Guides · Printing and framing
Why does my print get cut off?
A print gets cut off when the image and the paper or frame are different shapes. 4x6 is 2:3, 8x10 is 4:5, 11x14 is 11:14 and A4 is 1:√2, so filling one shape with another trims the edges: 17% of the height when a 2:3 photo fills an 8x10. Print scaling, frame lips and mats can hide a little more.
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Which shapes crop into which sizes?
Every print size has a shape (its aspect ratio). Sizes with the same shape scale into each other without losing anything: a 4x6 and a 24x36 are both 2:3. Between different shapes, filling the frame means trimming the image. This is how much, for an image and a frame turned the same way:
| Image shape | 4x6 | 5x7 | 8x10 | 8.5x11 | 11x14 | 12x16 | A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:3 | Nothing | 7% off the top and bottom | 17% off the top and bottom | 14% off the top and bottom | 15% off the top and bottom | 11% off the top and bottom | 6% off the top and bottom |
| 3:4 | 11% off the sides | 5% off the sides | 6% off the top and bottom | 3% off the top and bottom | 5% off the top and bottom | Nothing | 6% off the sides |
| 4:5 | 17% off the sides | 11% off the sides | Nothing | 3% off the sides | 2% off the sides | 6% off the sides | 12% off the sides |
| 11:14 | 15% off the sides | 9% off the sides | 2% off the top and bottom | 2% off the sides | Nothing | 5% off the sides | 10% off the sides |
| A-series (1:√2) | 6% off the sides | 1% off the top and bottom | 12% off the top and bottom | 8% off the top and bottom | 10% off the top and bottom | 6% off the top and bottom | Nothing |
Why does my 8x10 print cut off the top and bottom?
Camera photos are usually 2:3 and phone photos 3:4, but 8x10 is 4:5: shorter for its width. To fill it, a lab or a print dialog set to “fill” trims the extra height; an automatic crop keeps the centre, so whatever sits near the top and bottom edges goes. 11x14 does much the same, and A4 is longer and narrower than any of the US sizes, so A-series art loses its top and bottom in US frames.
Why does the print come out smaller, or with white edges?
That's the opposite problem: the print dialog scaled the image down to fit inside the printer's margins (“Fit to page”, “Shrink oversized pages”), or the image is a different shape from the paper. Set the scale to 100% or “Actual size”. A print as big as the sheet needs a borderless printer, or a few percent of shrinking with a thin white edge; printing at actual size at home covers both.
Borderless mode has its own catch: on many printers it enlarges the image slightly so ink runs past the paper edge, which trims a sliver from every side. Keep text away from the edge if you print borderless.
Why is part of the picture hidden once it's framed?
Mat openings are usually about ¼ in (6 mm) smaller than the print on each side, so the edges tuck behind the mat — keep faces and words away from the very edge. Without a mat, the frame's lip covers a thin strip instead. Leave at least ¼ in (6 mm) around anything that matters. Mat sizes and borders: frame, mat and print sizes.
How do you stop a print getting cut off?
- Find the frame's shape: the size on its label, then its ratio in the table above (or on the ratio pages).
- Use an image of that shape. Sellers: include one file per ratio. Buyers: pick the file made for that ratio.
- If you only have another shape, crop it yourself and choose what stays: Photo to Frame lets you drag the photo inside the frame and shows the mat strip as a dashed line.
- Or keep the whole image and add a border (“Fit whole photo”).
- Print at 100% or “Actual size”, and check the first print with a ruler.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my 8x10 print cut off the top of my photo?
8x10 is a 4:5 shape and camera photos are usually 2:3, so about 17% of the height has to go to fill it. Crop the photo yourself before printing so you choose what stays, or fit the whole photo inside the frame with a border.
Can I print a 4x6 photo as an 8x10 without cropping?
Not at full size: 4x6 is 2:3 and 8x10 is 4:5. Either crop 17% of the height, or print the whole photo at 6.7 × 10 in inside the 8x10 with white bands at the sides.
Why does an A4 print get cut off in an 8x10 or 11x14 frame?
A4 is 1:√2, longer and narrower than 8x10 (4:5) or 11x14 (11:14), so filling those frames trims 12% or 10% of its height. Use the file made for that frame's shape if you have one.
Why does my printed photo have white borders?
Either the print dialog scaled it to fit inside the printer's margins (Fit to page), or the image is a different shape from the paper. Print at 100% or Actual size, or choose borderless if your printer has it.
How much of my print does a mat cover?
About ¼ in (6 mm) on each side, so a mat cut for an 8x10 print usually shows about 7.5 × 9.5 in. Keep faces and words clear of the outer ¼ in.
Sources and how the numbers were worked out
Pixel, crop and size figures on this page are calculated from the same size data the FrameReady tools use (inches or millimetres × DPI), not copied from elsewhere.