Preparing Files for Printing at a Photo Lab Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Module
There are two ways to turn your digital image into a printed masterpiece. Option 1: Deliver the file to a professional photo lab and have them print it out for you. Option 2: Do all the hard work yourself and put the image down on paper using your own inkjet photo printer. Both options have advantages and disadvantages. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Print Module makes the second option–inkjet printing on your own equipment easy–for those with the right training but it is not always my preferred method. Having images printed for me at a professional photo lab is often the easiest and most cost-effective way to get my photographs out on paper.
Lightroom’s Print Module is great for those who want to feed their own paper into their own printer but often I prefer to hand the hard work off to a professional lab. For folks like me, preparing “print-ready” files using Lightroom’s powerful Export Dialog and then delivering these files to a lab is the easiest way to go. If you understand how Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog works then you can build Presets (aka. Templates) to automate your photo lab preparation process. With the right Export presets in place preparing files for delivery to a professional lab is incredibly fast and easy.
It is worth reviewing the whole lab print preparation process before we talk about the specific buttons involved in the Export Dialog.
Preparing Files For Photo Lab Printing Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
- 1. Completely enhance your image using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Develop Module and any other image editing software. Fix everything that needs improvement until your image looks perfect.
- 2. Decide on the size of print that you would like to order from your lab. Reduce this paper size to a ratio. A 4″x6″ print, for example, is the product of a 2:3 ratio. An 8″x10″ print is the product of a 4×5 ratio. We need know the ratio of paper width to height to see if it matches up with the ratio of your original capture.
- 3. If the ratio of the paper and the ratio of original digital capture match then we can skip cropping to fit the intended output paper size. If the ratios do not match then we will need to use Lightroom’s Crop Tool to fit part of your image within the boundaries of your target paper size. Cropping with the appropriate fixed aspect ratio helps to ensure that you get the right shaped image back from your photo lab.
- 4. We need to to create a copy of your image that is ready for your photo lab using Lightroom’s Export Dialog. This print-ready file should be sized appropriately to fit your paper choice and it may also need a new filename, a new color profile, and the appropriate type of output sharpening.
- 5. Deliver the print-ready file to your photo lab along and wait for them to do all the hard work.
- 6. Hang the finished product on the wall and enjoy!
I am going to cover the steps involved in preparing a 4″x6″ print in my first video tutorial. I will cover preparing files for this size paper first because this paper size is a perfect match for my camera’s 2:3 aspect ratio. I do not need to crop any part of my original capture away to fit the target paper size since the ratios match. Now I could crop in tighter on my subject if I wanted but I don’t need to crop anything away because the capture ratio matches up with the ratio of my output paper size. This makes life easier but it is not going to succeed with some of the other common reproduction sizes.
I would like to make one more point before you watch this video tutorial. The true beauty of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is in the power of templates and presets. Lightroom’s Export Dialog is just a fancy “Save As” button. Plugging in the necessary settings for your print-ready file–this size, this file format, this color space, this resolution, etc.–each and every time you want to order a print is inefficient. Lightroom is an incredible tool for the busy digital photographer because it can be trained. Teaching the software to automate a repetitive process, meaning building an Export Preset for 4″x6″ lab printing, is the best way to improve your efficiency.
Building an Export Preset for 4×6 Photo Lab Printing in Lightroom from David Marx on Vimeo.
If you just watched the video tutorial on 4″x6″ print file preparation then you might have noticed that I built and saved two different types of templates. I built a Filename Template first so that my print-ready files are automatically renamed. In this video I built a new Filename Template so that Lightroom will automatically append the words “4×6 Print” onto the end of my existing filename.
Adding a clear description into the new file’s name prevents confusion. Appending the purpose, and the size, onto the filename is particularly helpful when I need to order copies of the same image in multiple print sizes: ie. when a client requests a 4″x6″ print, a 5″x7″ print, and an 11″x14″ copy of the same original capture. It is easy to confuse myself, and my photo lab, if I neglect to give each file a clear descriptive name.
Appending more information onto the file’s name is just one of the steps involved in the Export Dialog. It is an important step, but I also need to instruct Lightroom to create the right type of file. For most photo labs, we need to deliver images saved in the Jpeg file format. This is especially true for photographer’s working with digital camera Raw files. Raw file formats are a great way to store your original capture information but you need to remember that Raw file formats are not printable.
Camera Raw is a starting point. Raw is a wonderful initial capture format but it is not an acceptable choice for your print-ready output file. Check out our article on the differences between the Raw and Jpeg file formats for more details. Thus, my print-ready files are often a Jpeg copy derived from my original Raw capture. Thanks to the power of the Export Dialog producing this copy is easy.
Here is a screenshot of my entire Export Dialog window configured for 4″x6″ print-ready file creation. I closed a couple of the panels–watermarking, metadata, etc.–to make the Dialog fit on my screen. You can leave these features turned off since they will not do anything to improve the quality of your printed image. The critical questions are where should the new file be saved, what should it be called, what file format should it use, and what physical size should it be.
Again, the goal here is to set everything up and then to save your work by building a new Export Preset. Filling in these blanks once is not terribly hard, but doing this again and again is inefficient. Building a template for 4″x6″ printing makes the whole process super fast and easy!
Now 4″x6″ prints are easy for me since my 35mm digital camera creates images using a 2:3 aspect ratio. 2:3 scales up to 4×6 perfectly. I need to add an additional step into my routine though when I want to order a 5″x7″ print. For 5″x7″ printing, I must crop off a piece of my original image because this paper size does not scale down to a 2:3 aspect ratio. This video tutorial explains how to crop using a fixed aspect ratio with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Crop Tool. Gene McCullagh has a great in-depth article on all of the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Crop Tool features over at lightroomsecrets.com.
Cropping to a Fixed Ratio with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom from David Marx on Vimeo.
I need to point out here that I can crop my original image in Lightroom without any fear of doing permanent harm because Lightroom’s image enhancement system is always non-destructive. Nothing that Lightroom does to an image is “ever set in stone” and the parts of the image that I am cropping away are not being permanently removed from my original file. Setting a 5:7 crop in Lightroom, or making any other change in the Develop Module, can be undone at anytime!
Our final video tutorial covers the steps involved in the Export Dialog once your file has been cropped to the appropriate ratio. Again, the goal is to set everything up once and then to save all of the settings as a new Export Preset. Automating repetitive tasks makes your workflow more efficient and preparing files for photo lab printing is the perfect place to harness this power!
Building an Export Preset for 5×7 Photo Lab Printing with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom from David Marx on Vimeo.
Here is a screenshot for my complete 5″x7″ Export Dialog settings in case you need it.
Repeat the Export Preset creation process for all the paper sizes that you frequently order. Building Presets for all of the paper sizes that you frequently order is one of the best ways to speed up your Lightroom workflow!
Related Tutorials:
- Using the Crop and Straighten Tool in Lightroom
- Understanding Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Nondestructive Image Enhancement System
- Printing with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Print Module and Virtual Copies
- Creating Email Ready Images Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s Export Dialog
Filed Under: (07) Exporting • (09) Printing with Lightroom • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Tutorials
About the Author: David Marx is a digital photography instructor whose engaging teaching style inspires photographers of all skill levels. David is an Adobe Certified Lightroom Expert. To learn more about David's Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software training seminars and digital photography field workshops please visit 
Thanks for the tutorial. I’ve got a follow-up question. If I know the printer the lab is using or at least can request they use a given printer they have (e.g. a Noritsu 3411) and I have done soft proofing in the Develop module for that printer, should I update the Color Space in the Export File Settings from sRGB to the printer profile used in the soft proofing? I noticed you had a Costco printer defined in your Color Space drop down menu in the tutorial but didn’t use it.
Dear Frank,
If you are printing at lab where custom profiles are available, and if you understand how to install them / softproof with them / and include them in the file that you export, then I certainly would use them. Costco–via http://www.drycreekphoto.com‘s profile library–makes this relatively easily. But with other photos labs the profiles are hard to find or worse are not meant for color conversion. But since it sounds like you know what you are doing and working with Costco by all means use the right profile to softproof and include it in your exported file.
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David Marx
Thanks so much for this tutorial. This was extremely helpful. I have been so frustrated that my prints from the lab do not match the image in computer. I followed your guide and sent a few samples prints to Mpix!
Thank you for your thorough explanation – I’ve tried this – and stepped through your recommended settings – yet, when I got my photos back the photos didn’t look anything like the ones I had prepared – the colors were all blown out – too much contrast in some and those with water/the ocean and beach were almost white
I have LR 4.3 – my camera is an EOS Cannon T1i
How can I ensure that what I prepare in LR will transfer to the print lab?
Hi David, I too found your website helpful however I am running in to a problem still. I am shooting with a full frame camera and using lightroom and photoshop cs5. I followed the steps you mentioned above, went to resend the photos with the new settings to a local Sam’s Club to test and they are still cropping my 4×6 / 8×10 photos down further. Am I missing something?
Thank you again for your help!
Dear Kathleen,
Three things to check:
1. Did you use the right crop aspect ratio? Your 4×6 for example needs a 2:3 ratio. Your 8×10 needs a 4:5 ratio.
2. Did you export each file using the appropriate settings for the Image Size in the Export Dialog. When you exported the 2:3 crop did you tell Lightroom to make you a new file whose dimensions are 4×6 inches at 300 ppi. When you exported the 4:5 crop did you tell Lightroom to make you a new file whose dimensions really are 8×10 inches at 300 ppi? Double check the settings in the export dialog and check the results using the Adobe Bridge.
3. When you sent the files to Sam’s club did you upload and order the appropriate file for each different size print? Did you turn off all of their websites resizing controls or explain to the person taking your order to print the files without any further changes?
If the answer to all of these steps is yes–yes I have the right crop, yes I exported the right size file at the right dimensions, and yes I placed an order using the right file with explicit instructions that no further cropping or resizing is needed–then you have the right to ask them to reprint your order. If the problem persists and you know that you did everything right then perhaps its time to try another photo lab.
Best of luck and happy holidays,
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David Marx
Hi David,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I have done the last 2 tips you mentioned. In regards to the first tip and the 4×6. I was under the impression that I did not need to crop when printing a 4×6 print (with settings you mentioned above) from a full frame camera because the ratios are the same, so the full image should automatically fit on that size paper. Is that correct?
Thanks again,
Kathleen
Dear Kathleen,
Most digital SLR cameras–full frame or not–shoot images using a traditional 2:3 ratio. Other styles of camera like the micro 4/3′s do not. So if you were shooting say a Canon 5D at its native ratio then your original image should be 2:3 and thus enlarge to 4×6 inches without the need for any cropping. I should point out too that some digital cameras have an internal ratio setting. Obviously if you have changed this camera setting to something other than 2:3 then you can’t expect say 16:9 originals to match a 4×6 enlargement.
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David Marx
Hi,
I have Lightroom 4 with the plug-in, Mogrify. I need a quick formula for my borders. This is for 4×6 pics. I am sending my 300 dpi images to a photo lab to develop.
My image size is 800 x 600 with “resize to fit” checked. Resolution 300 dpi.
For my 4 x 6 pics I am doing the borders at 10% for the bottom border, so I can add text and 2% for the remaining. My font is 20. I am happy with the look.
After I put my borders on, the site for the photo lab wants to crop my images; which gives me uneven borders.
Now in order to preserve the image and border size I think I have to do something with the canvas.
I just need a quick formula to achieve the look I explained in the third paragraph. please help. I have over 400 images to get done for Christmas. Once I have this formula, I will save it as a pre-set.
Dear Heidi Meyer,
Formula for canvas size: Take the width of your print and multiply it by the output resolution. The resulting pixel dimension goes in the first blank. Now take the height of the print and multiply by the output resolution. The resulting pixel dimension goes in the second blank. Example: 6″ wide print * 300 ppi = 1800 for the canvas width. 4″ height print * 300 ppi = 1200 for the canvas height.
Be sure to turn on the “fit all borders within canvas area” switch.
Also I suspect that you want to double check that image size of 800×600 since that will make for a very small image at 300 ppi!
Merry Christmas,
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David Marx
I have to say. I was not happy with the Mogrify plug-in. Eventually what I did was use the “canvas”. I set it at 1782 x 1188 for a 4×6 print. I set the dpi to 300. I set the “resizing” to 1782 wide. I could not get the borders to work on all 4 sides of the image without the image being cropped on the export. In the end I only used a border on the bottom with the caption information for the photo. Mogrify instructions say that if you set the canvas size, the image will not be cropped. Wrong. When I looked at the image on my desk top it was always cropped. For images with people’s heads near the top of the image I used a different preset so the image would not have cut-off heads! If you were using Mogrify to post to the web, the borders worked. But for some reason when having a photo lab (and I mean a professional lab not Walmart) do them, the images were not perfect 4×6 images and would have to be cropped somewhat. (Yes, the pictures were set at 4×6 aspect ratio in Lightroom). This was not a big problem if you had a lot of sky or ground at the top or bottom of the picture. I also felt the instructions for Mogrify were very basic. I am an amateur photographer and very new to Lightroom, so more instructions for doing images for printing would have been helpful. I did get my 471 pictures done for Christmas and the recipient was amazed with the gift. I just would have liked 4 borders for a more polished look. I would include an image to show you my results, but I don’t think I can do that on this website. Also another Mogrify complaint is the Photographer’s Toolbox people never got back to me about my quires. Very frustrating. Thank you for your great website and answering my questions.
)
Dear Heidi Meyer,
I am glad to hear that you got your Christmas gifts finished and that it made your friends happy. I would respectfully suggest that you get what you pay for. Mogrify is donationware– basically you could pay as little one dollar and use it forever. Others, like me will pay more, but the profits that it generates for Timothy Armes are minimal. If you want far more control, and around the clock tech support, then a product like Adobe Photoshop CS6 is the way to go.
Again, I am glad that you were able to get the task at hand accomplished even with the frustrations. In the end, making our friends and family happy is the ultimate measure of our success as a photographer.
Happy New Year,
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David Marx
This is great, thanks David. I think I’ve almost got it, but hoping you can help with one quick question. I have a crop body camera, so I think my aspect is automatically 3:2. That said, If I don’t crop a photo at all, and just export it to jpeg, it stays at that ratio, correct? If I do crop it, it sounds like I need to make sure I’m using a set dimension (instead of just dragging the window like I would if it were only for digital purposes, not printing). So if I select 4×6 as a crop preset, can I take that photo and blow it up to an 8×12 or 12×16 at a photo lab? Or should I export as the exact size I want to print (i.e. Image Sizing to 12×16 upon export)? Thanks!
Dear Adam,
You are confusing the crop ratios with the exported file size. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom’s crop tool uses ratios like 1:1 for a square, 16:9 for a panoramic, or 2:3 for the ratio of traditional 35mm capture. A 1:1 square crop can then be exported as a 4″x4″, a 8″x8″, or a 20″x20″. The export dialog sets the file’s physical dimensions in inches, centimeters, or pixels. The crop ratio only sets its shape.
So the answer is yes you certainly should use the 2:3 ratio for your 4″x6″ print, your 8″x12″, and your 20″x30″. The crop ratio for all of these prints remains the same but the image size needs to change in the Export Dialog.
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David Marx
Excellent blog! Very useful information! Thank you very much!
Do you have a book on this? I would eagerly buy one, and I know others would, too.
Just 1 silly question, if you would – how do you limit the file size for the different print sizes, so that it does not take too long to upload?
Thanks again for this amazing blog.
Dear Fred,
An iBook is in the works but it turns out that actually writing something coherent is not easy! Thanks for the vote of confidence though in our tutorials. If I understand your print question then what I do might make sense.
When I am working with a photo lab I churn out a different file for each image at each different print size. If you offered prints in a dozen different sizes then this could get overwhelming but I don’t. I basically offer prints for sale at 12×18 and at 20×30 only. For friends and family I make 4×6 or 8×12 inch prints only. By limiting the sizes that I will print I free myself from having to create a dozen different copies of each image.
Now obviously this method is not going to work for everyone. A wedding photographer, for example, might need to print the same image for their client at four or five different sizes. In commercial photography the client often tells us what size print they want rather than the other way around. The secret to keeping your sanity though is to make Export templates. By building and saving a template you can automate and batch the export to X by Y size process.
I hope this answers your question but if I misunderstood please write me back.
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David Marx
Thank you so much! I was starting to go crazy because my pictures looked so bad every time I went to get them printed from a photo lab! They look perfect now! And you did a great job explaining it
Dear Jennifer,
I am glad that you found this tutorial useful. Thank you for the kind words. I hope that you get great prints now from your lab every time.
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David Marx
sorry for the silly question but i want to double check
my cam is 3:2 aspect rasio so i print in 4×6 with no problems right??
i followed the same setting that u make and hope it will work for me
or do i have to fix the dimenssions to 6×4??
Dear Judy,
The aspect ratio and crop language is a mess. If your camera produces images with a 2×3 ratio then you do not need to crop off anything to fit the entire image into a 4″x6″ piece of paper. If you were wanting to crop something out of your capture, but maintain the original ratio, then you can set Lightroom’s crop tool either to the vague “original” choice or specify 2×3. If no crop is needed then you do not need to worry about using the crop tool at all until you want to print this image out onto a piece of paper that does not match this ratio.
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David Marx
Thanks
I enjoyed reading your tutorial, and I have an additional question. After my very simple editing, I would like to take my photos to a lab for printing. Would a dvd be the easiest way to do so?
Dear Patrice Strong,
Bringing files to your photo lab via a DVD is easy. You could either export all of the images that you want printed to a folder on your Desktop and then burn your own disk or you could setup Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4′s export dialog to burn the disk for you. I prefer to upload my files to my photo labs via the web but disk burning is sometimes a better option particular when you have hundreds or thousands of images that you needed printed in a single order.
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David Marx
I am having some big issues.
You some what covered it.
I have a photo I took with a Nikon D60
I want to print the image as 5×7
but the cropping takes too much off no matter where I move it.
So what if you need your entire image that is way bigger than 5×7 put you want it printed on 5×7.
what can you do?
Dear Eddie,
You will never be able to print a 5×7 inch image from your Nikon D60, or any other digital SLR camera, without cropping. DSLR cameras create images with a 2:3 aspect ratio. Because these two ratios are not a match something must be cropped every time.
If you want to print the entire image without cropping then you have two choices: 1. Use a paper size that is evenly divisible by 2:3 like 4×6, 6×9, 8×12, etc.
2. Make a custom size print like 5×7.5 on a larger piece of paper. You can either cut a mat to cover the extra paper or trim it off with a paper cutter.
This is always an unpleasant topic but in the end we photographers are to blame for not doing simple math and for allowing our photo labs to sell us silly paper sizes.
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David Marx
Dave: I would like to know what I would do with the files that I exported, converted to jpegs, resized to 4×6 or 5×7 and save on my desktop. After sending them off to be printed by an online printing service or sending them through email, do I import them into LR again, save them in folders on my external hard drive or just delete them? Suppose I need to have some of the files reprinted. Do I go back to LR and repeat the process?
Also, I have a website and need to upload jpegs to my site. How do I organize these files in LR?
I enjoying reading your tutorials, thank you for you help.
Dolores Root
Dear Dolores Root,
I am glad that you find our tutorials helpful! The answer to your first question is “it depends.” It depends on the complexity of the print files and your need for exact reprints. If these are photos that you will only expect to order once or a print order that would not need to be precisely reprinted years later then I see no reason to re-import your 4×6, 5×7, etc lab ready files. If, on the other hand, this is a professional job and exact reprints–same lab, same crop, same paper, etc.–might be required at some point in the future then re-importing makes sense.
A prime example for me are weddings. If I as a professional am hired to shoot someone’s wedding then there is an expectation that my clients might want to order exact reprints years from now. If the clients order a reprint next year they are expecting to see the exact same image that they got this year. So either I need to re-import my print ready files and keep them organized and protected along with all of my other images or I need to take extra steps like burning the print ready files to a DVD. I need to do something so that I can keep my clients happy even if their wedding album gets destroyed ten years from now. But this is a completely different set of expectations then I have for the average 4×6 that I tape up on my refrigerator.
For your website start by grouping the images that you want to post together using Collections. See Introduction to Collections in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Where you go from there depends on your website design…
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David Marx
Thanks Dave, that was very helpful.
Dolores
Great tutorial, nice easy to understand explanations.
Just a question on the file format setting at jpg. As jpg is lossy compression and tiff/psd are non lossy compression just wondered why you selected jpg and not tiff or psd for print production?
Dear Martin,
It is a trade-off. It is true that the Jpeg format is compressed and that the compression does remove some amount of color variation. The question is can the eye see the loss if the compression is used carefully?
Uncompressed file formats like Tif or Psd are arguably better but the files that they produce are much larger. Larger files are harder to upload to a lab via the Internet. Larger files take up more storage space, etc. So the question is are the larger files really going to produce a better print?
My feeling is that unless you have access to the very best printers run by the very best printmakers then the larger file does not produce a noticeably better print when compared to the lightly compressed jpeg. It doesn’t produce a print that justifies the slower delivery and the wasted storage space.
My advice though is to try it for yourself. Try sending both files to your lab– if they will accept tif–and carefully label the results. Hang the results on the wall or compare them under a good light and see if you can tell any difference.
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David Marx
Thanks David for the reply and I understand your point. As I deliver my files to our printer by dvd I will stick to the larger tiff files but I will do a comparison just to satisfy my curiosity.
You at least opened my mind to another possibility that I had dismissed up until now.
Thanks again.
addendum: typo in my name on previous submission…
Hi David,
Enjoying reading your tutorials and advice within, thank you. The big question that has been haunting me for a long time is how LR manages image data as you increase/decrease the size of a print. In PS it’s pretty clear – a smaller frame requires a change in resolution to maintain image integrity – smaller images, higher resolution; larger images – lower resolution, or, for the uninitiated , resample image size! Clear as it is, the process is slow and irritating.
However, in LR there is no clarity as to what is actually going on. What decisions is LR making? What happens if we take an image that would print comfortably at A4, 240 dpi, and instead create an A2 print? Is LR managing the file resizing with care and attention, in a way that dedicated re-sizing software would? Or is butchering the image data and “making do”?
I use LR a lot, but this aspect of the software is a big mystery, and not much covered in tutorials, blogs and so on, at least not in any depth. So, if you can shed any light, forgive the pun, on the matter, I would be most grateful
All the best,
Aaron
Dear Aaron Davies,
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom interpolates each print size out from the original using Lanczos kernal interpolation. For more details read this excerpt from Martin Evening’s definitive The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers.
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David Marx
You have no idea how long I have been looking for answers. The folks at labs often don’t know Lightroom or are full of attitude. The library books are either too detailed, not specific to my questions, or are unavailable. Web sites don’t get to what I need. BUT YOU HAVE! Your site and tutorials are amazing! Thank you!! I may make my deadline after all.
Cheers,
Paulette
Dear Paulette,
Thanks for the kind words about our tutorials. I really appreciate it. If you like what you see here please join us for one of our Photoshop Lightroom seminars or a digital photography field workshop. I hope you made your deadline!
Best regards,
David Marx
There is a bug in Lightroom v3.5′s print module. I have been advised by Adobe today to demote my version of Lr to v3.4.1. I have this version on my laptop and it outputs the correct size at the correct PPI and displays it correctly in Br.
I have carried out the demotion and confirm that I am back in business.
Dear Barry,
Thanks for the bug update. The videos in this tutorial use Lightroom’s Export dialog rather than the Print Module. The technique illustrated here is not affected by the bug!
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David Marx
Well this might be a *life saver* for me right now because suddenly, the Lr print module will only output jpgs at 72ppi despite having my pro lab’s required 402ppi set up. This is happening since updating to 3.5 and highly inconvenient. I use the print module to output jpgs for clients’ prints to upload to a lab, the run up to Christmas is my busiest time, and suddenly it only outputs 72ppi!!?? Can’t find anything out by a google search, a colleague got precisely nowhere with Adobe support who did not seem to actually grasp the problem. HELP! It must be a bug – his machine and mine are both doing this now! :0(((
Dear Nikcy,
There is indeed a bug here but I think that the bug is not in Lightroom. The bug is in the Adobe Bridge. Try this simple test. Take a file into Lightroom’s print module. Set the size and resolution and print to file. (Be sure that draft mode printing is turned off.) Now open the file into Photoshop and go Image > Image Size. Your file should indeed have the 420ppi resolution.
Looking at the same file though in the Adobe Bridge will show it’s resolution as 72ppi. Believe Photoshop and don’t panic! Also please file a bug report on this Bridge issue here.
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David Marx
Hi David!
So If I don’t do the cropping thing for 5×7 or 8×10 prints, the photo lab will crop on its own? Yikes…
So, if I am printing 4x6s, I don’t have to do any cropping? Only the 5×7 and 8×10 sizes correct?
Cheers,
Rob
Dear Robert,
The answer to your question depends on the aspect ratio of your original capture. If you are shooting with a 35mm equivalent digital camera then you are creating images that have a 2:3 ratio. 2:3 scales up to 4″x6″ perfectly but not to 5″x7″ or 8″x10″. This is why something must be cropped away. You can make that choice or the lab will arbitrarily choose for you!
If you are shooting with a micro 4:3 camera, or medium format, or large format equipment then your capture ratio is not 2:3. Large format 4×5 cameras, for example, use a 4:5 ratio. A 4″x6″ print is not going to match this ratio without a crop but 4:5 scales up to 8″x10″ perfectly…
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David Marx
That’s “border,” obviously.
I don’t have any wide boarders.
I enjoyed your tutorial on preparing images for photofinishing. However, it’s not always necessary to crop an image to that it will fill the entire sheet of paper. I sometimes have a lab print the entire image on a standard sheet, even if it leaves a wider boarder. I guess it’s a matter of taste.
Cheers,
Will