what is the true dimension?

Six Bees

I probably should know how to find this information on the web, and here...but in all my efforts to search leads me no closer to an answer. I want to know what the "true dimension" of a 4x6 is. I make my invitations/cards etc in Photoshop and when I make them I often put a border on it....so if I set my canvas as 4x6 and then print it....it obviously doesn't come out like I made it. I can't believe I had never thought about this before, and why it took so long for me to figure out "why" it was happening. I had been told what the actual size was by a local lab guy...I could go ask him again but I was SO not impressed with him. I had resorted to not making as many with borders since I couldn't find the answer online, I am sure I am just using the wrong terminology. So, I want to open my canvas at exactly the size of the print. I would need to know the actual size of mainly smaller print sizes if anyone knows that off the top of their head. I would LOVE to know.
Thanks in advance.
Carrie

colourbox

Well, on an accurate printer, 4x6 is 4x6.

Now if you're sending to an automated lab like the one at the drugstore, there's a possible unpredictable factor. Often, those machines are set to scale up and crop, or "zoom in," a little bit on small prints, to make the subject look bigger. That cuts off edges. You don't notice on family snapshots, in fact it often improves photos that are taken of people from too far away with a wide angle point-and-shoot lens, but if you are doing precision work involving edges it can really destroy what you're trying to do.

At least that's how it worked when sending film to a minilab. I assume it's the same with digital quick printers. Maybe try going to a couple of places and explain what you're trying to do? I wonder if they can set the minilab machine to "print edge to edge" or "without any cropping."

Six Bees

colourbox wrote:

At least that's how it worked when sending film to a minilab. I assume it's the same with digital quick printers. Maybe try going to a couple of places and explain what you're trying to do? I wonder if they can set the minilab machine to "print edge to edge" or "without any cropping."

That is it....I will often print a quick test at my local walmart (less thirty second drive for me) one hour lab so I can look at my work in hand (I don't have a printer)...then I would send my order for my customer through ezprints directly before I joined here (the other day). I was always frustrated with the borders being cropped off at walmart, and was always paranoid about it happening where ever I printed, does anyone know if ezprints would be similar?
Like I said the local guy sputtered off some number at me fast 5.blah blah and went on about how the lab printer is actually....and he was just so, ugh I don't know. He talked to me like I was completely clueless (not saying I have great knowledge here...all self taught...photography and photoshop) I think because I wasn't knowing that it wasn't truly 4x6 and then he was telling me not to crop, no to do this, not to do that, not to color correct, and I was trying to explain I was really making something that was only ever going to be printed at this exact size and I wanted the border I made etc...then he was asking me what program I used, was file format I saved in, if I worked in layers etc. I think when I replied that I used CS2, shot raw, saved in psd and worked in layers etc, it shut him up a bit. I guess when you walk into a place with four kids hanging off you, you might not give off the "I'm a professional photographer" vibe to people LMAO!

gluwater

Any printer that is printing a full bleed image will enlarge the image so there is a tolerance for cutting, regardless if it is an online lab, printer down the block, or inkjet on your desk. Smugmug tells you how to get around this if you are printing through them.

SmugMug help - Bleed/Trim

Six Bees

gluwater wrote:

Any printer that is printing a full bleed image will enlarge the image so there is a tolerance for cutting, regardless if it is an online lab, printer down the block, or inkjet on your desk. Smugmug tells you how to get around this if you are printing through them.

SmugMug help - Bleed/Trim

Merci!