Photography is an important part of every person's life. Some make a living by taking professional photographs, which are then printed for advertising. Some simply photograph memorable moments of life that are so nice to keep in a home album. The main thing is that the photo card turned out to be of high quality. To do this, you need to choose the right format. In this article, you will learn what formats and sizes of photos for printing exist and which ones are suitable for various purposes.
Pixel
To understand the sizes and form factors of images, choose them correctly, and then print them, you must first understand a few important concepts.
One such concept is the pixel. In every modern photograph there are hundreds or thousands of square, less often rectangular, shapes. A pixel is the smallest component of an image that represents specific color. Image values can be indicated with their help, but it is important to understand that they do not determine the size of the frame, but only its resolution. A frame consisting of pixels can be stretched as much as you like, but the larger the format, the lower the quality of the image.
Linear size
The next definition is a linear dimension. It determines the format of the image to be printed. This is the width and height of the image after printing, expressed in millimeters. In order to print a photo, it is important to take into account the number of pixels, because its quality depends on it.
DPI
Another concept is DPI. This is an abbreviation of the words "dots per inch", which translates as "dots per inch". As you might guess, DPI defines the number of dots per inch (25.4mm. images). This is important when printing because it can affect the format. The higher the DPI value, the better the image quality will be. Usually pictures with a DPI value of 150 are of good quality, but it is still better if the number of points reaches 300.
When preparing a photo for printing, it is important to consider its linear dimensions, since special photo paper is produced mainly in a standard format. If the aspect ratio of the photo does not match the proportions of the paper, then the photo may be stretched in the horizontal or vertical direction. Also, if the width and height of the photo paper is larger than the image parameters, the finished photo card will come out of poor quality, the borders of the squares may be visible. Therefore, do not forget to correlate the dimensions of the sides of a digital image depending on the number of pixels and compare them with the standard dimensions of photographic paper. If necessary, you can always adjust the proportions in any photo editor that provides cropping with standard aspect ratios.
The generally accepted standard for printing photographs is 100 x 150 mm. True, it is better to take a digital image of slightly larger sizes, preferably 102 by 105 mm, this reduces the likelihood of obtaining a poor quality image. At the same time, the pixel resolution of this format must be at least 1205 by 1795. There are also other standard formats:
| millimeters | pixels |
|---|---|
| 130 to 108 | 1500 to 2102 |
| 100 to 300 | 1205 to 3602 |
| 150 to 220 | 1795 to 2646 |
| 200 to 300 | 2398 to 3602 |
| 210 to 300 | 2480 to 3602 |
| 240 to 300 | 2835 to 3602 |
| 300 to 300 | 3602 to 3602 |
| 300 to 450 | 3602 to 5398 |
| 300 to 600 | 3602 to 7087 |
| 300 to 900 | 3602 to 10630 |
There are also certain standards for large format printing. To print such a picture, it is important to keep track of the resolution of the digital image in pixels. For large format printing, there are the following options:
| millimeters | pixels |
|---|---|
| 400 to 600 | 4000 to 6000 |
| 500 to 750 | 5000 to 7500 |
| 600 to 900 | 6000 to 9000 |
| 900 to 1200 | 9000 to 12000 |
| 600 by 1800 | 6000 to 18000 |
| 1000 by 1000 | 10000 by 10000 |
| 1000 to 1500 | 10000 to 15000 |
| 1000 to 3000 | 10000 by 30000 |
Calculation of the linear size
If you are not sure which print format you need in order to get the largest possible photo of optimal quality, you can use the formula that will help you calculate one side of the photo in centimeters: LR = a * d / DPI.
In this formula:
- LR is the linear size of the specified side in millimeters;
- a is the number of pixels on a given side;
- d - inches in millimeters (25.4);
- DPI is the number of dots per inch of your image (approximately 150-300).
Consider an example: if the resolution of the desired side is 2398 “a”, and the number of points of the photograph is 300 “DPI”, then we get LR = 2398 * 25.4 / 300. Thus, LR = 203 mm, which is ideal for a photo card with a side of 20 centimeters. It remains only to choose the appropriate aspect ratio, considering, if necessary, the size of the second side.
Often people prefer to take photos for documents on their own, rather than being photographed in the salon. Such images often turn out to be unattractive for the owner, because the photographer shoots as required by the rules, without thinking that a person can use this picture for many years. But you can take a picture of yourself on your own, without violating certain requirements, while emphasizing the best outlines of your face. After the photo is ready, all that remains is to print it or do it yourself, but then the question arises which aspect ratio to choose. Different documents may require different form factors, here are the most popular ones:
- For a Russian or foreign passport, the aspect ratio of the photo must be 35 by 45 mm;
- A photo for a pension and driver's license, medical book, student ID, work permit, etc. has dimensions of 30 by 40 mm .;
- The photo parameters for a personal file are 40 by 60 mm.
Popular photo formats for printing
Also consider the popular photo formats that are most common in everyone's life:
- Ordinary family albums and photo frames are produced in A6 format, images with dimensions of 100 by 150 or 90 by 130 mm are suitable for it;
- A7 with sides of 70 by 100 mm and A8 - 50 by 70 can be suitable for small photo frames;
- Also release big photos A4 albums, which corresponds to the size of a sheet of paper for a printer, so it can be useful for various purposes, an aspect ratio of 210 by 300 is suitable here;
- A5, corresponding to the size of a simple notebook, is also often used; sides of 150 by 200 are suitable for it;
- A3 is also often found, which corresponds to two sheets of A4, which can be useful both in professional field, and for a family photo to hang on the wall, its sides are 300 by 400 mm.
Summing up, we can safely say that it is not difficult to choose the required size of photographs and the appropriate format. It is important to understand what parameters such as pixels, linear size and DPI are, so as not to get confused. Determining the pixel resolution digital photography, it will be no problem to choose one of the most popular options for printing, both for ordinary life, and for professional activities and documents, and get a high-quality photo card.
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Hello!!!
In the 20th century, photographers did not have questions about the format of the image being created. Then it was possible to develop a photo of any size. Now there are several formats that are most popular. This is explained by the prevalence of typical photo albums, in which pictures of a non-standard format do not look very attractive.
What are the sizes of digital photos?
A regular photo printed on photo paper has only physical dimensions. Digital photography has many more properties. Theoretically, you can print almost any image. But if this process occurs at a pixel density of less than 300 dpi, then some artifacts will be displayed on the printed photo. Therefore, there are some limitations, which will be discussed below.
Photo sizes in pixels
The most important parameter is the size (resolution) of the digital image. Computer programs display photo sizes in pixels. To print a standard photo, a resolution of at least 1795 x 1205 pixels is required. A picture of this size can now be obtained by any digital camera. Even in mobile phones it is already very rare to find cameras that cannot save photos in this resolution.
Photo sizes in cm (centimeters)
The standard size is the one that has a physical size of 10 x 15 cm. For commemorative prints, the larger size is usually selected. Standard photo sizes also include 15 x 20 cm, 20 x 30 cm and 30 x 45 cm. High resolution images are required to print these photos. Typically, a compact, system or SLR camera is used for shooting in this case.
Aspect Ratio
An equally important parameter is the aspect ratio. This property indicates how much one side is longer than the other. The standard aspect ratio is 3:2. Most of the matrices installed in modern cameras have the same parameter. Sometimes other ratios are provided in the camera menu. When they are selected, a banal cropping of the edges of the image occurs. The resolution is then reduced to one value or another.
Often photographers choose an aspect ratio of 16:9. It's called widescreen. Now many monitors and TVs have the same parameter. On them, such pictures are displayed in full screen. But the sizes of photos for printing are also changing. The width of the printed image should be increased. When choosing a standard print format, you will have to crop a fairly decent part of the image.
photo paper
The emergence of new standards is dictated by photo paper manufacturers. No photo lab will print a picture of an unusual size for free, as this will require cutting the finished photo. And this already applies to additional services.
Small photo sizes
Several popular formats have been mentioned above. And in the table below you will find more accurate information about what photo sizes are. But this is not the most full list. IN Lately people regularly print their pictures on A4 photo sheets. For such photos, appropriate frames have been produced for quite a long time. Also, their production can be ordered in baguette workshops.
Miniature photographs are now printed extremely rarely. The size of a small photo can be 9 x 13 cm. If you need a photo in your wallet, you will have to print it yourself on a printer or make a non-standard order in a photo salon. For photo sizes, cm is not always used as the primary unit of measurement. Photos for documents (driver's license, passport, etc.) are measured in millimeters, as in this case, greater accuracy is important.
Large Format Printing: Photo Sizes
Recently, large-format printing has become very popular. This is the name of the service for printing large-sized images with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 or any other. Typically, this service is required for printing banners with vector graphics for advertising or congratulatory purposes.
Photo sizes rarely allow them to be printed in such sizes. large formats. You can see from the table above that a high quality 40 x 60 cm print would require a frame with a resolution of 4000 x 6000 pixels. Only cameras with a 24-megapixel matrix can provide such a photo.
Conclusion
It is advisable to always have the above tables at hand. With their help, you can quickly find out to what values you can reduce the size of a photo if necessary.
- inkjet or less often laser. Also, we all know that there are certain popular photo sizes. But what are standard sizes photos to print? We will summarize them in a table in which we will list all the sizes of photographs for printing.
Quite often, having decided to print our pictures, we are faced with a problem and ask ourselves the question - what size should they be? Of course, most modern digital cameras automatically select the required photo resolution values, but it also happens that you need to print photos downloaded from the Internet or captured on your phone, what to do in this case?
First, let's answer the question - why should you know (and accordingly adhere to) standard photo sizes for printing? The point is that by inventing standard photo sizes, photo paper began to be made in the same size. Therefore, the correct ratio of the height and width of the photograph is very important. Otherwise, the photos will be stretched both in height and in width. The resolution of the image is also important - it affects the quality (clearness) of the image when printed.
Sizes of photos for printing are shown in the table
Where there is a standard or format, this is the aspect ratio that it is desirable to adhere to so that you do not have to crop or stretch the photo. The second column contains the dimensions of the photos in centimeters, the third in pixels, I think this is understandable.
Standard sizes photos have dimensions of 10.2 x 15.2 cm (highlighted in the table) - these are the usual photos for the album that we are used to seeing.
What if the image has a different size?
Suppose you compared the sizes of photos for printing, the table of which was presented above, and found out that your image has different sizes, what should you do in this case? If the aspect ratio is different, then a simple increase or decrease in centimeters is not enough. You will have to crop the image to the desired format.
How to quickly crop a photo to the desired size?
There are two main ways.
The first way is to use the most a simple program for image editing. Almost all versions of the Windows operating system have Paint program in the "Standard Programs" tab. Having opened the photo file in this program, you need to drag the border of the picture on the right or bottom and thus crop the photo to the desired size in pixels. The size of the image in pixels is shown at the bottom of the program window.
The second way is to use specialized image editing programs. Most often used Photoshop program She is the most popular and the most professional. I note that we just need to fit the photo to the desired format (depending on the version of the program, the location of this button may change - just squeak it on the toolbar).
Photographing is a creative process. No wonder it is elevated to the rank of art. Well-known photographers arrange exhibitions along with artists. Good pictures are valued and can generate income.
The photo has long been included in our everyday life. Instead of memorizing a schedule or a phone number, it's easier to take a picture with your phone's built-in camera. The way photographs are stored has also changed: many do not print photos, but store them in electronic format. At any time, pictures can be viewed or sent to friends. But the technology is improving, and the possibilities of using images are becoming almost limitless. This applies to both the commercial sector and private photo shoots. All new photo formats appear and now you can print a picture in any size, after cropping it.
Photo formats for printing
Despite the development of digital photography, printed images do not lose their popularity. For example, photos for documents, as before, are required on paper. Paper banners and posters hang on the street. You can print photos literally on any surface - on a T-shirt, mug, your smartphone case. Taking a photo is not a problem. It is important to choose correct dimensions photographs for printing on site. Even if you manage to get a perfect photo, it may not be suitable for printing.
Consider the main photo formats for printing.
Standard ISO formats
Formats that you probably heard about back in school. These are the same letters A with numbers. The table below lists the formats and their exact dimensions.
| ISO standard | Size (cm) |
|---|---|
| A1 | 59.4x84.1 |
| A2 | 42x59.4 |
| A3 | 29.7x42 |
| A4 | 21x29.7 |
| A5 | 14.8x21 |
| A6 | 10.5x14.8 |
It is worth paying attention to these parameters since office equipment is produced taking into account these values. For example, once beloved photos of 10x15 cm, in fact, are standard A6 with minor amendments.
Print formats are not limited by international photographic standards. There are also other photo sizes. Each photo workshop has a table that indicates the photo formats and their purpose. If you plan to print pictures at home, you can find a similar table on the Internet and refer to it when editing images before printing.
Document photo formats
Separately, it is worth talking about photographs for documents. Document image sizes are also standard. A specific document has its own image sizes. The largest photos are needed for personal files (9x12), the smallest ones for military tickets and driver's licenses (2.5x3.5).
square photos
There is a small group of specialized formats, such as square ones. Now photos in this format can be found mainly in social networks like Instagram. Most interesting example You can call the photos taken with the help of "Polaroid".
The most popular sizes for square photos are as follows:
Widescreen photos
With the development of technology, wide-format photographs are becoming more widespread, i.e. photographs whose length is many times greater than the height. They are notable for their resemblance to a panoramic image. For a long time, advertisers have had the opportunity to use a large-format plotter with a size of 10000x5000 to print banners, thus eliminating the need for composite compositions.
Why Consider Image Resolution?
Playing with the scale in the photo editor, you can get small pictures, or vice versa, you can increase the image in size. But there is a problem with the quality of the photo. It is not enough to choose a format for printing, you must take into account the resolution of the image. A digital image is made up of pixels. The number of dots per inch indicates the clarity of the image and is called resolution. The more dots, the clearer the photo will be when printed. For example, to get a picture that will be easy to process, a resolution of 300 dpi is enough. When printing on a sheet of 8x10 cm, in the editor you will get a size of 2400x3000 pixels.
Photo editing intricacies
If the image format is non-standard, then before printing it is better to use a photo editor and change the image resolution.
Also if you want to print small photo on a large format - the image will be fuzzy and blurry. Therefore, think in advance where the picture will be used.
Even an old photo can be printed on paper - you just need to set the format correctly. And to set the scale and aspect ratio correctly, use Movavi's simple and intuitive photo editor.
In Movavi Photo Editor, you can resize the resulting image in two ways:
1. Resize photo
- Click tab Size on the main toolbar
- Use ready-made profiles or set your own photo size:
- Enter values in block fit to size. Click on the icon keep proportions to scale proportions independently.
- Select a predefined profile.
- Click Other size to see all available profiles.
Crop your photo
- Go to tab pruning.
- Set the required size:
- Specify width And height in the respective fields.
- Select the appropriate profile from the list.
- Set the parameters yourself. Position the frame so that you are satisfied with the resulting picture. To resize the frame, simply drag its edges.
Content Topics
While you are scrolling through the photos from your vacation on the computer screen, you do not even think about the format in which they are made. However, if you decide to send them to print, you will need to choose the dimensions of the future photo, that is, adapt your pictures to standard photo paper sizes.
Today we will tell you how to do it correctly and determine the size of photos or pictures for printing.
Photo Size Chart for Printing
Standard photo sizes for printing are shown in the table:
| Photo standard | Size (pixels) | Exact size | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9x13 | 1063x1535 | 8.90x12.70 | 1 |
| 10x15 | 1181x1772 | 10.20x15.20 | 2 |
| 13x18 | 1535x2126 | 12.70x17.80 | 3 |
| 15x20 | 1772x2362 | 15.20x20.30 | 4 |
| 15x21 | 1772x2362 | 15.20x21.60 | 5 |
| 15x22 | 1772x2480 | 15.20x22.80 | 6 |
| 15x30 | 1772x2598 | 15.20x30.00 | 7 |
| 15x38 | 1772x3543 | 15.20x38.10 | 8 |
| 15x45 | 1772x4488 | 15.20x45.70 | 9 |
| 18x24 | 1772x5315 | 17.80x24.00 | 10 |
| 18x25 | 2126x2835 | 17.80x25.40 | 11 |
| 20x25 | 2126x2953 | 20.30x25.40 | 12 |
| 20x30 | 2362x3543 | 20.30x30.50 | 13 |
| 25x38 | 2953x4488 | 25.40x38.10 | 14 |
| 30x40 | 3543x4724 | 30.50x40.60 | 15 |
| 30x45 | 3543x5315 | 30.50x45.70 | 16 |
| 30x90 | 3534x10630 | 30.50x91.40 | 17 |
To find out which inch sizes of photographs correspond to standard parameters, you just need to convert centimeters to inches by dividing them by 2.54 or use a special table.
Correspondence table for standard photo sizes in inches and pixels:
| Standard | Size (pixels) | Size (inches) |
|---|---|---|
| 9x13 | 1063x1535 | 3.5430x5.1170 |
| 10x15 | 1181x1772 | 3.9370x5.9070 |
| 13x18 | 1535x2126 | 5.1170x7.0870 |
| 15x20 | 1772x2362 | 5.9070x7.8730 |
| 15x21 | 1772x2362 | 5.9070x8.2670 |
| 15x22 | 1772x2480 | 5.9070x8.6600 |
| 15x30 | 1772x2598 | 5.9070x11.8100 |
| 15x38 | 1772x3543 | 5.9070x14.9600 |
| 15x45 | 1772x4488 | 5.9070x17.7170 |
| 18x24 | 1772x5315 | 7.0870x9.4500 |
| 18x25 | 2126x2835 | 7.0870x9.8430 |
| 20x25 | 2126x2953 | 7.0870x9.8430 |
| 20x30 | 2362x3543 | 7.8730x11.8100 |
| 25x38 | 2953x4488 | 9.8430x14.9600 |
| 30x40 | 3543x4724 | 11.8100x15.7470 |
| 30x45 | 3543x5315 | 11.8100x17.7170 |
| 30x90 | 3534x10630 | 11.8100x35.4330 |
Why do you need to know the size of photos for printing?
Previously, when we filmed our holidays and birthdays with "film" cameras, we took the "tube" with the film to a special workshop. There we noted the selected frames that needed to be printed, and then we took the finished order. And already at home they often found that the photos came out unsuccessful. It was almost impossible to see them on film.
Now, in the era of digital photography, it would seem that everything is much simpler, and before taking a flash drive with pictures for printing, we can thoroughly study them and choose the best ones. But, in fact, only those who have never printed frames from digital media think so.
The problem here is that such images can have any extension, as well as the ratio of horizontal and vertical sizes. In turn, how photo paper is produced within certain standard parameters. And if, for example, you took a wonderful square frame to the photo workshop, then when printing, the master, at his discretion, will “cut off” part of the photo in order to adapt it to the desired rectangular format. And not the fact that you will like how he did it.
It is in order to avoid such troubles that you need to know the exact dimensions of the photos, as well as how many pixels horizontally and vertically they correspond to.
Get necessary information you can refer to the special table provided above.
How to edit pictures?
You can easily edit your photos, change their frame, and also the size in the Paint program, which is on any computer. This graphics editor is easy to use and very convenient even for inexperienced users.
To process a photo, you must first right-click on the desired file, and then select the "open with" line from the menu, and then click on "Paint".
When will open on your monitor desired photo, select the resize button in the upper right corner. The program will offer two options, one in percentage and the other in pixels, here you need to select the second one. After that, you just have to drive in the necessary parameters, and save the changes.
As a result, it turns out that in order for you to be exactly satisfied with the received paper pictures, you need not only to choose the best frames, but also process them correctly, “adapting” them to the standard sizes of photo paper sheets.
