cropped photos don't match print sizes???

[callysykes]

i am editing some photos that i took recently and I am cropping some using photoshop elements- the problem i have is i then end up with strange photo sizes that don't necessarily match the standard printing sizes. If i save the file as a standard 7x5 would i then have problems enlarging it at a later date or should i save it as a bigger size and then be able to make it smaller. Can any one help, many thanks

 

[Scarecrow]

After editing I always save my images without cropping. If later down the line I find I need to make some prints, at that stage I will crop to the aspect ratio of the prints I want to make.

 

[arad85]

Not sure what the problem is. Are you cropping with fixed ratios (e.g. 7x5) and then ending up with pictures that are (say) 1400 x 1000 which don't match a 7"x5" print at 300dpi or are you cropping to get a 7x5 picture, but your crops end up at 1000 x 1000 (for example)

 

[Yv]

I am guessing you mean that the crop you like compositionally for each picture isn't a standard print size perhaps? If so, you need to crop to a required print size, or have prints with odd looking borders. By That I mean that if your crop has, for example, a 7 x 4 ratio, when printed at 7 x 5, you either have a 1/2 inch unprinted border top and bottom, or you lose an inch and a bit from the print on width. Neither are really desirable so better to crop to the print ratio to begin with, then a least you get the best crop possible for that ratio. Hope that makes sense.


One thing I would recommend is to save your print versions with a different name, keeping the original intact so that if you do want to reprint at a different size at a later date, you still have that option.

 

[Craikeybaby]

As above, my advice would be to save images without cropping (or cropping slightly maintaining the original aspect ratio) then cropping for the desired output be that a fixed aspect ratio for print or however you want for web.