QUESTION - PRINT TO SIZE???

Question

This is the 2nd time I'm trying to get a little help. Using Photoshop CC, I have my image on screen. I want to print an 8 x 10 on my home printer, or a 16 x 20 from an outside source, such as STAPLES, etc. I select the crop tool, then go into the "ratio" window above and select 8 x 10. I use the SHIFT to keep proportions, then drag one or more corners to make the crop I want. I save the file. (I'm over-explaining this so members won't wonder what I'vel eft out..) If I attempt to print an 8 x 10 on my Canon home printer, the preview window shows if one side is 8" the other must be 11"+. If I put the saved JPEG on a disc or USB and bring it to STAPLES to get a 16 x 20, they put it in their computer and see the same problem:  the file looks like it's too wide, and if they were to print one side 16" the other dimension ends up 23"+, unless they crop it.
What am I doing wrong?  Or does Photoshop CC's ratio window have a bug?
Direct reply to [email protected] is welcome.

Answer 1

OK lets look at each issue you need to deal with.
First if you image come from your digital camera the will have one of the following aspect ratios 3:2, 4:3 or 16:9.
You want to print two sizes 8"x10" and 16"x20 both prints are a 5:4 aspect ratio.
You need to either crop you camera images to a 5:4 aspect ratio or use something like content aware scale to distort them to the 5"4 aspect ratio.  If you crop you images  and I'll suggest that is the best way to go. You will loose portions of the images.  This is not bad treat it as a opportunity to improve your image's composition.
Your in control of the crop. These need not be centered corps or even the maximum size 4:5 crops possible.  When you crop think composition. What 5:4 composition will look best.  You can use the crop tool or the marquee tool to draw out the 5:4 area. Both tool can be set to constrain the area to an aspect ratio.  5:4 and 4:5 are the same aspect ratio, with different orientation. Both tool have a little icon to toggle orientation. If you use the crop tool you can set to resample to a print size and resolution resolution.  I do not.  I prefer to see how many pixel I wind up with.  Before I decide if resampling is needed.
Printing once you have your 5:4 composition you need to set the print size and decide if you have sufficient pixels for it to print well. IMO for a good 8"x10" you need a print resolution near 300 DPI and for a good 16"x20" a resolution near 200 DPI.  You may or may not have to resample the crop for the two print files. Use menu Image>Image Size.  In the image size dialog un-check resample in this mode Width Height and Resolution are all constrained.  All you need do is to enter you two print size width into the width field and look are the resulting resolution.  If they are in the ballpark of 300 and 200 DPI.  You do not need to resample.  Just set the 8" width click OK and save you home print jpeg file. The use image size again set the 16" width click OK and save you Staple size file.  If the resulting resolutions were too low check resample. Leave the width and Height constrain setting on. Set the 8" width in you will see 10" in the height and some DPI value.  Change the resolution value to 300 choose the interpolation to use click OK and save your home print file. The back up in to before the 8" resize and use Image Size to resize 16: wide and change the resolution to 200 click OK and save your Staple print file.
Photoshop Home Printer setting. Most likely you will be print on 8.5"x11" Photo Paper which heed to set set in the printer settings and also you need to turn off the device driver color management in the printer settings. In Photoshop print dialog you need to set Photoshop manages the color the printer Paper profile to uses.