Relative Enlargement Sizes

I haven't seem a dumb question here today, so I must be slipping.

Lots of you folk speak of sharpness and ISO grain etc. in terms of "It's good up to A3" or something similar.

I assume (always dangerous) that has to do with enlargement sizes (paper?).

Being a complete Canadian amature, I get my prints at the pharmacey, and can only relate to 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 inch sizes. I've never had the opportunity to splurge for 16x20.

Is there a table I can be referred to (gently, please) which compares "A" sizes to something by something?

How's that for "New"?

Wikipedia is your friend : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_size

Edit:
This is even clearer: http://www.dpandi.com/paper/index.html

Hi Mac,

Is this what you are looking for

link


Link does not seem to work, but here is the URL -

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-paper.html

Hope it helps.

Gwyn beaten me to it
Howard

Everything anyone ever wanted to know about paper sizes but was afraid to ask!

A good question though Mac, we tend to forget that A paper sizes aren't a worldwide standard.

Gwyn! Howard!

Thank you both so much!

That really clears it up for me.

And Wow, those are some BIG enlargements!

I can see why the 14MP CCD is so sought after!

Appreciate it!

I'm glad you got what yer lookin fer ther Mac...
I saw the title of this thread, and thought, "Oh no, Mac has been clicking on those links in those spam emails..."
and the I thought:
"At least he's not asking about money transfers to nigeria"

But I know you're too smart for that, but then I thought
"Maybe he's into the scotch.."

D'you know what, I thought they were

Our North American cousins do not use them - they use US standard sizes, which are similar to, if not the same as, the old Imperial letter sizes. Not sure about Oz though.

I saw the title of this thread, and thought, "Oh no, Mac has been clicking on those links in those spam emails..."
"Maybe he's into the scotch.."
[/quote]Don,

Don, Don, Don!

Only you, Don!

That particular type of enlargement spam dissapeared after I upgraded my anti-virus software. (Not kidding!)

I'm home on a snow day in Montreal and would love to have been into the scotch, but alas must operate the snowblower on a regular basis. (Clasifies as heavy equipment in our house.)

Man, I gotta be more careful with my subject titles!

Thanks again everyone!

Mac, I hope you crop your photos when printing at those different sizes. Sorry if I'm saying something you're blatantly aware of but the uncropped pics from your pentax is in the ratio of 3 wide by 2 tall. Out of the sizes you mentioned only 6x4 will keep that ratio. ie 3x2 times 2.

Printing at other ratios will result in either distortion or unwanted cropping (depending how your pharmacy prints). For example printing 8x10 will result in the sides of the picture being cropped off (if in landscape orientation) or the whole width of the image being squashed together.

If printing at 7x5 for instance you'll need to make sure your image to be printed is in the ratio of 7:5. Or you'll be left with a print with bits missing compared to your original.
If you have a normal uncropped image, the best thing to do is print at compatible print sizes - eg: 6x4 9x6 12x8 etc. (all variations of 3x2)

I find a better way of cropping small amounts is to paint a white section over the part to be cropped off. This way you're print will come back in the original dimension but with a white square which you can then physically crop off with a guillotine. Not ideal for framing though.

Are these like the 'world series' things that are only seen on that side of the pond?

Bob,

Good point about the cropping! I've run into this problem when I take an SD card or CD to one of our handy dandy Kodak printers. I've usually left the image somewhat oversized for that very reason.


Are these like the 'world series' things that are only seen on that side of the pond? [/quote]Hardgravity,

Yup, or the Miss World and Miss Universe contests.

Well, Canada's gone metric at least. It's a start

There's your problem. No good thinking in Metric & printing in Imperial !

Unfortunately, all the standard paper sizes used in Canada for the printing industries remained imperial. It is due to the fact that standard paper sizes in North America are smaller than the European sizes, and the printing bindery equipment used then where manufactured around those sizes, not the European sizes. It would have been too costly to ask all printers to replace their equipment with newer equipment that conform to European standards. Now, most printing equipment used in North America is either manufactured in Germany or Japan, and conform to the Europeans standards, but old habits are hard to kill.

Same in the UK, we seem to be surrendering bit by bit to metric however. People have actually been through the legal system here for stll selling in Lbs & ounces rather than Kilos. It's ridiculous. I for one, don't want my beer served in half litre glasses. I want a full Pint !