Photographic Paper Size

[cliveh]

35mm with its 3:2 ratio is probably the most popular format of all time. So why have paper manufacturers not make paper to the same ratio?

[Darkroom317]

I understand that they did at one time but it didn't go over well. Which doesn't make any practical or aesthetic sense, since it is considered the golden ratio.

[Chris Lange]

3:2 ≠ 1.618:1

[MattKing]

I understand that they did at one time but it didn't go over well. Which doesn't make any practical or aesthetic sense, since it is considered the golden ratio.

The "Golden Ratio" (aka as the Golden Mean) is actually approximately 1:1.618 ..., not 1.5:1.

Paper sizes are imbued with a lot of history, and vary with location - e.g. 12x16 is common in the UK.

[DREW WILEY]

They have and still do! Given the fact that the vast majority of 35mm work is snapshots, you've got
4x6 and 5x7. Much bigger than that and you've got a sheet of fuzz.

[cliveh]

They have and still do! Given the fact that the vast majority of 35mm work is snapshots, you've got
4x6 and 5x7. Much bigger than that and you've got a sheet of fuzz.

5 X 7 is not a 3:2 ratio.

[DREW WILEY]

5x7 is close enough. Besides, the automated printers are using paper in rolls. Saunders once made
an 8X10 easel with the frame cropped down to 35mm proportions. Seems silly to me, since most of
us want to crop more precisely to whatever, not just to the fixed ratio.

[OzJohn]

5x7 is close enough. Besides, the automated printers are using paper in rolls. Saunders once made
an 8X10 easel with the frame cropped down to 35mm proportions. Seems silly to me, since most of
us want to crop more precisely to whatever, not just to the fixed ratio.

Paper sizes have always been a bit messy. 5x7 is often not close enough to a 2:3 ratio which is why many pro labs and all modern automated printers like Frontiers and Noritsus can make 5x7.5 prints to get closer to that ratio. These machines can also make 6x9 prints instead of 6x8 which itself is an odd size derived from the old full plate 6.5x8.5 (I think Ilford still make full plate paper). The machines can also do 5.5x7 that is close to 4:5 ratio. To cap it all off, inkjet paper is largely made in office paper sizes like A4 and new sizes like A3+ have been introduced in that market. OzJohn

[mooseontheloose]

In France (Europe?) 7x9.5 is a common paper size (whereas 8x10 is not). I didn't use it much since it was more of a pain to use for contact prints, but it was a nice size to print 35mm full frame.

[Alan Klein]

35mm with its 3:2 ratio is probably the most popular format of all time. So why have paper manufacturers not make paper to the same ratio?

It's an evil plot to drive us nuts. The only answer is to shoot slides and project them.