Cropping question

[Ultra Magnus]

When cropping a photo, is it good practice to stick to normal sizes like 8x10, 16x20, etc., to make printing a framing easier? I ususlly just use a "free form" crop, but have been wondering if I should repent of my rebelious ways and conform to standard proportions...

Thanks.

[Spike]

I, like you, crop however I want. But 99.999% of my shots are for web use only. Never, ever, crop your original file. Always save it, untouched, uneditted, and do your post-processing on a copy. That way if you decide later to print an image you can crop appropriately, starting from the original if necessary.

Spike

When cropping a photo, is it good practice to stick to normal sizes like 8x10, 16x20, etc., to make printing a framing easier? I ususlly just use a "free form" crop, but have been wondering if I should repent of my rebelious ways and conform to standard proportions...

Thanks.

[another view]

Good advice from Spike. I usually try to be a "full frame" kind of guy, but that doesn't always work. I have a portfolio that fits 8x10 prints, so most of those shots are cropped (otherwise printed about 5-1/2 x 10 so they fit but are still full frame). Depends on the usage. Unconventional sizes can be really dramatic but custom mats can get expensive unless you cut them yourself.

[Gerry Widen]

It all depends on if you are doing your own matting and framing and how much work you produce. I hate to restrict my work to some pre determined ratio. If you produce a lot of work you have three choices. Learn to cut your own mats.Pay a lot of money for custom work. Or settle for pre-determined (standard) mat sizes. If you are willing to settle for pre-set sizes there are some very nice mats out there. If you don't produce a lot of work needed for mounting than occasionally paying for custom mounting is not a big deal.

I learned to cut my own mats. With a little practice, I mean little practice,after screwing up only 2 or 3 mats I learned to cut nice beveled mats according to the size of my enlarged prints. I use a Dexter hand cutter I picked up used on ebay for $7 and a solid metal ruler. Some suggestions: measure twice and cut once. Always use a sharp blade and my concession is to purchase pre-cut mats in the frame size I need (say 11X14 or 16X20) for I don't have a large area to cut down large sheets.

[Ultra Magnus]

Thanks... I've never seen how mats were cut. so, you stick a custom mat into a regular frame? I just assumed that a custom mat needed a custom frame, unless you don't need equal margins..

[Gerry Widen]

You are only cutting out the window according to the actual print size. Then leave a few inches of mat all around to"frame" the image. The outside dimensions of the mat should be standard and the same as standard frame sizes. The easiest way is to cut the mat window slightly smaller than the image, say 1/4" overlap all around and either tape the print to the back of the mat with the window cut out, or tape the print to a board on the edges and cover with the over mat.

I dry mount my prints to a board and over mat with an approx 1/4" of the board all around after the over mat is place on top. But this method is a little more difficult and requires a dry mount press.

[Chunk]

Thanks... I've never seen how mats were cut. so, you stick a custom mat into a regular frame? I just assumed that a custom mat needed a custom frame, unless you don't need equal margins..

If you want a non standard frame to use with special crops you can buy frame sections like this.
http://www.cheapjoes.com/catalog/pro...&pid=41&ppid=5
They come in pairs. if you have a photo that is 5x6 and want a 2 inch mat all around, you would buy a pair of 9" sections and a pair of 10" sections and assemble them into your frame.

I agree with those who are advising that you learn how to cut your own mats. The photo need not be centered within the frame and different arrangements can help to show your photo to its best advantage. Some people cut very fancy mats for their work. I think that in most cases a simple mat and frame are the best choice if you want the attention focused on the print.