Incorrect height/width proportions

[SpeedOfLight]

When printing from Photoshop the width/height proportions don't match and I can't figure out what to do about it.
I'm using Photoshop CS4 on a Mac and try to print out on A3+ sized paper (meaning borderless A3 prints). The printer is an Epson Stylus Pro 4880.

My camera (Canon EOS-350D/Rebel XT) has files sized 2304 x 3456 pixels which gives a height/width ratio of 1.5. In other words 2 units in one direction and 3 in the other.
The A3 paper format is 29.7 x 42 cm which gives a ratio of 1.414.
My photos and A3 paper sizes don't match

If I go to the "Print" dialog in Photoshop it says:


That's too small for A3 sized paper, so in a perfect world I would enter 29.7 in "height" (or 42 in "width") and the other value would match perfectly (giving the A3 dimensions), but that doesn't work here, so I have two choices as far as I can see - both solutions not quite perfect....

If I enter 29.7 in "height" I end up with a width beyond the A3 sheet. This means I lose around 1.2cm on each side. Not acceptable:


or....
if I enter 42 in "width" I gain 1.7cm free space. In other words an empty space of almost 1cm above and below the photo. Also not acceptable.



Has my camera been made incompatible with standard paper printing sizes meaning there is no real solution to my problem?

My second question is what I should do if cropping my photos in Photoshop? Should I just enter 42 x 29.7cm at 300 DPI (or 240DPI as my camera's default?), or should I go to the Image-Image size menu, then enter the following:


I understand the latter actually re-computes the image, artificially adding pixels to it so that the resolution will actually become higher (interpolating?) while the former simply lowers the resolution?
Obviously, with the incorrect width I'll have to crop it as well (using the crop tool I guess).

Can someone please clear up the confusion?

[KmH]

Welcome to the world of aspect ratios. There's nothing wrong with your camera.
A 5x7 print is a 5:7 aspect ratio
An 8x10 print is a 4:5 aspect ratio
Your camera's native aspect ratio ( and most other DSLR's) is 2:3. (4x6)

Essentially you have to frame your shot in camera with some thought as to the aspect ratio you will want the image to be in it's final state.

Experienced photographers leave room in the viewfinder so they can crop the image in post processing to it's final size, known as shooting 'fat'. Even better is to frame ALL your images in the viewfinder so they can be cropped to most of the various sizes.

Your easiest soultion is to print your image with the 2 blank strips and trim the excess post print. Your only other option is to crop the image, but crop a copy (duplicate) not the original.

You can set the aspect ratio in the Photoshops Crop tool, tool bar (width/height)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_Ratiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_photographic_print_sizes

[photograham]

Photography is a long learning experience.. you really need to know the type of shot you want as the final product

[Songman45]

Its way confusing! Not just camera ratios of 2:3 or 4:5 but the difference in what are considered standard paper sizes. I'm in Texas (Yes, that's different that just being in the USA). I don't go to the store and ask for A4 paper. I don't even know without looking it up what size it is. What is "normal" typing paper is "letter" and it measures 8.5 X 11 inches and "Legal" is 8.5 X 14 inches (Texans are not metric system friendly). There are other standard paper sizes with names such as "ledger" and "tabloid". None of these are standard picture sizes. Sheesh.

Some history buff will have to teach me just how it came to be but in the US before the soaring popularity of 35mm film (native aspect ratio of 3.5 X 5 ) the standard print sizes were a mix of aspect ratio or crops 4X5, 8X10, 16X20, 20X24, are all proportionally 4:5 We sneeked in a 5X7 along the way, and I don't know how. The 11 X 14 became a standard even if it didn't follow a native aspect ratio at all. Then the good ol 11X17 started showing up.

No one ever heard of a 4X6 (ok it is an over-statement) prior to the 35mm. What ever popular comsumer snap shot form either 127 or 110 produced something else I'm sure. I don't feel like digging out the old drug store black and whites to measure. But the good old 3.5 X 5 inch was every where 35mm could be processed. Bigger being better full-frame 4X6's took off like wildfire. Just try to find a 4X5 ready made frame at the department store. You'll be looked at funny if you even ask then you'll be corrected by being asked, "4X6?"

You say you are looking to print standard A4 pictures and I'm in a place where we don't know what A4 is except it measures 210mmX297mm and I can't relate that to anything without a conversion chart.

I guess standard doesn't mean universal, huh?

[craftysnapper]

If you do not want to crop for artistic reasons then print as the apect ratio with white borders then mat your print. Most images look better in a bigger frame with a mat anyway.

[KmH]

I wonder how the OP made out?

[SpeedOfLight]

Originally Posted by KmH

I wonder how the OP made out?

Sorry -things have been chaotic here lately.
I haven't had a chance to make any new printouts yet, but looked into the actual cropping, and things here have made sense.

I prefer cropping in Adobe Camera RAW instead of Photoshop because you can crop any direction you like, whereas in Photoshop you have to choose which is the long and short end. Unfortunately Camera RAW doesn't accept more than one custom setting -perhaps with some "hacking" it could though.
Anyway, I've set up a crop preset of 42x29.7 cm (A3 paper size). If the cropping for a particular photo doesn't look good like that I'll probably crop it the way I like it, then place it in a blank A3 sized document, then move it in the center or something which means it'll have a border around it.

Anyone know if I can get Photoshop CS4 to have the same sort of cropping as Camera RAW does (e.g. not having to set which side is the height/length, but just drag the mouse in the direction you like)?

[KmH]

Originally Posted by SpeedOfLight

.........Anyone know if I can get Photoshop CS4 to have the same sort of cropping as Camera RAW does (e.g. not having to set which side is the height/length, but just drag the mouse in the direction you like)?

Just make sure the width height boxes are empty by clicking the clear option on the crop tool feature bar. You can then drag out any size rectangle or square crop you want.

[SpeedOfLight]

I was referring to a specific size such as A3 (42x29.7cm) or A4 (21x29.7cm) but where I don't have to pre-define which size is the length and width.

[mcbit]

You can do that with the crop tool.

Enter H & W & resolution in the boxes provided and then save it as a preset. You can call that A3Portrait or whatever it is! Then just drag the crop tool across the entire image, position the selection as needed and then crop. The image will be sized to the required dimensions and resolution.

[SpeedOfLight]

Yes, but you have to press the "arrow back/forth" button if you want to change between landscape and portrait cropping:

Landscape (Photoshop CS4)


Portrait (Photoshop CS4) -after having pressed the arrow back/forth button in the middle



But in Photoshop's Camera RAW I only have to enter the dimensions once without taking the portrait/landscape direction into account:

Camera RAW preset (just one preset for landscape and portrait)


Camera RAW (landscape cropping, by dragging the mouse to the side)


Camera RAW (portrait cropping, by dragging the mouse up or down)



Is this possible to do in Photoshop itself, or do I have to press the "arrow back/forth" button every time I want to change between landscape and portrait cropping within a specified size?

[mcbit]

I think you will have to use the arrows to change format but I really don't see that as being much of a problem.