FRAMEPRINTS · PRINT GUIDE
Full Image with a Margin or a Cropped Print?
A full-image print and a cropped print solve different layout problems. Decide whether every edge of the artwork must stay visible before choosing how it fills the paper.
Full image with a paper margin
This layout scales the artwork until it fits inside the paper while preserving its original proportions. Empty paper remains on two sides when the artwork and sheet have different shapes.
It is a useful choice for documentary reproductions, images with important edge details, or a first print when you do not know the frame opening. The artwork occupies less of the sheet, so the visible image area is smaller.
Crop to fill the sheet
A crop fills more of the paper by trimming part of the image or changing its composition. It can work when the original has background area that can safely be removed, but it may cut off signatures, borders, figures or other important details.
Do not assume an automatic center crop is safe. Inspect all four edges and compare the cropped preview with the source image before exporting.
Account for the frame lip
The frame lip hides a narrow strip of paper around the edge. With a crop layout, keep the subject away from that hidden area. With a full-image margin, check that the opening does not show only blank paper around a much smaller artwork.
The opening, mat and backing all affect the final view. A screen mock-up is only a proportion guide; a physical test fit is the reliable check.
Check image resolution
Scaling an image down for a margin increases the effective pixels per printed inch; cropping removes pixels and may lower it. Use the available source pixels to check the output size. Do not enlarge a small source simply to fill more paper.
A pixel estimate cannot certify paper, printer, color or viewing distance. Treat it as a screening value and inspect the actual result before making a set.
Choose a margin when preserving the entire composition matters. Crop only after checking which parts of the image will be removed.