gareth

I thought by putting 'Digital Expertise required' would have kept.............. nah I won't go there......

Need all the help I can get.......

Thanks Gareth..... Pm'd !!

Presumably the camera is taken pictures in a Ratio other than 6x4 or 7x5.... :(


Phil

ps... I just found a 3:2 mode that keeps it at its MAX resolution of 5 mega Pix

3:2 is exactly 6 x 4in ;)

Many places will do a 6x4.5 inch to match the 4:3 ratio of many point and shoot cameras, what model is yours?

Ricoh Caplio R3

the Picture/Qulity sizes are as follows:

F2592(5M)
N2592(5M)
F3:2 (5M)
F2048(3M)
and then smaller

Phil, you have PM

For info -
A photograph needs to be printed in the same ratio as the original file to avoid losing anything, or cropped to fit the ratio.

Eg 35mm film is 36x24mm (3:2 ratio) so a 6x4 print will show exactly whats on the original frame, but a 7x5 or 10x8 inch print isn't in that 3:2 ratio, hence you lose some of the image, or crop the original pic which effectively cuts the original file

Without knowing what size/ratio files your camera is producing, I can't advise what size prints will work.

Drop me a file and I'll take a look m8

G

If you've got a 3:2 ratio setting then thats equivalent to 35mm format so 6x4 or 9x6 prints will be fine

If it is 4:3 ratio then 8x6 inch prints will be perfect

Phil - You have PM and email

For info - the files were 36x27inch at 72dpi on the standard setting and 36x24inch/72dpi on the 3:2 :)

Aarrgggghhhh

Thanks for the replies......:luxhello:

Just so i can get this 'straight ish' in my head.....

If I use the 3:2 setting on my camera, this will be 'better' for printing at 6x4 or 8x6 ( and potentially better or at least less cropping) on a 7 x 5 ??


The original photo's that I was taking were in a 4:3 format, hence the amount of 'cropping' required ?

Is there any benefit in using the 4:3 format ?

I suppose if it is for 'non printing' or if I wish to print myself.......(digital storage)

For printing on the High Street, then the 3:2 is the better format?......... or make sure I allow an edge around the subject 'for when it gets cropped' at the high street printers.....

Cheers:thumb:

Phil

Phil,
Your camera std res is 4:3 so ideal for 6x4.5 or 8x6
(photobox do 6x4.5 as std)

If you shoot in 3:2, best for printing at 6x4 or 9x6 (maybe a bit big for snaps)

For high street printing (as well as online) it all depends on the sizes offered.

I would be shooting 4:3 and getting 6x4.5 and then crop manually to 3:2 if I wanted a bigger 9x6 or 12x8.

OK thanks........

You know what the next question is then............. and I've wonder this for a LONG time.....

How to resize a picture (sucessfully) and to the size you want it......

.... and what software........... Easy to use software 'Please'

Many thanks for all your patience:notworthy

Phil

I've tried before and get myself in a tangle............ it distorts the whole lot......

Leggy, have you got this straight yet ;) :D

The easiest answer for you is to just keep important bits of the picture away from the edges - not a bad dea in any case - then if they get cropped off, it doesn't matter.

The most common small print size is 6x4in (or 150x100mm) - a 3:2 ratio. So if you can set your camera to that, the job's a good un. 6x4in is pretty much universal and although you can get different sizes (as Hank indicates) you might have trouble squeezing these into a 'standard' album.

Re-sizing a picture is a different question. It means altering the image's resolution to suit certain media - like resizing to 72ppi for internet/on-screen use. You need much higher quality on hard-copy prints - like 300ppi.

I can hear the penny about to drop... :) :D

Best,

Richard.

For what you're doing, don;t ever re-size, only crop to the ratio you need, the more info in the file, the better the results.

If you want a REALLY easy 3:2 crop tool, get OfotoNow from http://www.kodakgallery.com/UploadChoices.jsp?

This lets you drag a box and you can see instantly what your getting.
It's designed for prepping photos for upload to Kodak but you can use it just for this. It also has a setting for 5:4 and with your camera doing 4:3, your covered!

There are more adjustable things out there but this is the easiest I've found

Penny >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Drop



Sorry for using 'resizing' I meant crop....... :iamwithst

(Obviously there IS a difference)

I'm not up on the terms the pros use !! ;)

Thats Exactly the type of software I'm after:thumb:

Thanks for all your Patience !

Just had a play with the software.......

you'll be impressed.... sussed it in 30 secs or so.......

Whhhhooooooo wwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!

Cheers guys

Cool.

Cropping is a kind of resizing obviously but us camera geeks are pretty pedantic!

Excellent bit about it here:
http://giveyoujoy.net/dancing/archives/001094.html

Cool.

us camera geeks are pretty pedantic!


being new in here I was waiting on someone to admit it.......

and I Knew Gareth wouldn't... ;)

Thanks

I don't know what it means - is it something to do with feet ?

I don't know what it means - is it something to do with feet ?

I didn't realise you were 'that old'

It's now 'metric'

mm's
Cm's
Metre's
Km's


;)