Printing: correct border?

[LookingUp]

I am printing out small 4x6 photos then larger 8.5x11 for my client. I can't get the exact border around the entire photo. The border on the top and the bottom is larger then the border on the right and left of the image. What should I do to get the entire image with the same size border around it? I am using Adobe Photoshop CS5.1 extended.

[Tony W]

If I understand correctly this sounds like a simple matter of trying to fit an image into an incorrect Aspect Ratio. This assumes that your printer is capable of producing accurate borders (some cannot and give a wider border at the bottom)

Your 4x6 is 2:3 aspect ratio. Therefore it can be printed as 8x12 or 10x15 or 20x30 etc without changing the aspect ratio.

[chet webley]

Originally Posted by Tony W

If I understand correctly this sounds like a simple matter of trying to fit an image into an incorrect Aspect Ratio. This assumes that your printer is capable of producing accurate borders (some cannot and give a wider border at the bottom)

Your 4x6 is 2:3 aspect ratio. Therefore it can be printed as 8x12 or 10x15 or 20x30 etc without changing the aspect ratio.

+1

OR

Did you create the images at the size of the paper, then print them with "scale to fit media" on? Can your printer do borderless printing?

Often, inkjet printers use the very edges of the paper to grip it as it goes through the machine, and do not print right to the edges. This border is normally thicker at one end of the paper than it is on the sides.

You could try creating your image, say 10mm smaller than the paper in both directions, then printing it out in the centre of the page.

[LookingUp]

This border problem is driving me crazy. I'm wasting a lot of ink. Maybe I should just go to CVS and have them printed. Now matter what I do there is a border that is not even... not matter what I do. I don't understand the concept to the ratios... I'll have to study up on that. See attached photo to see more of what I mean.
Thanks for your help.

[Tony W]

It is possible that the border is not even due to the way your printer works. Some printers cannot actually print evenly and leave a larger border at the bottom than the top of the print. The solution to this could be to find out the bottom limits of the printer and make sure to size the image to have this size border all around, or trim the print!

If you look at your print which I assume is exactly 4x6 paper you will see that the image size needs to be approx 5.5" deep x 3.5" wide to match the paper aspect ratio and give a border of 1/4" all around (this assumes your printer can actually get that close to the edge!)

A suggestion that may help. Make a new document to 4x6". Open your image and resize to exactly 5.5x3.5 inches and paste into the 4x6 document. Now try printing and see what happens with the way your printer handles the image.

Aspect ratio is a way of defining the relationship between the width and depth of a print e.g. 4x6 = 2:3 ratio based on dividing the figures by the same number equally. From this you can work out that if you wanted a 10" wide print (2x5=10) that the height would be 15" (3x5=15).