Paper sizing.
Photographic paper is available in a wide range of sizes and aspect ratios. When you’re printing your own prints, of course, you can print to any size you want. But if you’re getting a photo machine-printed or you want to buy a premade picture frame there are some common photo sizes.
Canada, the US and the UK:
Non-metric sizes expressed in inches are the norm. These are 4"x6", 5"x7", 8"x10", 8"x12", 11"x14", 16"x20" and 20"x30".
In the UK the sizes may be expressed the other way around, long edge first. (eg: 6"x4")
Many of these sizes do not match the aspect ratio of 35mm film; a regular source of confusion and annoyance amongst consumers, who may think their photo lab is swindling them by not printing their whole photo. 35mm film has an aspect ratio of 2:3. So if you make an enlargement onto a piece of 8"x10" paper you’ll find the image has been cropped to fit. You need to print the photo onto 8"x12" paper to get everything in.
The aspect ratio of digital cameras also varies. Some have an aspect ratio of 2:3 like 35mm film, but many have the aspect ratio of ordinary television - 3:4 or, expressed in a different way, 1.33:1. Cameras with the aspect ratio of a TV set produce image files that do not fit very well on standard photographic print paper - you either have to crop the image or print it with large white bars on either end.
Most of the rest of the planet - continental Europe, Asia and other metric countries:
Similar sizes expressed in centimetres are the most common. The sizes often roughly approximate internationally-defined A and B series ISO paper sizes.
The most popular sizes are 9cmx13cm, 10cmx15cm, 13cmx18cm, 20cmx30cm and 25cmx37cm.
Of these sizes, 9x13 is close to B7, 10x15 is close to A6, 13x18 is close to B6, 20x30 is close to A4 and 25x37 is close to B4.
The problems with aspect ratios outlined above affect metric paper sizing as well.
Entry last updated 2002-04-03. Term 882 of 1487.
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