am I in the right?

**dub365** · 4-Feb-2009, 17:17

if you paid a good chunk of money to have a 20x24 and it came 18x23 3/8ths on the long side would you complain? now I understand the the aspect ratio did not allow for a perfect 20x24, but shouldn't they try to meet the possible dimension of the print?

thanks for you input
wilson

**MIke Sherck** · 4-Feb-2009, 17:20

I'd cry in my beer, that's for sure. Who made it?

Mike

**Charles Carstensen** · 4-Feb-2009, 17:22

It would seem to be your responsibility to specify where to crop. By the same token, it is a very poor photo lab that did not stop the presses and call you for more instruction. Suck it up and go to a professional lab.

**Michael N. Meyer** · 4-Feb-2009, 18:53

Was the print made on a 20x24 sheet with a border around the image area? I'd think that was fairly standard. Most labs I have used in the past list the paper size on the price sheet--actual image area of the print is usually slightly smaller to allow for easy handling and over-matting unless you specify otherwise. I've found most good labs will clarify orders if they're unsure or think you're unsure. Like Chuck says, find yourself a good pro lab.

**Vaughn** · 4-Feb-2009, 22:24

No, you are not in the right. I would suggest to suck it up and live with it. If you did not specify a crop, and your original image was not 20x24 proportions, then I would think it quite natural not to crop the original image (and I would be pissed if they did it to my image).

Borders on prints are quite normal, too. Unless you specified a full bleed (if that is what they call printing to the very edge of the paper), I think under a 1/2 inch border is not excessive.

Chances are you got what you asked (and paid) for. If you wanted something different, now you know what to expect, and how to ask for it. So I would write it off as a learning experience. Sorry that you were disappointed.

I tend to call my 8x10 contact prints prints just that -- not 7.5x9.5 (if matted to exclude the film rebate), nor 8.25x10.25 (if I matted with the rebate plus a little more showing behind the window mat.)

Vaughn

**BrianShaw** · 5-Feb-2009, 08:05

wilson, are you saying the paper itself was less than 20x24 or that there were borders making the image smaller?

If the former, you have a legitimate gripe; if the latter, Vaghn is right.

Call it a "work print" and try again with more precise instructions if you want something different!

**David Vickery** · 5-Feb-2009, 08:27

Vaughn is right. No professional lab will crop an image unless instructed to do so. So if the format isn't shaped like the print size that you specified, and you didn't provide instructions on where to crop the image, then they will simply print it as large as they can to get the long dimension to fit the paper.

**Jim Becia** · 5-Feb-2009, 08:46

I'm going to agree with Wilson on this. At least from the point of view that if the photo (not paper) is supposed to be 24, then it should be 24. There is no cropping required to make a 24" print on the long side. Generally that means the short side ends up being about 19 inches, give or take. If the lab stipulates the paper as only being 24, then they certainly should make that very clear. Also, many labs can print borderless. They should just make it very clear what you are getting for your money This has also happened to me with one particular lab (and it was a very professional one at that) and I found it disconcerting as I have all my matting and framing set up for 24 inch photos. To get a 24 inch photo, they wanted to charge me the next size up which is a 30 X24. Seemd a bit much to gain an extra 3/4 of an inch. Every pro lab I used after that gave me a 24 inch print on the long side when I bought a 24 inch photo. So I'm not sure if supplying a 23.3 print is normal. Guess it just depends on the lab. Fortunately, nowadays I print my own so any screwups are certainly my fault. Jim

**Ivan J. Eberle** · 5-Feb-2009, 21:09

Don't suppose you sent a digital file sized at 300dpi at 24" on the long side, and the lab printed on a LightJet? (These printers require 304.8 dpi.)

**dub365** · 6-Feb-2009, 16:39

I believe there is some misunderstanding. I sent them a 4x5 slide which they scannned and printed. they did not crop the image in any way. they simply printed the image smaller than it could be on a 20x24 piece of paper. obviously a 4x5 full frame blown up to those proportions will not match the paper exactly. but it would seem to me that they would make it as large as possible on said paper, being a full bleed on the long side. 18x23.5 is not. it IS a pro lab.