how to set up to develop 4 x 6 size pics

[Guest]

Newbie question here.
I’m getting my digital pics developed instead of printing at home.
I’ve got them developed a few times but I don’t think I’m setting the pics
up right.
How should I set up digital photos to take to get developed – that are 4 x 6
size?
It seems to me that the picture file is square and when they develop the
picture part gets cut off when its sized down to 4 x 6.
I’m working in MS Office Picture Manager
I’m able to edit and crop the pics etc. no problem, but need to know how to
set them up for developing. I had them set up at 2500 x 1700 and thought
that was right. When I look at the picture on file on the computer, the
whole picture is there, then when I compare it to the one I got developed
with part of the head cut off.
How do I set them up right – to put on cd, before I take them to get
developed.
Also, should they be in .jpg or .bmp for making prints.
thanks

 

[Yves Alarie]

The problem is your camera has an aspect ratio of 4:3, almost a square
(divide 4/3=1.33) and 6 x 4 is a rectangle (divide 6/4=1.5). So to make 4:3
into 6:4 a little bit is cropped from the top and bottom of your photo to
make it fit. Usually this works, particularly for outside pictures because
we tend to overframe. But sometimes, like inside pictures, we frame close
and so somebody's head is cut off. This is when you want to control the
crop. Place the crop all at the bottom and keep the head!
Your 2500 x 1700 is certainly close to 1.5 (1.47). but I don't use or know
MS Office Picture Manager so I don't know how the file is saved and where
the crop is made. Maybe you are just reducing (adjusting) the size of the
file by setting it at 2500 x 1700, this is not cropping.
What you need to do is open this file with software and then crop the file
so you can "float the crop" and in your case, since you want the top of the
photo, the crop would be all at the bottom and none at the top.
To print at home, software like Microsoft Digital Image Pro or Photoshop
Elements 3 will do this nicely. And they will do the job to prepare photo
files to copy to a CD-R and take to places like Costco, Sam, Walgreen,
Wal-Mart etc. to print.
Since you are using outside printing, you can take advantage of the software
at a printing site to do the job.
Get on www.winkflash.com
Upload your photos there and then order prints. 6 x 4 are nineteen cents a
print and great permanent prints, they use the same printer as the above
stores.
When you order prints, you will get the option to crop and you will get a
preview of exactly how the print will look like as you move the crop up or
down on the photo. Works just fine, what you see on the preview when you
select where to place the crop is exactly what will be on the prints.

winkflash is not the only place, there are others, but this is what I use
currently unless I want to get prints fast, but then I have to prepare them
and save them on a CD-RW to get them printed at Costco.

 

[John Inzer]

Maybe your camera has an option to choose a
3:2 aspect ratio. In my Sony it's located at: File /
Image Size. This is the correct aspect ratio for
printing a 4x6.

As for cropping your current image files...as
long as your pixel dimensions can mathematically
equal 3:2...you should be able to print a 4x6.
Also...don't crop too close to the edge of your
images because I think some labs over print
slightly just to insure a full bleed.

As you can see...2500 x 1700...is not quite the
correct ratio...it would be closer to...2500x1666.

The following free software has a useful crop tool:

FastStone Image Viewer
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

With your images on screen...click the...Crop Board...
button on your toolbar...

On your Crop Board screen...click the...Define
Paper Ratios...button.

On your Paper Ratio screen...choose...3:2 Ratio / OK.

Click the "Flip Ratio" button if you need to change
from Portrait to Landscape.

Now...just left click / drag the handles to frame
your crop. When you are happy with your selection
click the...Crop To File...button to save your
new file. The program adds _cr to your file name
to prevent windows from overwriting your original.

I doubt that the format will be an issue...I use
..jpg and they print quite nicely.