Can LR extrapolate 2nd dimension on prints?

[raphaels28255986]

Hi guys,

If, given a specific image and sheet size, I stipulate one of the two image dimensions in the print dialog box, can LR extrapolate the other; or must I always stipulate both dimensions?

And, how do I proceed?

Thanks,

Raphael

[richardplondon]

In the Print module you are not defining either the width or the height of a photo: you are defining both width and height of a bounding box that the image is then fitted into. The same page setup may be used for a series of different photos, and each one will go into that bounding box in its own way, depending on its own shape and rotation.

The way an image fits into a bounding box depends on a couple of settings: first, whether LR is allowed to autorotate it 90 degrees if that would let it go bigger; second, whether it's "zoomed to fit" or "zoomed to fill".

In the case of "zoom to fit" the image sits as big as it can inside the box, without any overflow. Space is therefore usually left on two sides in one or the other direction, where the image is a loose fit. .

In the case of "zoom to fill" the image is enlarged until it leaves no space at all. This usuallys mean one or the other direction overflows: this overflow gets masked off on the fly.

In Export you can define just the width or the height, or else the longer or the shorter side, and LR takes care of the other dimension based on each image's cropped shape. Otherwise supplying both width and height defines a bounding box (and then LR performs a "zoom to fit" within these bounds).

[raphaels28255986]

Thank you Richard. Apologies for such a late response. I am usually prompt.

My images are always 2x3 regardless of orientation.

So I imagine that, when printing, I fill in the longer side, the shorter side will fall into place automatically. Right?

[richardplondon]

In the Print module there are two kinds of image cell - depending on which Layout Style you've chosen in the top right hand panel. The most usual way, "Single Image / Contact Sheet", creates one or more "spaces" within your page margins and cell spacing as set. The shape of this "space" is whatever it is, and then your photo appears inside that.

The starting shape of the photo comes from how it is cropped.

The way the photo drops into its "space" can be either zoom-to-fit or zoom-to-fill, controlled by a checkbox.

With zoom-to-fit you will always get your 2x3 aspect if that is how the photo is cropped: the photo will be made correspondingly smaller than the containing cell (a loose fit approach) in order to achieve this.

Zoom-to-fill is a tight fit approach, with any overflow masked / trimmed off as if by a mount card window.

Depending on how your photo's shape as cropped, compares to the space it is fitting into, either dimension may become the governing one, by fitting or by filling. This is all a lot easier to do than to describe!

The other layout styles allow one or more picture "frames" of a certain size and shape to be placed freely on the page. These operate in zoom-to-fill. So if you've placed a cell which is not 2x3 aspect, any photo which goes into that cell will not turn out 2x3 aspect.