Cropping for print

GadgetRick

Ok, I knew I'd run into this sooner or later but my MMA photos have been getting a little popular with the fighters, sponsors and schools. My problem is, most of them want 8x10s and my crops aren't really for 8x10s. How do you all crop for specific photo sizes like 8x10, 12x18, etc.?

Thanks.

ziggy53

Assuming that the image "will" crop properly to another aspect ratio, the Cropping tool in Photoshop does a nice job. If I'm in a hurry and ultimate quality is not an issue, then Picassa and FastStone have a nice cropping ability too.

If you are wanting to "adapt" a given image into a different aspect picture frame then you might consider adding a digital matte to the image. A museum matte looks nice if you want to add a caption.

GadgetRick

ziggy53 wrote: »

Assuming that the image "will" crop properly to another aspect ratio, the Cropping tool in Photoshop does a nice job. If I'm in a hurry and ultimate quality is not an issue, then Picassa and FastStone have a nice cropping ability too.

If you are wanting to "adapt" a given image into a different aspect picture frame then you might consider adding a digital matte to the image. A museum matte looks nice if you want to add a caption.

Well, the situation is this, my MMA photos are cropped heavily at times anyway so I can control the cropping for print. I do 99% of my work in LR because it's just faster than bringing it into PS and creating the huge files to work on. So I'm wondering if there's an easy way to crop (properly) in LR. If not, I can bring photos into PS, just takes a lot longer.

Basically, I'm looking for the technique on how to do this. Of course, I know how to crop, just don't know how to crop for a specific print size.

Digital mattes are also a good idea, hadn't thought of that. I'll have to search for some templates/examples.

Thanks.

GadgetRick

Here's an example:



Customer wanted to buy a 12x18 of this one. Obviously, it won't print properly at 12x18. I talked him into a 12x12 which prints fine. But, let's say the customer wouldn't change the size they wanted--not to mention I make a little less on the 12x12 but that's not a huge deal. What then? How would I print this one as an 8x10 without having borders on the print?

Art Scott

I do all of my cropping in PS...thru the image button...it is slower but it is the best ai have found....I usuall crop mine to 4x5 aspect---8x10" at 300dpi (depending on camera used...sometimes it is 300-400dpi that gets me as near 8x10 as possible)...making sure the only box at the bottom of the dialogue box checked is the constrain proportions...after cropping I take them in GF for final uprezing and then back to PS for sharpening.......I also work with copies that way my files say native..........have not tried cropping in LR3

GadgetRick

Art Scott wrote: »

I do all of my cropping in PS...thru the image button...it is slower but it is the best ai have found....I usuall crop mine to 4x5 aspect---8x10" at 300dpi (depending on camera used...sometimes it is 300-400dpi that gets me as near 8x10 as possible)...making sure the only box at the bottom of the dialogue box checked is the constrain proportions...after cropping I take them in GF for final uprezing and then back to PS for sharpening.......I also work with copies that way my files say native..........have not tried cropping in LR3

Hmm, I'm hoping this isn't the only good solution. I'm working with an older iMac and it can take quite some time to export into PS.

run_kmc

GadgetRick wrote: »

Well, the situation is this, my MMA photos are cropped heavily at times anyway so I can control the cropping for print. I do 99% of my work in LR because it's just faster than bringing it into PS and creating the huge files to work on. So I'm wondering if there's an easy way to crop (properly) in LR. If not, I can bring photos into PS, just takes a lot longer.

Basically, I'm looking for the technique on how to do this. Of course, I know how to crop, just don't know how to crop for a specific print size.

Digital mattes are also a good idea, hadn't thought of that. I'll have to search for some templates/examples.

Thanks.

Lightroom's cropping tool is super simple. I'm not at my computer at the moment, but I'm 99% sure there is an option in the cropping tool to set an aspect ratio. Want an 8x10? Enter "8" and "10" and Lightroom will only let you crop for the exact dimensions of an 8x10.

GadgetRick

run_kmc wrote: »

Lightroom's cropping tool is super simple. I'm not at my computer at the moment, but I'm 99% sure there is an option in the cropping tool to set an aspect ratio. Want an 8x10? Enter "8" and "10" and Lightroom will only let you crop for the exact dimensions of an 8x10.

I'll have to play with it some more and try and find it.

GadgetRick

run_kmc wrote: »

Lightroom's cropping tool is super simple. I'm not at my computer at the moment, but I'm 99% sure there is an option in the cropping tool to set an aspect ratio. Want an 8x10? Enter "8" and "10" and Lightroom will only let you crop for the exact dimensions of an 8x10.

:::slapping hand on forehead:::

Duh! It's right there! If it were a snake it would have bitten me! Sorry to bother you all.

And thanks.

Art Scott

run_kmc wrote: »

Lightroom's cropping tool is super simple. I'm not at my computer at the moment, but I'm 99% sure there is an option in the cropping tool to set an aspect ratio. Want an 8x10? Enter "8" and "10" and Lightroom will only let you crop for the exact dimensions of an 8x10.

The only problem here is it is not just cropping but it is interpolating the aspect ratio......at least this is the case for PS and I presume LR also.......that is why I do it the way I do .....so there is no interpolating going on.............the only software I allow to interpolate is GF..........

adbsgicom

Art Scott wrote: »

The only problem here is it is not just cropping but it is interpolating the aspect ratio......at least this is the case for PS and I presume LR also.......that is why I do it the way I do .....so there is no interpolating going on.............the only software I allow to interpolate is GF..........

No, LR doesn't interpolate, it just crops. So if you have an image that is 600x400 and you want to crop to 5x4 or 8x10, you end up with a 500x400 image. Now, if you want to change the total number of pixels at output, you can specify that you want to upsize during export (which I haven't tried out). Or you can specify the number of dpi when you print. Or you can take the image into GF and resize there.

Main thing is that in the crop tool, you don't do any interpolation.

BradfordBenn

Also make sure you lock the ratio in LR, it works great. I use it quite a bit also with Virtual Copies in LR I can have different ratios for different prints. I also keep this page bookmarked to give me easy quick reference to options on ratios.

GadgetRick

BradfordBenn wrote: »

Also make sure you lock the ratio in LR, it works great. I use it quite a bit also with Virtual Copies in LR I can have different ratios for different prints. I also keep this page <http://www.smugmug.com/help/print-quality&gt; bookmarked to give me easy quick reference to options on ratios.

Thanks. Hadn't seen this page before!