Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the most appropriate print size to choose when ordering photos?

Our online shop hosted by PhotoBox offers a wide range of print sizes from 6 x 4in up to a 30 x 20in poster. However, not all of these print sizes have the same shape. The shape of a print can be determined by calculating the ratio of the longer edge to the shorter edge - the aspect ratio. If two prints have similar shapes, they will both have the same aspect ratio (and vice versa). For example, the aspect ratio of a 6x4 print and a 12x8 print are both 1.5 so the shapes are similar.

If you order a photo at a size/aspect ratio/shape which doesn’t match that of the original image, the resulting print will either have to be cropped to fit (thus losing part of the image) or will have white borders at the top & bottom or left & right (which may not look right in a frame). This choice can be made at the time of ordering.

For example, let’s say you want to order a 6x4 print of the following square image:

Option 1 is to crop the image to fit the aspect ratio of a 6x4 print. This loses part of the image:

Option 2 is to print the image with white borders at the top & bottom or left & right. Prints with uneven borders like this, normally look very odd and can be a waste of money and photo paper:

Neither option is ideal.

Our recommendation is to avoid having to make this choice altogether by ordering a print size/aspect ratio which is similar to that of the image as it is displayed on our website. The easiest way to work out the aspect ratio is to measure the height and width of the image on screen using a ruler, then divide the longer measurement by the shorter. You can then order a print size with the same aspect ratio (or the closest match) by consulting the table below. This table lists the aspect ratios of all the prints available via our PhotoBox online store.

Shape	Aspect Ratio	Common Print Size	Other Print Sizes with the Same Aspect Ratio
	10:4 = 2.50	20x8 (panoramic)
	12:5 = 2.40	12x5 (panoramic)
	3:2 = 1.50	6x4	7.5x5, 9x6, 12x8, 15x10, 18x12, 30x20
	10:7 = 1.43	10x7
	7:5 = 1.40	7x5	Close matches: A4, A3, A2
	4:3 = 1.33	8x6	6x4.5, 16x12
	5:4 = 1.25	10x8	20x16
	1:1 = 1.00	5x5 (square)	8x8, 12x12

If you are still unsure as to the best print size to order, please feel free to Contact Us to ask for some advice before placing your order.