Proper Protocal for 120?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,

Is there a protocall for printing square format images? 11x14 10x10 image size. 16x20 with a 12x12 image size. ect...

Todd

 

[snapguy]

still

It is still a free country. You can do anything you want. There are purists who abhor cropping and want you to print squares, frame line to frame line on a square negative. That's okay, too. One of the joys of a square negative is being able to crop the thing vertical or horizontal if you have left a little room around the subject to be able to do so. While working years ago as a newspaper photographer I never knew if the editor would want to use my photo as a square, a rectangle or what. When one got that magic photo of Elvis, nobody cared if you cropped the photo a bit or not.

 

[DWThomas]

We (there was a url link here which no longer exists) around a bit toward the end of last year. But I agree with snapguy, you are in charge!

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

I print them square unless I decide to crop the image. I love square format and try to compose within the full square, but there are times I have my Mamiya 6 and find something that needs to be in a rectangle; then I crop.

 

[Dan Daniel]

As to protocol, there used to be a general rule that it was best to print with an inch of margin minimum on the paper. This gives ample room for hinging and mounting without putting the image area at risk. Handling prints or storing/moving them can lead to damaged edges and such. With wet prints, damaged edges were more common, such as small chips in the gelatin and scrunched corners. And it is most common for stains from chemicals and such to start at the edges since the edges are more exposed to air, packaging materials and such.

As to size of print for a particular mat or frame size, your call.

 

[MattKing]

"Proper" isn't really a good test.

"Attractive" and "Effective" are good tests.

A square image tends more toward the stationery, whereas a more rectangular image can be better at implying movement. So when you are choosing how big to print, and where to place it in a frame or mat, it may help to keep these factors in mind.

Don't try to squeeze to much print into too little frame and mat.

I like either 11x11 or, in some cases 12x12 bottom weighted in a 16x20 mat and frame.

 

[aRolleiBrujo]

Do you mean cropping then printing? I know it is hard to crop square especially to make it another size say 8x10?

 

[ic-racer]

4-blade easel and paper oriented 'landscape' with top and bottom borders equal and side-to-side borders equal. That is for the print, when framing I sometimes make top and sides equal and bottom bigger.