Complete newb question about printing DSLR pics

Grifftech · Nov 11, 2010

Wife and I took the plunge and bought a Nikon D3100 a month ago and I have been reading alot and trying to figure out how to get the most out of the camera as I have no photography training. Well we ended up getting some really nice shots and the wife is wanting to print them out on 5x7 photo paper. But the issue is that the frame for the 5x7's is a row of 3 5x7 frames with the vertical being 7". When we try to print the photos on the 5x7 paper we either have to landscape the picture to fill the paper but then pics would be sideways in the frame

and if we try to print the picture on the paper so that image is not sideways the top half of the paper is all white and the picture only uses the bottom. I am trying to figure out what I would need to do in order to get the pic to fill the paper vertically. Do I need to take the pictures differently? The Nikon came with some photo software but I can't seem to get the picture right. I did get it faced the right direction once and it filled the photo paper but ir chopped off the left and right side of the photo. Do I need to scale the photo some how?

Sorry for the long rambling, hopefully you understand my question

Thanks,
Griff

Vinny · Nov 11, 2010

How are you trying to print the photos? What software?

The answer to your question is that landscape (long) and portrait (up & down) are 2 different ways to take a photo. They have a certain finite dimension (we'll use 5x7 since you mentioned that size) if you take a photo in landscape - it will be 5x7 in that direction. Most editing software will give you a box size and it expands at the correct proportions but you are starting out with a 5x7 in the opposite direction (if that makes sense). Unless you have a large enough photo where the 5x7 crop works well, in order to fill a 5x7 portrait you do need to turn the camera.

KmH · Nov 11, 2010

Your camera doesn't make 5x7 shaped photos, it makes 4x6 shaped photos.

It's known as the aspect ratio. Your camera makes photos in a 2:3 ratio and the 5x7 is a 5:7 aspect ratio. For what it's worth an 8x10 has a 4:5 aspect ratio.

By the way, the convention is to always state the length of the horizontal side first, so 5x7 is the vertical format and a 7x5 is a horizontal format. So, you either have to leave room in the viewfinder to allow enough space to crop to the 5:4 and 7:5 aspect ratios, or just accept that part of 8x10's or 5x7's will be cut off.

Boomn4x4 · Nov 11, 2010

Take it to a Target or Walmart and print it there. The Kiosks will have the software to print it and crop it the way you want it. And you don't have to worry about buring your own ink and paper.

My printer hasn't printed a photo in probably 8 years.