PRINT GUIDE · PAPER SHAPES
Why does my photo get cropped at 8 × 10?
Most cameras and phones take photos in a 3:2 or 4:3 shape. Many standard print sizes have a different shape. When the shapes don’t match, something has to give: either part of the photo is cut off, or the print gets borders.
Print sizes have shapes, too.
Divide a print’s long side by its short side to get its shape. A 4 × 6 print is 6 ÷ 4 = 1.50, the same as a 3:2 photo, so it fits exactly. An 8 × 10 is 10 ÷ 8 = 1.25, noticeably squarer. Filling it with a 3:2 photo cuts about one sixth of the image from the long side.
| Print size | Shape | 3:2 photo cropped | 4:3 photo cropped |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 1.50 : 1 | 0.0% | 11.1% |
| 5 × 7 in | 1.40 : 1 | 6.7% | 4.8% |
| 8 × 10 in | 1.25 : 1 | 16.7% | 6.2% |
| 11 × 14 in | 1.27 : 1 | 15.2% | 4.5% |
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | 1.41 : 1 | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| A3 (297 × 420 mm) | 1.41 : 1 | 5.7% | 5.7% |
Crop share = 1 − (narrower shape ÷ wider shape), filling the paper with a centred crop. A-sizes use the ISO ratio of about 1.41 : 1.
Three ways to handle a mismatch
- Fill the paper. The photo is enlarged until it covers the paper, and the overhang is cropped. Nothing is left blank, but the edges are lost. Check that nothing important sits near the long edges.
- Keep the whole photo. The photo is scaled to fit inside the paper, leaving borders on two sides. You can trim them off or use a mat that covers them.
- Pick a matching size. A 3:2 photo fits 4 × 6, 8 × 12, 12 × 18 and 20 × 30 exactly. A 4:3 photo fits 6 × 8, 9 × 12 and 12 × 16.
Cropping also lowers resolution.
Filling the paper uses fewer of your pixels, so the PPI is lower than keeping the whole photo would be. Here’s a 12-megapixel 4:3 photo (4,032 × 3,024 pixels) at each size.
| Print size | Whole photo (borders) | Fill the paper (cropped) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | 756 PPI | 672 PPI |
| 5 × 7 in | 604 PPI | 576 PPI |
| 8 × 10 in | 403 PPI | 378 PPI |
| 11 × 14 in | 288 PPI | 274 PPI |
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | 365 PPI | 344 PPI |
| A3 (297 × 420 mm) | 258 PPI | 243 PPI |
Whole-number PPI, rounded down. Filling enlarges the photo until it covers the paper, so fewer pixels land on each inch.
Choosing what gets cut
Print Size Check and many print services crop from the centre. If your subject is off-centre, crop the photo yourself to the print’s shape before ordering, so you choose which edge to lose. Keep your original and save the crop as a copy.
Preview it with your photo
Choose a paper size and switch between “Keep the whole photo” and “Fill the paper” to see the borders or the crop on your own photo, with the PPI for each. Your photo stays in your browser.
Preview a printIndependent guide by Tidy. Calculations shown on this page; guidance checked 19 October 2026.