Typical print size ratios range from 1:1.25 to 1:1.5. That is to say the pictures vary from one and a quarter to one and a half times wider than they are high, (or vice versa in portrait mode).
| Print Size | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 4" | 1: 1.5 | |
| 7 x 5" | 1: 1.4 | |
| 9 x 6" | 1: 1.5 | |
| 10 x 8" | 1: 1.25 | |
| 15 x 10" | 1: 1.5 | |
| APS | ||
| 6 x 4" | 1: 1.5 | Classic |
| 7 x 4" | 1: 1.75 | HDTV |
| 12 x 4" | 1: 3 | Panoramic |
35mm film captures photos in the ratio of 1:1.5. Digital cameras use a ratio of 1.33' which is the same as most computer monitors. APS film uses a ratio of 1.8 and is further complicated by the three viewfinder-cropping modes.
| Capture Media | Size | Ratio | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35mm negative film | 1.5 x 1" | 1: 1.5 | 36mm x 24mm (3:2) |
| APS negative film | 1.2 x .66" | 1: 1.8 | 30.2mm x 16.7mm (9:5) |
| Digital Camera | 4 x 3 | 1: 1.33' | same as computer monitor ratio |
Different amounts of cropping are necessary depending on the print size and capture media, (unless we want white bands on two facing sides of our photos). The cropping may be from either the long or short edge.
Note that some online print shops offer a wider range of print sizes. Photobox.co.uk, for example offers six by four and a half inch prints to accommodate images from digital cameras.
The moral of the story is not to crop the photos too tightly when composing the shot or editing later.
| Name | Resolution | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4:3 | standard monitors - 1:1.33 | |
| QVGA | 320 x 240 | Quarter VGA |
| VGA | 640 x 480 | Video Graphics Array |
| SVGA | 800 x 600 | Super VGA |
| XGA | 1024 x 768 | Extended Graphics Array (also supports 1360 * 1024) |
| XGA+ | 1152 x 864 | |
| QuadVGA | 1280 x 960 | Quad VGA |
| SXGA+ | 1400 x 1050 | |
| UXGA | 1600 x 1200 | Ultra XGA |
| useful | 1800 x 1350 | |
| QXGA | 2048 x 1536 | Quad XGA a.k.a.SUXGA |
| Canon | 2272 x 1704 | 3.9 Megapixel IXUS 40 camera |
| QSXGA+ | 2800 x 2100 | Quad SXGA+ |
| QUXGA | 3200 x 2400 | Quad Ultra XGA |
| Panasonic | 3264 x 2448 | 8.1 Megapixel DMC-FZ18 camera |
| 16:10 | widescreen monitors - about 1:1.6 | |
| CGA | 320 x 200 | Colour Graphics Adapter |
| WXGA | 1280 x 800 | Widescreen XGA (also 1280 x 768 5:3 and 1366 x 768 16:9) |
| WXGA+ | 1440 x 900 | (also 1280 x 854 3:2) |
| WSXGA | 1600 x 1024 | Widescreen Super XGA |
| WSXGA+ | 1680 x 1050 | |
| WUXGA | 1920 x 1200 | Widescreen Ultra XGA |
| WQXGA | 2560 x 1600 | Widescreen Quad XGA |
| 16:9 | HDTV resolutions - 1:1.78 | |
| EGA | 640 x 350 | Enhanced Graphics Adapter |
| WVGA | 854 x 480 | Wide VGA (also 800 x 480 and 848 x 480) |
| 720 | 1280 x 720 | |
| 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
| 5:4 | Analogue TV resolutions - 1:1.25 | |
| PAL | 720 x 576 | UK and Europe (5:4, 1:1.25). 720 x 525 = 1:1.37 |
| NTSC | 720 x 480 | USA (3:2, 1:1.5) |
| SXGA | 1280 x 1024 | Super XGA (5:4, 1:1.25) |
| QSXGA | 2560 x 2048 | Quad SXGA (5:4, 1:1.25) |
