printing smaller photos

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Level 1

9 points

printing smaller photos

I cannot seem to shrink my photos so that I can print two side by side on a regular size photo paper. I cannot find any information on doing that in iPhoto. Pardon my ignorance, but instructions are not that clear.Maybe my concern is too simple for the site? Right now the photos print out full page. I want 4X6 photos for an album, but when I print them that small they print in the middle of the page so I waste all that paper. I have tried turning and setting but they still print in the middle of the page. If someone can please tell me how to set it so I can print two photos side by side on a regular size paper, I would appreciate it. I have an iMac (2002).

Posted on Sep 12, 2005 9:03 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,054 points

Sep 20, 2005 11:22 PM in response to daniel lombardo

Why?

Because if you tell it to print a 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10 to print on an US letter, it will center it on the page. If you ask Word to print a document with 3" margins on a US Letter paper, it will fit it onto the center of the 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Same idea, but with LESS control.

With iPhoto, you are asking it to do the same thing. "Here, iPhoto, print this small picture on this big piece of paper." It's only option is to print it in the center of the paper. If you want to print a 4x6 print on 4x6 inches of paper, you have to tell it you are using 4x6 paper. If you don't have that, then you are not going to get the results you want with iPhoto. Not designed that way. Feedback to Apple via the Apple website or the application menu (if it is there) is the only way you can ask for that capability. Third party apps like ImageBuddy can lay out the photo whereever you want it on the page.

Jim

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Answer 2

Sep 21, 2005 1:01 PM in response to Janet Wees

Hello Janet Wees,

Yes, you are going to have to use a 3rd party software for what you want to do.

As Old Toad suggested, try Portraits& Prints which can be found here:
http://www.econtechnologies.com/site/Pages/PortraitsPrints/pnpoverview.html

You can download the free demo and decide if you want to purchase before spending any money. The "Pro" version gives you the ability to make your own "page layouts", which is exactly what you are looking for. Unless you can find one of their standard templates to suit your needs in the less expensive version.

IMO, iPhoto is not printer friendly, and very poor at giving any flexability in printing photos. Good Luck!

Respectfully,
Bill Gallagher

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Answer 3

Sep 21, 2005 5:11 AM in response to Janet Wees

I appreciate you helping me. I did try that after you mentioned it. I sized my paper via page setup and created a category for a 5x7 paper. I had 5x7 selected in print menu and even cropped my photo to a 5x7. Now it's printing even worse! Am I doing too much? Im going to keep trying.

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Answer 4

Sep 20, 2005 5:25 PM in response to Janet Wees

Actually, I think old toad has got it right. At least in my case. Im trying to print a 4x6 or a 5x7 photo on photo paper. Iphoto constantly prints them centered "as if" I had a full sheet of 8.5x11 paper. How can I get iphoto to print a picture! 5x7 4x6 whatever... Is it true that I need a third party software?

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Sep 12, 2005 10:00 PM in response to Peter Bannon

But notice that she doesn't want them in the center because she want to put the page in a book or not use up a full sheet for the two pictures, i.e. but when I print them that small they print in the middle of the page so I waste all that paper.

A custom layout by a 3rd party app is about the only way she can do it.

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Answer 6

Brie Fly

Level 5

7,925 points

Sep 12, 2005 3:22 PM in response to Janet Wees

Janet,
You don't say whether you've explored the options in the print dialog ("N-Up" in the Standard options, or "Layout" in the Advanced options). To avoid wasting paper in the exploration, take advantage of the print preview to see if you're getting close to the output you desire.

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Sep 12, 2005 6:08 PM in response to Janet Wees

Janet:

To be able to place your photos to a customized location on the page you'll have to use a 3rd party application like Portrait & Prints or Photo Booth, PhotoPress or similar. You can find them at VersionTracker.com. If you have and use a 3rd party image editor like Photoshop Elements you can also do that, with great precision and customization.

OT

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Answer 8

Sep 13, 2005 8:58 AM in response to Old Toad

but when I print them that small they print in the middle of the page so I waste all that paper.

She is only getting one picture per page - which prints in the middle.
Wasting paper could mean she plans to cut them out or whatever.

The default 4/6 prints two - the same or different photos - on the same page side by side using most of the page. they are not in the middle.

Try it select two photos - go to print and pick standard 4X6 or 5X7 - which will print 2 per sheet. 2X3 will print 8 on a sheet.

But if you have the ONE PHOTO PER PAGE box CHECKED it will only print one photo in the middle of the page reagardless of what format you choose

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Answer 9

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,054 points

Sep 20, 2005 5:34 PM in response to Janet Wees

Select the photos you want to print. Click on the Print button. Choose "Standard Prints" from the Style pop-up menu. Choose "4x6" in the size.

Is that not what you want? Or do you want to put them in the corner so you have 2.5" strip left on the side and 3" on the bottom?

The second option would require third party software. I've used ImageBuddy in that case. Seems fine, but have not compared to anything else.

Jim

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Answer 10

Sep 20, 2005 5:39 PM in response to Janet Wees

Personally speaking, I click standard prints (select the size paper) say 4x6, but it prints as if it's centered on a large page in other words, I have a large margin on two sides of the page. two thirds of the picture doesn't print because it thinks there is a bigger sheet of paper. Make sense?

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Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Sep 21, 2005 12:44 PM in response to daniel lombardo

Daniel:

What printer are you using? Check the specifications for it and see if it supports 4x6 and 5x7, borderless and bordered, prints. If the specs say it does then you may have to reinstall the print driver. You should get many more than just "Letter" in the Paper Size menu. Check the manufacture's site for the latest driver for your printer and install it. If you have an Epson, after installing the driver, you'll need to mount two printers, the regular driver and a borderless driver. You'll need to find the borderless from the Printer Utility application, in one of the menus (can't remember which but it'll be there, just keep looking in all menu options).

If your printer does not support those sizes (an I'll be really surprised if it doesn't) they you won't be able to print to that sized paper.

OT

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Answer 12

Sep 21, 2005 4:54 PM in response to Janet Wees

Well old toad, you may be a prince! I found that by selecting my printer (which happens to be the default printer, but for some odd reason doesn't pop up when I select the page setup menu option) it gives me a different set of page sizes. Unfortunately, 5x7 isn't one of them. I did however successfully print a 4x6 photo just now. (Only after about 3-4hrs of trying).
What your telling me is that even though I can create custom print sizes, it does me no good? I lost my drivers disk for this printer (must've been thrown away with the box). So what do you recomend I do to be able to print a 5x7 ?

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Answer 13

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Sep 21, 2005 5:07 PM in response to daniel lombardo

Go to the manufacture's web site and download the latest version of the printer driver. Usually if a printer will support a 4x6 it will have 5x7 and 8x10 covered also. Get that new driver and see what you can find.

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Answer 14

Sep 12, 2005 10:12 AM in response to Janet Wees

Janet

when you go to print in the iPhoto menu and the print menu comes up and you choose 4X6 -- make sure the box that says "one per page" is not checked

Peter

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Answer 15

Sep 12, 2005 9:52 PM in response to Old Toad

two 4X6 prints on one page, which she wants is the default setting for 4X6. She must have the one per page option checked as I mentioned in post one

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