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Hello:

New at this.

Have taken several pix with my new digital camera at a "high resolution"
setting of 1024 x 768.

Pictures look just great on PC monitor.

But, when I take them to either of two photo printing centers in local
drugstores, they
both tell me they cannot print the whole picture (at a 4x6 inch size print)
that is on the memory card at
this resolution; that I have to select/crop a smaller area for them to
print.

Is this true ?
Why?

Is there some (possibly free?) photo editing program I can use to "keep" the
high resolution
quality (or for ones i take at even higher res.), but be able to completely
have the image printed
out in a 4x6 inch print ?

Thanks,
Bob

Robert11 wrote:
>
> Hello:
>
> New at this.
>
> Have taken several pix with my new digital camera at a "high resolution"
> setting of 1024 x 768.
>
> Pictures look just great on PC monitor.
>
> But, when I take them to either of two photo printing centers in local
> drugstores, they
> both tell me they cannot print the whole picture (at a 4x6 inch size print)
> that is on the memory card at
> this resolution; that I have to select/crop a smaller area for them to
> print.
>
> Is this true ?

Yes

> Why?

Because the ratio of width to height is different. Your image has a
1.33:1 ratio, whilst the 4x6" paper has one of 1.5:1.
Something has to give somewhere, so your image requires cropping to a
1.5:1 width/height ratio. The only other alternative is for it to be
printed so that one dimension is fully on the paper and accept white
stripes at the edges where the other dimension doesn't reach the edges.
The printers might/should be able to do either for you if you like, but
their original statement is correct.

> Is there some (possibly free?) photo editing program I can use to "keep" the
> high resolution quality (or for ones i take at even higher res.), but be able to completely
> have the image printed out in a 4x6 inch print ?

Irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com) should do what you need - for this
and many other photo "tools" - at a price I'm sure you'll like.

--
regards,
dslr

Or you could take your pics to somewhere that does "digital" print sizes ...
such as www.bonusprint.co.uk.

"dslr" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Robert11 wrote:
> >
> > Hello:
> >
> > New at this.
> >
> > Have taken several pix with my new digital camera at a "high resolution"
> > setting of 1024 x 768.
> >
> > Pictures look just great on PC monitor.
> >
> > But, when I take them to either of two photo printing centers in local
> > drugstores, they
> > both tell me they cannot print the whole picture (at a 4x6 inch size
print)
> > that is on the memory card at
> > this resolution; that I have to select/crop a smaller area for them to
> > print.
> >
> > Is this true ?
>
> Yes
>
> > Why?
>
> Because the ratio of width to height is different. Your image has a
> 1.33:1 ratio, whilst the 4x6" paper has one of 1.5:1.
> Something has to give somewhere, so your image requires cropping to a
> 1.5:1 width/height ratio. The only other alternative is for it to be
> printed so that one dimension is fully on the paper and accept white
> stripes at the edges where the other dimension doesn't reach the edges.
> The printers might/should be able to do either for you if you like, but
> their original statement is correct.
>
> > Is there some (possibly free?) photo editing program I can use to "keep"
the
> > high resolution quality (or for ones i take at even higher res.), but be
able to completely
> > have the image printed out in a 4x6 inch print ?
>
> Irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com) should do what you need - for this
> and many other photo "tools" - at a price I'm sure you'll like.
>
> --
> regards,
> dslr