i just got my first printer (epson 1800) and it is amazing. however i cannot see to be able to print standard sizes like 8x10 and 11x14. for some reason evertime i resize the image and make the longest side 10 inches the shorter side is less than 8 making it impossible to find mats. is this normal or do i need to do something different.. i can fix this by cropping, but may of my images cannot be cropped without being ruined..
Think about the aspect ratio of your camera. Most DSLRs have a 2:3 aspect ratio which requires cropping to fit in an 8x10.
Guy
Posted by RL Potts on November 29, 2007 at 9:15 PM
8x10=4:5. You may have to mat your prints to get them to fit standard frames. It may be possible to order precut mats from the web with the windows cut to various standard dimensions which would work. You could buy a mat cutter and do it yourself. Custom mats can be a big improvement anyway. Not entirely sure what the problem is though? Anyway, Nikon D3 has a 5:4 mode. Maybe someday they will make a 5:4 DSLR for the print makers among us.
Posted by Carl Battreall on November 30, 2007 at 1:23 AM
Try printing an 8x12 or a 11x17, standard mats are available in those sizes and they will closely match the aspect ratio of your camera, so you will not have to crop the image.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on November 30, 2007 at 11:29 AM
You might also consider purchasing an Altos or Logan mat cutting system. Its easy to cut your own mats quickly once you get the hang of it. The cutters are under $200 and 32"X40" sheets of mat board are usually $6-$7 and you can get 4 16X20 mats out of one sheet. It takes me about 10 minutes to cut a mat when I'm on a roll. Considering that a pre-cut mat can cost $6-$20 and a custom cut mat $25, cutting my own mats makes sense if I can afford the time.
Some photos work well as 4X5 format while others work best in a 2X3 format. Some can be cropped to work either way. Its just the way photography is. If you don't like the idea of cropping, you really will not like what happens when you uncouple the photo dimensions to force an aspect ratio. It looks much worse than cropping. I would suggest that if you need to change from one format to the other, you should do the cropping in photoshop (or a similar photo editing application) and make a new version of the photo for the ratio your need. Also, keep in mind that your mat will be cut slightly smaller than the image, usually providing 1/8" overlap. Leave a little breathing room around critical components in your photo when you crop.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the R1800. I've had mine for several years and it has served me well.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on November 30, 2007 at 5:35 PM
Some images just aren't designed to be photographed at the standard print ratio of 8x10. I am just beginning to add nonstandard sizes to my show stock simply because when I was setting things up, it was easier to stay with material that worked in a standard proportion. I'm even beginning to crop some 4x5's to a 6x12 proportion.
Both Blick's and Micheals carry precut mats sized at 8x12 in a standard frame size. I think the 8x12's are sized to a 16x20 frame, but I 've never looked, so don't quote me on that. They tend to be buried and it is possible that not every location carries those sizes, but they are out there. More generic chains like Walmart probably won't have that size, which shouldn't be a major loss since it is highly unlikely they would be acid free, or at least acid buffered.
Depending on the number of mats you need, there are various options. A larger mat cutter is nice for oddly proportioned mats for something coming from, say, a 617. For a larger number of mats cut to a standard size, I've have used the following two places and have been very happy with service and prices:
If you are doing a large number of nonstandard sized prints but all with the same sizes, such as for a show, both of these places can do custom cutting.
Ultimately, it is going to have to come down to: how much do you want to pay for mats, how many do you need and how much work do you want to do (not that mat cutting is hard, unless you need 200 of them )
Discussion
5 repliesthanks
jeff
Guy
Some photos work well as 4X5 format while others work best in a 2X3 format. Some can be cropped to work either way. Its just the way photography is. If you don't like the idea of cropping, you really will not like what happens when you uncouple the photo dimensions to force an aspect ratio. It looks much worse than cropping. I would suggest that if you need to change from one format to the other, you should do the cropping in photoshop (or a similar photo editing application) and make a new version of the photo for the ratio your need. Also, keep in mind that your mat will be cut slightly smaller than the image, usually providing 1/8" overlap. Leave a little breathing room around critical components in your photo when you crop.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the R1800. I've had mine for several years and it has served me well.
Both Blick's and Micheals carry precut mats sized at 8x12 in a standard frame size. I think the 8x12's are sized to a 16x20 frame, but I 've never looked, so don't quote me on that. They tend to be buried and it is possible that not every location carries those sizes, but they are out there. More generic chains like Walmart probably won't have that size, which shouldn't be a major loss since it is highly unlikely they would be acid free, or at least acid buffered.
Depending on the number of mats you need, there are various options. A larger mat cutter is nice for oddly proportioned mats for something coming from, say, a 617. For a larger number of mats cut to a standard size, I've have used the following two places and have been very happy with service and prices:
http://www.matcutter.com for mats, mounting boards and materials such as tapes
http://www.framingsupplies.com for everything, but an ugly site(!)
If you are doing a large number of nonstandard sized prints but all with the same sizes, such as for a show, both of these places can do custom cutting.
Ultimately, it is going to have to come down to: how much do you want to pay for mats, how many do you need and how much work do you want to do (not that mat cutting is hard, unless you need 200 of them