Online Printing of Odd Sizes

[Dekade]

I am having trouble ordering prints online from places like Walgreens, WalMart, etc.

I have made a collage photo that combined two pictures into one. The finished canvas size is 8" wide x 4" high. However, when I go to order online they automatically crop the picture and I cannot enlarge the crop.

I would like to order a photo that is 5 x 7. I realize that my size of 8" x 4" would need to be shrunk to fit the 5 x 7 printing format. Is there anything that I should be doing in PSPx6 16.2.0.20 x64 to accomplish getting this photo onto an online stock size of 5 x 7?

Thanks for any help,

Dekade

[hartpaul]

I am presuming you have two images set together as shown in the following which is in a ratio of 8 x 4


There are two ways to go about it.
1. You make your original image larger and crop a 7 x 5 section out of it.


2. You add an extra border to top and bottom and crop to a 7 x 5 ratio so that it includes the whole of your image.



In either case you will probably have to resize the final image to make sure it is suitable for a 7 x 5 inch print (2100 x 1500 pixels @ 300 pixels per inch).
It is better to resize down rather than resize up. So start with a larger than 2100 x 1500 image (try at least 2400 x 1800 pixels).
Better still drop your images into a 2100 x 1500 pixel canvas to start with.

[Dekade]

Hartpaul,

Thank you for replying to my issue. I definitely will have to go with option 2 because I need the entire left to right pan. I will have to experiment with the borders to see if they make the difference. I don't really understand how that is different than what I have been trying to do. It appears as though the online vendors (Walgreens, Shutterfly, CVS Pharmacy, etc.) don't seem to want to accept any size that I send them. Their service automatically creates a crop outline that is lesser in size than what I send them. I can downsize their crop but I cannot enlarge it. I have tried making a new canvas and resizing the photo. No matter which way I do it the photo that I upload to the online services is still elongated and the service auto crops to a maximum size which is still not the full elongated size of my upload. Maybe the borders will make the difference; right now I don't know. I will experiment with the borders though since that is the manner which you feel will work for me.

I will work on it Friday; 10/31/2014. I am in the USA and on CDT.

Let me know if anything else comes to your mind.

Thanks again,

Dekade

[hartpaul]

As an analogy, imagine you have created a cake which is 8 inches by 4 inches and you sent it to a place to be gift wrapped and placed in a tin which is 7 x 5 inches. They have other tins which are 6 x 8 in 6 x 4 in 8x 10 in and 8 x 12 in. They cannot change the shape or sizes of their tins to suit your cake. (In photography this is the size of the paper they print on, their machines cut off excess
Since you have required a 7 x 5 inch tin and nothing else, they will have to cut one inch off the edge of the cake to place a 7 x 4 inch cake in the 7 x 5 inch tin.

Your 8 x 4 ratio cake cannot be 8 x 4 AND 7 x 5 at the same time.
If you want a full cake which is 8 x 4 in, you must make it so the width is no larger than 7 inches and the height no more than 5 inches. You could place it in a 8 x 6 tin or an 8 x 10 tin (could place two in that last tin).
ie instead of ordering a 7 x 5 , ask for it to be printed on a size that will hold your 8 inches. Then you can trim off the edges with a guilotine or scissors.

[MarkZ]

I think this suggestion is along the lines of what Harpaul wrote.

From what you say you have a very wide image. Assure yourself that Walgreen or whoever can do a 5x7. Ratio of 7/ 5 is 1.4.

Use info in Edit to obtain the size of your image in pixels and note the long dimension - that will govern your final size. Divide that dimension by 1.4 to get the new vertical size. Go to Image/canvas size. Make sure "lock aspect ratio" is turned off. Enter the width of your image in the appropriate box and the value you calculated for the height in that box. Check you are happy with the placement and background and click o.k. You should now have an image that shows the complete width of your image and some borders above or below and the aspect ratio is now correct for 5x7 printing. Save as a new image and try submitting that for printing. Any luck?

[Dekade]

HartPaul and Mark,

Thank you both for taking your time to reply to my situation. I have gotten sidetracked and railroaded with some other work and have not been able to address this particular problem. I will be able to get at it in the next few days. I am anxious to try the steps provided by Mark. Will keep you posted.

Dekade