Pictures getting Chopped. PLEASE HELP!

[Debs5angels]

I have a Canon EOS X2i with a 28-135 wide angle lens. When I go to have my pictures printed they are always getting chopped off. I have used Shutterfly and Kodak to have them printed. Any suggestions on what the problem is or another site to get them printed without this happening? Thanks for any help!

 

[Porktitioner]

Sounds like they are getting printed at a different aspect ratio than they are taken. For instance, my rx100 defaults to a 3:2 aspect ratio. This is not the same ratio as a 4x6 print. Therefore, there is a crop factor. If you do not address this before ordering, your picture will be cropped to fit the 4x6 ratio or whatever ratio you order. Ideally, you will upload your photos at the same size you plan to print.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I like the way Wal-Mart has set up their web site. There's a link to preview all the pictures in your print batch to see exactly how they'll be cropped. You can also edit the crop if you don't like the way one looks.

If you choose the 4x6 size on Wal-Mart, it will also ask you (not until you select check-out) if you'd like to get "True Digital Prints" instead of standard 4x6. The size of these is 4x5.3. It's a little smaller than normal, but it allows the whole picture to be printed without any cropping.

 

[photo_chick]

I have a Canon EOS X2i with a 28-135 wide angle lens. When I go to have my pictures printed they are always getting chopped off. I have used Shutterfly and Kodak to have them printed. Any suggestions on what the problem is or another site to get them printed without this happening? Thanks for any help!

Your sensor is a 2:3 aspect ratio which actually is the same as 4x6 (and 8x12, 16x24 etc). However, many labs use machines that use metric measurements (Shutterfly is one). So that 4x6 is just a tiny bit off from a true 4x6. But this isn't a lot and unless you have something right on the edge of the frame you probably will not notice it. As far as for other aspect ratios, like 5x7, 8x10, etc... you have to leave wiggle room when you shoot if you think you may want to make prints in those sizes.

Edited to add... some labs will automatically print over the edge of the paper. This can also cut stuff off.

 

[Debs5angels]

Is there a way to change the aspect ratio on the camera and also if I do what does that mean for the pictures? Thanks for all the help by the way!

 

[chartle]

Is there a way to change the aspect ratio on the camera and also if I do what does that mean for the pictures? Thanks for all the help by the way!

Aspect ratio is fixed for your camera its the physical size of the light senor (its 2 units high by 3 units wide) not an adjustment like shuttle speed. On my one camera I can adjust the ratio but its just cropping the image in the camera not adjusting anything real. So you just have to allow for it with a little wiggle room and then crop when you print.

How bad are they being cropped, can you post a before and after? Because it should be a very tiny amount if you are not printing at other aspect ratios like 5x7.

 

[GrillMouster]

Everyone's talking about 4x6, but I don't think the OP ever said what size the prints were that she ordered. That would help. Post the image you had printed and a picture of the print, and we can be more accurate in our advice. Otherwise, we're just guessing.

 

[photo_chick]

Is there a way to change the aspect ratio on the camera and also if I do what does that mean for the pictures? Thanks for all the help by the way!

YOu said you have the X2i... do you mean XTi or T2i? Either way, the answer is no for both those cameras. Canon added the ability to capture at different aspect ratios with the T3i and you really have to use live view to use it. It makes it kind of awkward.

 

[NLD]

Best thing you can do is crop your pictures yourself, when you are editing the pictures, to the size they'll be printed. That way YOU get to control what's cropped out.

In addition, when you are shooting pics, take cropping into account when you are composing your shot. Leave a little wiggle room around the edges of the frame, so that when you do crop in post-processing, you'll still have a strong composition.

 

[Debs5angels]

First I would like to thank everyone for their help and I am so sorry to be such a pain. I am not a professional photographer so some of the things being said is confusing to me. Sorry I have a Canon T2i and I am trying to print 4x6 pictures. When you talk about adding wiggly room while taking the picture does that mean adding more space around what I want to take? I am downloading my pictures in iphoto should I crop before I send them to Snapfish or Shutterfly? Can anyone tell me where you get your pictures processed? Again thanks so much for ALL the help. I romise I won't ask anymore questions!

 

[Emteach]

We get ours printed at Wal Mart, like was mentioned they have you crop the pictures yourself before you order so you can see what you are needing to remove. The only negative for us is you cant print glossy, only matte.

 

[chartle]

First I would like to thank everyone for their help and I am so sorry to be such a pain. I am not a professional photographer so some of the things being said is confusing to me. Sorry I have a Canon T2i and I am trying to print 4x6 pictures.

1. When you talk about adding wiggly room while taking the picture does that mean adding more space around what I want to take?

2. I am downloading my pictures in iphoto should I crop before I send them to Snapfish or Shutterfly? Can anyone tell me where you get your pictures processed? Again thanks so much for ALL the help. I romise I won't ask anymore questions!

1. yes

2. I would do it at snapfish or shutterfly since they may trim them a little.

When you crop in iphoto do you pick the same "size" as you plan to print. If you do a crop that just looks good on the screen but is not the same as you will print it, it will be cropped.

 

[NLD]

Answers in bold...

When you talk about adding wiggly room while taking the picture does that mean adding more space around what I want to take?

YES. Just don't zoom in QUITE so much on your subject. Leave a little space around the subject, so when you crop, you're not cropping out your subject.

I am downloading my pictures in iphoto should I crop before I send them to Snapfish or Shutterfly?

That's how I would do it.... crop before you even upload them anywhere. Then you can use whatever printing service you want and you'll know how the pictures will look.
Can anyone tell me where you get your pictures processed? Again thanks so much for ALL the help. I romise I won't ask anymore questions!

Hardly ever get prints made, but when I do, usually use mpix.com Have also used Snapfish but I like mpix if it's important prints.

 

[NLD]

.

When you crop in iphoto do you pick the same "size" as you plan to print. If you do a crop that just looks good on the screen but is not the same as you will print it, it will be cropped.

Yes yes yes yes. Sorry if I did not make that clear before. It won't do you any good to crop before you send them off to the printer's unless you actually crop them to the size they'll get printed at.