How to add border keeping aspect ratio

[wbcamera]

I have 2 photographs that I need to fit into a standard frame/matte. One is a 8x10 and the other is 11x 14. The pictures were cropped closely in the camera so if I change the aspect ratio I will loose elements of the pictures.

Each frame is black with a white matte that cuts off .25 inches on each edge. How do I add a border to the photos keeping the standard size and not affect the aspect ratio of the original? 2nd choice would be to crop to a standard size and add a .25 inch border keeping the aspect ratio so the border is covered by the matte.

Should I choose a dark color for the pictures to use as the border or choose black or white.

I'm sending it out to be printed so I don't want to mess up. Please give me the steps in photoshop to follow.

I've never matted my pictures before and this issue has me confused. Thanks for the help.

 

[R Ortiz]

It is mathematically impossible to add a border of uniform thickness to a photo and keep the same aspect ratio.

To preserve the aspect ratio, you would need a border that is thicker on the short sides of the photo and narrower on the long sides.

 

[joe filer]

You have a dilemma!

As R Ortiz states, It is mathematically impossible to increase canvas size, equal on all sides and retain the ratio of the original image. (Or shrink the image to show a 1/4 inch border)

Placing the 1/4 inch border inside the original image dimensions is the only way I know to maintain the aspect ratio.

What are the aspect ratios of your images? The same as the frames (8 x 10 and 11 x 14)?

You may be able to get away with slightly distorting the image to maintain the desired ratio with an added border.

Make a new bottom layer. Fill with the border color of choice. The canvas size will be the same as the image (8 x 10 or 11 x 14)
The image layer will be on the top layer
Add guides 1/4 inch from each edge.

Free transform the image layer until it snaps to the guides. (1/4 inch in from all sides)

The slight adjustment should go unnoticed. The relative change is much less than having borders with uneven widths.

Making a uniform border around your images may all be in vain. Commercial printers often print images oversize so that they are full bleed and don't leave visible image edges on the paper. In doing so, they also may not accurately center the image on the paper.



--
My 2¢ worth
Joe Filer
Mahomet, IL
http://www.pbase.com/filer
My latest hobby: http://www.pbase.com/filer/longarmquilting

My 60 year still camera history: http://www.pbase.com/filer/image/49099880/original

My wife is proud to participate in the Alzheimer's Quilt Initiative!
http://www.alzquilts.org/

She has met her first $1000 promise for Alzheimer's research and is working on her second $1000. Cheer her on at: http://www.amisimms.com/1000promise.html

 

[j_brownch]

Depending on the content of the image, you may want to try the "Content Aware Scaling" feature. First implemented in PSCS4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=019mu8FTy6M

Jim

 

[jeffsvisions]

how about a custom cut matte
--
Keep on Shooting!!!!
Jeff

 

[JJMacks]

You may wan to look at my Image Visualization Package. Warning its a very large download. Because it is expensive to frame and mate image I created this package to help you visualize how your image will looked frames and matted. You can crop you images to any aspect ratio you want. The packafe can create mate and frame layers aroud you image. You can make the mats sized to fit into standard size frams with an image opening for you image size and aspect ratio. See how you image will look before committing money for the custom mate for a standard frame.
http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/Examples
--
JJMack

 

[wbcamera]

The original pictures are 4x6 and changing the aspect to 8x10 and 11x14 cut off some important elements of the pictures. What I decided to do was add uneven borders to the pictures to keep the 4x6 aspect in a 8x10 and 11x14.

At 300 dpi a .25 inch border would be 75 pixels. The photo is 4832+75=4907 on the long side. To get an 10x8, 4907X8/10=3926. In PS enter canvas size of 4907x 3926 pick a border color form the picture. That gives a .25 inch border on the long side and a larger border on the short.

I'll have the try the content aware trick and see how that works.

 

[wbcamera]

I guess a custom matte would be the way to go and I will also check out the set of actions.

 

[joe filer]

Many aspect ratios are somewhat obsolete. They became standard because of old film formats. With today's popularity of 3:2 slr, it makes sense to investigate frames that are proportioned for that format (8x12 instead of 8x10, or frames that are proportionately scaled for additional matte. I do this when I order aluminum frame components:

I often use a 16x22 frame for 12x18 image printed on 13x19 paper. Printing this size leaves a 1/2" white print border that looks like a double matte when printed with a "down" bevel. It also allows a little leeway to position the print edges under the real matte, which has a 12.5 x 18.5 opening.
Having standard frames and mattes allows me to swap images from time to time.
--
My 2¢ worth
Joe Filer
Mahomet, IL
http://www.pbase.com/filer
My latest hobby: http://www.pbase.com/filer/longarmquilting

My 60 year still camera history: http://www.pbase.com/filer/image/49099880/original

My wife is proud to participate in the Alzheimer's Quilt Initiative!
http://www.alzquilts.org/

She has met her first $1000 promise for Alzheimer's research and is working on her second $1000. Cheer her on at: http://www.amisimms.com/1000promise.html