How to Adjust Photo Size to 5-by-7

Digital photos have an aspect ratio of 4:3 and need to be cropped to fit in standard-sized frames.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras have a default 4:3 ratio for image size. Most standard photo frames come in a 4-by-6, 5-by-7 or 8-by-10 format. If you want to fit a digital image into a 5-by-7 frame, you'll have to resize the image. The best way to resize your digital photo to fit a standard frame is to crop the image yourself, through a photo-editing program.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Photo-editing program

Instructions

1. Upload your image into your photo-editing program.

2. Rotate the image to the desired position.

3. Preset your crop tool to 5-by-7 inches. Some photo-editing tools have a drop-down menu of standard print sizes in the edit mode under "constrain proportions." If your photo is in landscape mode, set your crop tool to 7-by-5.

4. Click and drag the crop tool over the desired portion of the photo. Release the cursor when you have the picture you want. Hit "Return" or "Select" when you are ready to make the crop. The unwanted portion of your image is deleted. Some photo-editing programs have a "drag and drop" crop tool, where the user can drag the image into a 5-by-7 image viewer and shift the image until the desired composition is achieved, hitting "Crop" when finished.

5. Set your resolution for desired print output. In Photoshop, this is done in the drop-down menu under "Image" and "Image size." A high-resolution print is at least 300 dots per inch (DPI). In Photoshop, the cropping process takes a high-definition photo and reconfigures the image so that the pixels per inch are closer together. If for some reason you took the photo at a low resolution, you will not be able to add pixel information later, and your photo might have less definition.

6. Buy a printer that crops your photos for you if the idea of spending time and money on a photo-editing program does not appeal to you. Printers are available with an in-printer option for cropping photos to standard-print sizes. These printers come with a preview touchscreen that allows you to choose your print size and center your image how before you print.

Tips & Warnings

• Take high-resolution digital photos if you plan to print them later. Low-resolution photos might save space but are only intended for screen viewing. If you plan to print a photo at 300 DPI and need to allow room for cropping, set the image resolution on your digital camera to take photos at 2,400-by-1,600 minimum.

• When purchasing a printer, check the compatibility of the printer with your digital camera, your computer and your computer's operating system. Buy all necessary cables, software and drivers before connecting your printer to your computer system.

References

• HP: Cropping Digital Photos to Fit Standard Frames
• Digicam Guides: Aspect Ratio; 2005
• MM Print: The Importance of Using High Resolution Images for Commercial Printing

Resources

• Photoshop Essentials: Image Resolution and Print Quality; by Steve Patterson