One important aspect of printing is knowing your file’s aspect ratio. Is it 2:3, 4:5, or something else entirely?

Aspect Ratio is the proportion of the width to height of an image. Most commonly, cameras default to a 2:3 ratio, so a print sized at 8x12, 12x18, etc. is increasingly common to ward off any cropping.  

If a file with a 2:3 ratio is ordered at a print size with a 4:5 ratio, some cropping will have to occur to make the fit. Adding a border or fitting the file to the print ratio, are two other ways to work with mismatched ratios.

Some common ratios and print sizes within:

Aspect Ratio2:34:55:71:21:1
Common Print Sizes4x6, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45 4x5, 8x10,
16x20, 24x30,
30x40
2.5x3.5 (Wallet),
5x7
10x20, 12x24,
15x30
10x10, 16x16,
20x20

 

Examples of images and how they crop within different ratios: 

To avoid cropping at a standard ratio we do offer custom sizes. For a photo print, fine art print, or loose canvas print 30x40 or smaller, you can set up a custom trim following our instructions here. Otherwise, reach out to our Customer Service team to inquire about custom sized products outside of these options.