Photo Print Sizes - Mavic Mini

[mjuav]

Hello all,

Just a quick question.

I am researching the best print size for Mavic Mini photos (usually 12mp at 4000×3000 or 9mp at 4000×2250) is there a particular print size I should be targeting that does not crop a small amount of the photo to fill the print?

Are there any simple given rules to decide which print size I should be getting too?

Any information would be great, and thanks in advance for helping

 

[scro]

The 12mpx files are in a 4:3 aspect ratio so any 4:3 photo size should avoid any cropping. There aren't a lot of "standard" photo print sizes in this ratio, however 8.5x11" is.

9mpx files are in a 16:9 aspect ratio and there are even fewer "standard" photo print sizes in this aspect ratio, so cropping will often be needed for prints.

I tend to shoot all stills in 12mpx mode and then crop afterwards if and when needed. The 12mpx file captures the widest field of view at the highest resolution the sensor is capable of and doesn't automatically crop/discard any of the picture before you get to do any editing on it.

This article talks about aspect ratios and common print sizes:

A Complete Guide to Standard Photo Sizes | Adobe

Understanding photo sizes is key to any design project. Correct image dimensions prevent pixelation, stretching, and distortion for a clear, professional result.

www.adobe.com

 

[mjuav]

The 12mpx files are in a 4:3 aspect ratio so any 4:3 photo size should avoid any cropping. There aren't a lot of "standard" photo print sizes in this ratio, however 8.5x11" is.

9mpx files are in a 16:9 aspect ratio and there are even fewer "standard" photo print sizes in this aspect ratio, so cropping will often be needed for prints.

I tend to shoot all stills in 12mpx mode and then crop afterwards if and when needed. The 12mpx file captures the widest field of view at the highest resolution the sensor is capable of and doesn't automatically crop/discard any of the picture before you get to do any editing on it.

This article talks about aspect ratios and common print sizes:

A Complete Guide to Standard Photo Sizes | Adobe

Understanding photo sizes is key to any design project. Correct image dimensions prevent pixelation, stretching, and distortion for a clear, professional result.

www.adobe.com

Thanks for taking the time to answer and for clarifying a few things. I've done a few 'custom prints' with the mini, where I add the image to a framed template of mine, but never printed a full image from it, was just hoping there was a standard size that it fits in without cropping, but that does not seem to be the case unfortunately.

Would you argue that a cropped photo that fits the whole print is better, or a 'scale to fit' version where it center's align vertically and horizontally (causing a white border around the image)?

 

[scro]

For me it depends very much on the context, but I'd probably lean towards cropping the original to suit the aspect ratio of the frame/print size. Unequally sized horizontal/vertical white borders tend not to be too visually appealing. However, sometimes cropping like this can detract from the composition of the original image and scaling the picture so that 1 dimension fits the print medium is the preferred option.

 

[mjuav]

For me it depends very much on the context, but I'd probably lean towards cropping the original to suit the aspect ratio of the frame/print size. Unequally sized horizontal/vertical white borders tend not to be too visually appealing. However, sometimes cropping like this can detract from the composition of the original image and scaling the picture so that 1 dimension fits the print medium is the preferred option.

The more I think about it, the more I think that you are right. I’ll just have to sacrifice some of the original and crop it to fit the frame/ print size.
Thanks for your time. Much appreciated.