Resizing photos

bikeit

Senior Member
I have resized a few photos to 7"x5" but one of the photos peoples faces are longer than the original photo, anyone offer any help on this please?
 

nickt

Senior Member
It depends on the software, but look for an option to constrain or lock proportions. Or there might just be a little symbol to turn on or off indicating a link between length and width. Or it might be a matter of dragging from a corner rather than a side if you dealing with a frame type contrl. Basically, if you are able to control both length and width, you will get in trouble. You need to change one and the other should follow if you are set right.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I have resized a few photos to 7"x5" but one of the photos peoples faces are longer than the original photo, anyone offer any help on this please?

Do you mean that you cropped it to 7x5, cutting off some of the face? Not sure I understand, but it sounds like you cropped it too tightly.

What you do is to crop it to 7x5 SHAPE (Not size), so the proper enlargement will fit the paper.

Image Resize - Cropping, Resampling, Scaling is about this subject.
 

bikeit

Senior Member
Ok so if i enter 7" into the box with the chain showing the height sets to 4.667" but if i click on the chain to take it away i can enter in 7"x 5" click on the chain again it holds them sizes,
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I took the photo in to PS went to image, image size and changed it to 7"x5"


Very brief descriptions, and I'm still sort of guessing about what we are discussing. :)

Your image is originally of aspect ratio (shape) 3:2 if from a DSLR, or 4:3 if from a compact or phone.

But 5x7 paper is 5:7, a different shape than either. It simply will not fit the paper exactly (they are different shapes). It is like trying to print a 4x6 image on 4x5 paper. It just ain't gonna fit exactly.

When you have it printed on 5x7 paper, some of the image won't fit the paper, will be off the paper, and will be omitted. You can have a choice about what is omitted if you crop it to 5x7 yourself, to see and choose what will be omitted off the paper. If you don't do it yourself, you risk surprises about what what gets cut off.

You say you are resamping first. If Constrain Proportions was ON (and it definitely should always be On), then you cannot even specify 7x5, it might come out like 7x4.6 inches (because it is a different shape). If you turn Constrain Proportions Off, then you can, but then you stretch and distort the image out of shape. Might be bearable for some graphics, but it is NOT a good thing to do to photos.


The proper way is to first crop it to 5:7 SHAPE so you can choose. One way is to first use the Photoshop Crop Tool and specify 7x5 shape IN the tools top menu bar. This is a SHAPE, NOT A SIZE. Then resize that crop box (drag its corners), and scoot it around to show what you want it to show in it, to look like you want it to look, and then you've got it. If you have selected 7x5, then any crop box that can be drawn will be 7x5 SHAPE. You can see it does not match the original image shape, but it will match 7x5 paper when printed.

Then you can do what you did before to change its SIZE to 5x7, and it will fit the paper.

Crop changes shape. Resample changes size.

Image Resize - Cropping, Resampling, Scaling discusses this. This is about the least that we ought to learn about using digital images.
 
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Just like my pet peeve of people setting their TV to stretch the picture even though the signal is SD and is on 4:3 aspect ratio. Every one is short and fat. Crop... Don't resize


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

10 Gauge

Senior Member
Just like my pet peeve of people setting their TV to stretch the picture even though the signal is SD and is on 4:3 aspect ratio. Every one is short and fat. Crop... Don't resize


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a pet peeve of mine... I'm that guy that grabs a strangers remote and "fixes" it. lol
 
This is a pet peeve of mine... I'm that guy that grabs a strangers remote and "fixes" it. lol

How many times have i done that. Hotels are very bad about it. some of their remotes will not fix it so I call the desk and make them some up and fix it. What is so bed is they think people want all the screen filled up(as they put it)
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Ok so if i enter 7" into the box with the chain showing the height sets to 4.667" but if i click on the chain to take it away i can enter in 7"x 5" click on the chain again it holds them sizes,


You have to realize that the image and the paper are not the same shape. Sort of like a square peg in a round hole. :)

Tbe DSLR camera takes pictures that are of shape 3:2 (long side is 1.5x the short side, which is called aspect ratio). This will print on 6x4 paper as is, which is the same 3:2 shape. But no matter what SIZE you enlarge to, the uncropped image SHAPE is 3:2.

But 5x7 or 8x10 paper are not the same shape. 5x7 is shape 5:7 (long side is 1.4x the short side).
8x10 is shape 4:5 (long side is 1.25x the short side). These are shapes.
The 3:2 image is sort of long and narrow, but many paper sizes are more short and wide.

So yes, a 5x7 will have to crop of about 1/2 inch at one end, or 1/4 inch at both ends, something like that.
An 8x10 will have to crop off about 2 inches.
Or a 4x6 will print it as is (this might be your best answer?)

Uncropped 3:2 images will enlarge to be 5 x 7.5 inches, or 8x12 inches, which does not fit the 5x7 or 8x10 papers.

Or alternately, you could keep the long end intact, and print it 4.67 x 7 inches (0.33 white border on one side, which can be trimmed off).
However, this is a very special deal at most photofinishers, many of them will not do it (will fill all the paper regardless), UNLESS you actually edit it to add the blank white strip into the full picture size.

It is exactly like the problem of trying to print 4x6 on 4x5 paper. Simply Not the same shape.

Printing photos has ALWAYS been like that, for at least 100 years. :) Film and paper not the same shape either. And also different size print papers are also not the same shape. It is good when shooting the picture to keep in mind the thought about fitting it to a specific paper size, and maybe leave a little cropping margin around it.

So first we have to crop the image to be the correct shape to match the paper, and then we have to resample it to be the same size as the paper.

Again, Image Resize - Cropping, Resampling, Scaling is about this subject, shows how, etc.
 
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