Cropping versus Print size

Bassman

Not sure if this is the best place for this question but I am having a hard time finding info on sizes that images need to be to print in certain sizes.

I have quite a few images that look good with a healthy or interesting crop to them, (mainly wildlife to zoom in) but when trying to print certain sizes I guess being cropped in certain dimensions doesn't let them print right.
Not sure if there is basic image dimensions you need to stick to for each size print when cropping? Maybe there is a certain ratio for all images that can be achieved with a quick calculation?


For instance I took a picture of a blue jay and when I crop the way I like it and go to print, it chops the head off. ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Bassman

Well I found something.

I haven't been able to use it to print something yet, but I did go through the process and seen the preview before print, and they fit at the sizes given by this calculator.


http://www.camerahacker.com/Techniques/Print_Crop_Tool/Java.shtml

pathfinder

Print cropping revolves around aspect ratios - as your link shows 4x5, 8x10, 16 x20 are all really the same crops as far as aspect ratios go, whereas 2x3, 10x15 and 16x24 are a different set of aspect ratios from 4x6.

Then there is also actual pixel counts along the two dimensions of the print - the actual pixel dimensions should match the final aspect ratio if you want your image to fit the paper precisely. 2000x 3000 or 4000 x 6000 being the equivalent of 2x3 or a standard 35mm format 24x36. Frequently I print these 10x15 inches or 18 x 24 inches.

It gets even more confusing, because most prints are not printed to bleed off precisely at the edges.

For me the easiest answer is to match the aspect ratio of your image to the final desired print, and let the lab do the final image sizing within limits. Some pros shoot with a little larger free areas of the print to allow different print formats to fit different aspect ratios also.

The cropping tool in Phototshop allows one to crop to a specific aspect ratio, or a specific pixel amount - it is good to understand the differences and why one might choose one or the other in your image processing. If you do not discriminate between the two, you might end up with an image 2 x 3 pixels ( not aspect ratio ) which is pretty useless....