Why is my photo being cropped when I try to print it as 16×20, and how can I keep everything in frame?
Asked 9/21/2017
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2 answers
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I want to print a photo on canvas, but when I size it for a 16×20 frame or print, part of the image gets cut off. The full image needs to stay visible, especially near the bottom. Why does this happen, and what print sizes or editing options would let me keep the whole photo in frame?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
7
Your image is more rectangular than your desired final product (16x20). The version of the image you're showing here is 960x660, so the width of your image is 50% longer than the height.
If you want to print to 16x20, then the width (20") can only be 25% longer than the height (16")
If you can't chop off any of the left or right portions of the image, then you'll have to choose a custom size, like 14x20, that fits the proportions of your image.
Or you'd have to fill in the top and/or bottom (with black or using something like Photoshop's content-aware fill)
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
8y ago
0
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Your photo is being cropped because its aspect ratio doesn’t match 16×20.
A 16×20 print is a 4:5 ratio, but your image is closer to a 3:2 ratio. When a lab forces a 3:2 image into 16×20, it has to crop part of the width or height to make it fit.
If you must keep everything in frame, you have a few options:
- Print at a size that matches the image ratio, such as 12×18 or 16×24.
- Choose a custom size like 14×20 if that better fits the image.
- Add space to the top and/or bottom so it can fit 16×20 without losing important parts. This could be a solid border or a Photoshop-style content-aware fill.
So the issue is not that the file is too large—it’s that the shape of the image doesn’t match the shape of a 16×20 print.
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