What is "Print Ratio" or "Aspect Ratio" & What Do I Need To Know About It?
So what is a "Print" or "Aspect" Ratio? Simply put, a ratio in a print consists of the numbers that represent the long and short ends of the printed rectangle. These numbers reveal how many evenly size squares can fit into the rectangle. Think of a grid that is 2 blocks high and 3 blocks wide representing a 2:3 ratio. With a 4:5 ratio there would be 4 blocks high and five blocks wide. For example: 2:3 ratio makes a great wallet print and if you double it to 4x6 then you have a great album print. With a 4:5 ratio, double it and you have (you guessed it!) an 8x10!
Simply stated, if one adheres to the aspect ratio and picks the sizes for prints that are derived from the native aspect ratio of the camera, then print "real estate" will not be lost. You simply won't lose the subject or the background. You will have what photographers refer to as a "full frame" image.
The minute you use a different aspect ratio than the one native to the camera that was used to take the image, print real estate will be lost. Sometimes that lost print real estate negatively impacts the composition of the image and some times it is not enough to worry about. So what does this mean?
In the example below, you can see the same image shot in 2:3 ratio looks fabulous when printed on a canvas that is has a 2:3 print ratio. (more details on the sizes that match 2:3 ratio later). But when that same image is printed in a size that represents a 4:5 ratio, print real estate is lost. The person ordering the print is left to decide if they want the cowboy hat or the hand to be cut off in the image. Not a great choice either way! So the correct solution is to stay with the aspect ratio native to the camera. Which given the cameras of today, is in most cases, a 2:3 ratio.
2:3 PRINT RATIO or FULL FRAME, 16x24
4:5 PRINT RATIO- 16x20, HAND IS CUT OFF
4:5 PRINT RATIO- 16x20, COWBOY HAT IS CUT OFF
What Sizes Are Best to Choose?
Ask any person to name a size of an image that one would get printed to hang on the wall, and the most likely answer they would give is an 8x10. The 8x10 has been the size featured in school photo packets for years. That is because the cameras that many of us grew up with used a print ratio of 4:5, and an 8x10 is a perfect example of a 4:5 ratio.
Standard size prints that went with a 4:5 ratio were typically:
- 5x7 inch (Not a true 4:5 ratio but a very common size that was close to the actual aspect ratio
- 8 x 10 inch
- 11 x 14 inch (Not a true 4:5 ratio but a very common size that was close to the actual aspect ratio)
- 16 x 20 inch
- 20 x 24 inch
But today's DSLR and most mirrorless cameras don't use at 4:5 ratio, instead the image native to the digital cameras used today are a 2:3 ratio. What that means as a consumer is that you will want to order a print that uses the 2:3 ratio so you will don't lose any print real estate.
These sizes, (to name a few), are:
- 4 x 6 inch
- 8 x 12 inch
- 10 x 15 inch
- 12 x 18 inch
- 16 x 24 inch
- 20 x 30 inch
- 24 x 36 inch
So why do most people not know about print ratios and correct sizes to purchase in order to achieve a full frame images? Simple: technology changes all the time and it is hard to keep up! That is why you need to rely on your professional photographer to help you select the best size print for your wall.
When is it okay to chose a non native ratio?
The two different images below (garden and sunset images) are each displayed in a native ratio of 2:3 on the left, and in a non-native ratio of 4:5 ratio on the right. Both images work, but there is a different feeling to the image when you lose some of the print real estate and the non-native ratio causes a tighter crop. There is no right choice in these image examples. Simply a matter of taste. Your professional photographer can help you go through the images from your session and pick the best ones for printing in non-native ratio sizes.
2:3 RATIO
4:5 RATIO
2:3 RATIO
4:5 RATIO
What if I want different sizes then the native ratio offers?
This happens all the time! People have different tastes and different displayed images already present in their homes. Sometimes they need to match the size frame they already have of an older sibling that had their images done years prior. Or maybe grandma only has framed 8x10 images of her grandchildren on the wall and she needs them all to be the same. No problem, just tell your photographer ahead of time, so you can have them take a specific image that will have some cropping room for that 8x10. Or, you and your photographer can select images from your photo session that will crop well to different size ratios and provide size variety for your wall display.
2:3 RATIO
4:5 RATIO
1:1 RATIO, PERFECT SQUARE
Still Have Questions?
No worries, that is what I am here for! As your professional photographer, it is my job to help educate you on the best choices to make for your unique situation. I take great pride in helping you pick the best product for your space.
About the photographer, Kathleen
Kathleen Murphy is a senior portrait photographer based Rochester Minnesota. Kathleen loves to work closely with each senior client to make sure that their personality is authentically captured in each image. She is dedicated to making sure that every senior session is a remarkable experience that seniors will remember treasure as an important part of their senior year. Kathleen strives to ensure that your images are unique and represent YOU!
