Digital Print Sizes

[Bluebooty]

First Post here so looking for some good advice. I have a Nikon D80 and when I print out using my Canon MP640 it always appear that I do not get what I see in Photoshop as being printed exactly onto my regular size print media. I use A4 and 7"x5" Photo paper but I get some cropping of some of the pictures I take?? What is the correct size of paper to use so that I get all that I see on the screen to appear on the print??

Many thanks.
Bluebooty.

[AndrewKulin]

The software you are using (such as Photoshop, Elements, Lightroom, etc.) will allow you to size your photograph to fit the paper (File/Print) - you may have to open up a sub-tab/window from the main print screen to see a print preview and to select how the print will be sized on the paper. Should take a couple of minutes navigating around to get it set up.

[Cathus]

you need to print at the same ratio as your sensor, if your camera produces images in a ratio 3 x 2, then only paper of that ratio will fit the whole image on it without borders, e.g 6 x4 12 x 8,

If you are using paper that is not this ratio then you will either need to crop the image to the paper ratio or print it smaller on the paper & have a border

[OldBoy]

Not sure you are correct Cathus, as when printing most printers will add a border otherwise, printer ink will be all over the printer. To get full coverage on a A4 sheet you need to use A4 plus size. In the commerical world we printed two A4 pictures on A3+ paper, then cut to A4 size. Some printers claim to offer boardless prints, but in my experience they always had a slight border.

[cosmicma]

iv'e allways used corel draw when it comes to putting photos to print but any DTP package will do the same
the reason i use a DTP package is so i can see exactly what size and where on the page the image will be printed

in corel draw there is a facility that allows you to place an image inside a container or box whichever you want to call it
i can draw a 7 x 5 box ( the dimentions are up to you ) place an image into the box and then i can reduce or move the image to show exactly what i want printed within the box once iv'e finished whatever is outside the box is automaticly hidden

i can do this for multiple images and the shape can be anything ( heart , oval etc.. ) and place them on the page exactly where i want them

because DTP packages are a WYSIWYG type interface i find it the easiest way to print what i want where i want

[Cathus]

Old Boy,

I didn't actually mean what you read (or what I said) when I said without borders what I meant was at the same ratio as the paper, if it's not the same ratio as the paper you will either crop the photo or get unequal borders.

The problem being the OP gets cropped photos on 7x5 or A4 photos simply because they are not the same ratio as his/her image. The answer to their question 'what's the correct size of paper to use?' is the actual size of the paper doesn't matter as long as the ratio is the same as the image e.g 6x4, 8x12, 15x10 (on a 3x2 ratio)

(Perhaps I was spoiled into slapdash explanation because all the Epson printers I've had can print a full image on a full page without borders - without A4 plus , you just tick the relevant print box, and they don't have a slight border)

[OldBoy]

Well, to be honest I'm referring to DTP software like QuarkExpress, which stretch the image to fill the box. If you think of widescreen TV's, which stretch the picture to fill the screen, which can make people look fat. On a photo it's not really noticeable, as there are more pixels than on a television screen. As the latest versions of Photoshop include DTP ability then, it should do this without a problem. Problems can arise if you don't make your printer aware of this, as in the process rasterization it can default back to the ratios, as you suggest.