how do i check the size of an image for printing?

[jaxsonsmom]

i do not use a printer at home, i send my pics to the local sam's club. i have recently ran into the problem of having my pics look fine on my screen, then when they are printed, some of the outside parts are cut off. i don't know how to check the size (ex., for 4X6, 5X7, etc.) i cut and pasted an image to another picture and it made it bigger for some reason and i am not sure why. any help would be appreciated. thanks

[Russinator]

If you look at the photos below you'll see the size of the picture at the lower left just above the photo bin.

If this isn't what you were asking let me know. Russ

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1xsm8Yt22bxTulz8fR3OvNnSj8ft_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1xsm8Yt22bxTulz8fR3OvNnSj8ft)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1QMvqYqSVbMPdvr5DnLABB9MjqgA_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1QMvqYqSVbMPdvr5DnLABB9MjqgA)

[TonyW]

I usually always use the crop tool when sending pictures off for printing at an outside lab and printing at home. That way you're sure of it being the right ratio: 4x6 or 5x7 etc. In the crop tool pick the size, leave the resolution box blank and drag out the tool and crop. Then what you see should be what you get. It only takes an extra few seconds but if you're going to print then I'm a great believer in always cropping.

Tony

[jaxsonsmom]

it says 53.111 X 33.028. i don't know if this tells you anything, though. i guess i am looking for a print preview sort of thing. the only thing is it not for print directly from my computer, because i use a disc or flash drive and take it to sam's to have them printed. when i get there and look at their print preview with the diferrent crop sizes, things are cut off, and i have to go back home and move things in closer to the center to avoid being cut off. am i making any sense at all?

[TonyW]

It's the ratio that is important not the actual numbers and it would be nice if that's what Elements showed but it doesn't so a calculator helps. That works out at 1.61. The standard size ratios are 1.5 for a 6x4 and 1.4 for a 7x5 and 1.25 for a 10x8 . So it wouldn't fit any of those sizes without cropping some off the width. That's why I crop before printing. If you use the crop tool and decide that you need to move things around to fit you can just cancel or undo the crop, move things and try again.

Tony

[jaxsonsmom]

thanks. that is what i needed to know. i have used the crop option before, but i have just never had the problem of things being cut off until now. i guess the image changed sizes when i added the image that i cut and pasted from another picture. thanks for the info about the ratios also!!

[DebCam]

Hi,
I upload my pics to Walmart.com sometimes. I would say the software is similar to sams if not the same. I have ran into the same problem you described. Before you order a print after it is uploaded, you click on the print and click edit/organize then click fix/enhance. Click the crop tab. Select the crop size tool. When you select a size print from here a movable box is over your photo and you put the box where you want the photo to be cropped. Then apply and save. Since I figured this out all of my prints have been fine. I only do this when I have a print that I suspect may get cropped wrong. This seems to happen to me mostly on 8x10's. This is an option to trying to fix it in pse and ensure that the lab sees exactly what you want.