Printing 5x7 photo -- Help

craige4u · May 15, 2013

I have photos taken with my D80 which I would like to print at 5x7.
I am using Adobe Photoshop CS6 and I am fairly new to it.

What I am doing is, I select Croping tool and insert 5 and 7 at top and crop the image. But, the problem is after doing cropping this way when I check Image size menu I get the size as 12.093 and 8.64

So, whats wrong am I doing?

I have attached two images clearly showing how I am doing this on my photoshop. (Plz refer)

KmH · May 15, 2013

You are telling the Crop tool to crop at an aspect ratio of 5:7, unless you also specify a Resolution in the Crop Tool Options bar.

In the Image Size dialog box, the pixels dimensions of 3628 x 2592 at 300 PPI determine the print size.
It's basic math - 3628 px / 300 ppi = 12.09 inches and 2592 px / 300 ppi = 8.64 inches.

If you are having an online lab make the print, just upload it and order a 5x7 print. The lab's RIP software will make sure it comes out right. (RIP -Raster Image Processor)

If you are printing it yourself, you'll need to change the print resolution (ppi). Use this formula - pixels / inches = ppi (3628 px / 7 inches = 518 ppi) Notice that 2592 px / 518 ppi = 5 inches.

Using basic algebra we can derive the following 3 simple, but useful equations:
pixels / inches = ppi
pixels / ppi = inches
ppi x inches = pixels

craige4u · May 16, 2013

KmH said:
If you are having an online lab make the print, just upload it and order a 5x7 print. The lab's RIP software will make sure it comes out right. (RIP -Raster Image Processor)

I will be giving the photos to my local lab for printing.
Now I want to give them my photos properly cropped & done by myself, so that I get the print pictures exactly as I desire (I don't want them to crop any part of my images).

So can you pls let me know how can I crop my images exactly to 5x7 printing size so tht no part of the image is deleted in the final process of printing by the printer.

Thanks

timor · May 16, 2013

I don't think a RIP software is deleting or cutting off anything, it is just placing the image in the file you submit on the piece of paper the size you order.

KmH · May 16, 2013

craige4u said:
I will be giving the photos to my local lab for printing.
Now I want to give them my photos properly cropped & done by myself, so that I get the print pictures exactly as I desire (I don't want them to crop any part of my images).

So can you pls let me know how can I crop my images exactly to 5x7 printing size so tht no part of the image is deleted in the final process of printing by the printer.

Thanks

The RIP software will do the math for you and use the ppi appropriate for the printing device they use to make a 5x7 print from your 3628 px x 2592 px image, which you have already cropped to the 5:7 aspect ratio. The RIP software will not crop your 5:7 aspect ratio image, unless you ask them to make an print that has a different aspect ratio, like a 6x9 which has a 3:2 aspect ratio, or an 8x10 that has a 5:4 aspect ratio.
The 5:7 aspect ratio is also used for wallet size photos and a 5:7 aspect ratio can be doubled in size to 10x14 by the RIP software without doing any additional cropping

But you can do the math yourself and in Photoshop add the print resolution (518 ppi) to the Crop Tool Options bar

frommrstomommy · May 16, 2013

I only ever do this for printing stuff for my jewelry making but I would go into Image Size like in your 2nd screen shot, make sure resolution is at 300 and change width/height to say 7 inches and 5 inches? But fwiw, most printing places.. even like.. any old drugstore, when you load images in original size or any random size will show you while you're ordering if anything is going to be clipped in the print sizes you've selected and allows you to adjust to ensure nothing is clipped.

KmH · May 16, 2013

5 inches at 300 ppi is only 1500 pixels, not the 3628 pixels the cropped to 5:7 aspect ratio the OP has.
So the image pixels would have to be resampled (interpolated) by putting a check mark in the Resample box.

Reducing the image resolution means reducing detail in the image by interpolating new, but fewer, pixels. How much detail reduction is determined by which of the 5 resampleing algorithms is chosen to do the resampleing.

By changing the Resolution to 518 ppi, and unchecking the Resample box, no detail is lost to resampleing the image pixels. Image resolution isn't reduced even though print size is reduced.

Image Resizing

frommrstomommy · May 16, 2013

Sorry! I only ever resize images in that manner for printing text 1" x 1" or 1" x 2" so I'd never have been able to notice. lol

KmH · May 16, 2013

It's cool if the results you get work for you.

I'm just trying to point out some details that others may need/want to consider, particularly if they want to minimize how much a print lab does to print their images.

Tutorials on Color Management & Printing

Designer · May 16, 2013

craige4u; you seem to be overthinking this. Personally, I would not expect a lab to produce PRECISELY the image I want. IOW: I crop for artistic purposes, but if I want a lab to print something, I will allow some extra image on the edges so that I can trim or mat later to exactly the image I want.

If you simply don't want to do anything more to the pictures other than to order prints and then send them out to the final recipient, then follow Keith's instructions on how to figure the size.