Best aspect ratio for supermarket print machine

I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They have
self service print machines. In the past I have seen them automatically
crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is printed
but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:16:36 +0100, Sandi
wrote:

I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They have
self service print machines. In the past I have seen them automatically
crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is printed
but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?

The best route is to crop the images to the size of print you will be
ordering. You can use Irfanview (a free program) to crop if you don't
have any other photo program.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

On 18:52 21 Sep 2010, tony cooper wrote:

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:16:36 +0100, Sandi
wrote:

I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They
have self service print machines. In the past I have seen them
automatically crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is
printed but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?

The best route is to crop the images to the size of print you will be
ordering. You can use Irfanview (a free program) to crop if you don't
have any other photo program.

Which is the most common aspect ratio that these print machines use?

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:54:53 +0100, Sandi
wrote:

On 18:52 21 Sep 2010, tony cooper wrote:

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:16:36 +0100, Sandi
wrote:

I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They
have self service print machines. In the past I have seen them
automatically crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is
printed but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?

The best route is to crop the images to the size of print you will be
ordering. You can use Irfanview (a free program) to crop if you don't
have any other photo program.

Which is the most common aspect ratio that these print machines use?

Most machines I've seen offer 4" x 6" and 5" X 7" prints. I'd go
with 4x6s.

Whoops. Just noticed that you are going to an Asda. That's a UK
chain and I'm US. The sizes I gave are still right, though:
http://www.asda-photo.co.uk/album/order_prints.aspx

When posting questions like this, you should state where you are
posting from.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:34:27 +0100, Bruce
wrote:

Sandi wrote:
I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They have
self service print machines. In the past I have seen them automatically
crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is printed
but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?


That depends entirely on what print size(s) the machines offer. Go
and find out, then divide the long dimension by the short dimension
and that will tell you the best aspect ratio.

For example, a 15 x 10 cm print has an aspect ratio of 15/10 = 1.50.

In my experience, processors don't deal in aspect ratios. They deal
in print sizes. Same thing, really, but "aspect ratio" is not going
to be found on the machine or the web site.

The poster can change the aspect ratio in the camera, but she's going
to have to deal with print size at the store. Asda offers 4" x 6".
Cropping to that size is the way to ensure what is printed is what is
wanted.

I don't know how Asda treat borders. Here, a print is 4" x 6", but
the image is smaller unless borderless prints are ordered.




--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

On 9/21/2010 1:52 PM, tony cooper wrote:
On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:16:36 +0100,
wrote:

I want to print some snaps at my local big supermarket (Asda). They have
self service print machines. In the past I have seen them automatically
crop my customised photos.

I want to insert some text near the edge of the image before it is printed
but I don't want the print machine to crop it off.

I can change the aspect ratio of the photo. What sort of aspect ratio
would be safest to use?

The best route is to crop the images to the size of print you will be
ordering. You can use Irfanview (a free program) to crop if you don't
have any other photo program.



Irfanview is a good free program but it doesn't crop to pre-set ratios.
FastStone does and for everything except bulk resize/resample and exif
info, I now use that most of the time, invoking Elements when needed.
FastStone is also very good for accessing my windows files. Both the
first two are free so have both available. Popular size for store
machines is 4x6 and to a lesser extent 5x7. Photo albums generally have
pockets for 4x6 (at least this side of the pond). Some online processors
will print to include the whole picture (4x5.x).

tony cooper wrote:
On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:34:27 +0100, Bruce
wrote:

For example, a 15 x 10 cm print has an aspect ratio of 15/10 = 1.50.

Actually, a 15x10cm print will be 102x152mm, and have an aspect
ratio of 1.49.

Very good photo developers also tell you the exact size in pixels
and that there is a usually 2-3% crop at the borders because of
mechanical limitations.

In my experience, processors don't deal in aspect ratios. They deal
in print sizes. Same thing, really, but "aspect ratio" is not going
to be found on the machine or the web site.

True.

-Wolfgang