Ever get your prints back from a printer and discover that part of your image is missing?? Their heads are cropped off, or their arms are cut off at the sides? Last time I used Snapfish, I had my digital photos printed at 4" by 5.3" size, this option was offered as I was checking out. I was THRILLED!!
The standard 4x6 print size requires that a digital camera image be cropped at the top and bottom (for a horizontal image) or that a white margin is left on either side. That's due to the aspect ratio of the digital image being different than the ratio of the printed photo. They don't match up, so something has to be adjusted to fit. There's more info here: http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/print_better_photos/tips/cropping-digital-photos.html
Of course, some cameras have a selector for which aspect ratio you want for your photos. If you choose an aspect ratio of 2:3, you can avoid this problem and just have your photos printed at 4x6 without issue.
If you can't select the aspect ratio on your camera, then you either have to crop the image yourself using your own software or the photo processing site's software, then make sure you choose to "manually" adjust your margins, or you have to remember to leave enough space around your subject when you shoot the photo to not have their body parts cropped off in the developing process. It's very frustrating to get back 300 photos from WDW with princesses missing their crowns!! (Yes, that really happened.)
The 4 by 5.3 digital print option is a real timesaver. I just shoot the photos, then upload them and have them printed. No adjustment necessary. If they look good in my viewfinder, they'll look good when they're printed, with minimal cropping needed when they go on a layout. LOVE IT.
Faster, Simpler, Easier.
