When you upload artwork to Printumo, you are asked to crop it before it can be printed. This step makes sure your artwork fits the print size you or your customer chooses.
What is an aspect ratio?
An aspect ratio is the relationship between the width and height of an image. For example, a 1:1 aspect ratio is a perfect square, while a 3:2 aspect ratio is a rectangle where the width is 1.5 times the height.
Different print sizes share the same aspect ratio. A 12×8 inch print and a 30×20 inch print are both 3:2 — one is just larger than the other. This means that once you crop your artwork to a 3:2 ratio, it fits all 3:2 sizes perfectly.
Why cropping is necessary
Your uploaded artwork might not match every print size we offer. Without cropping, we would have to either:
Stretch the image to fill the frame, which distorts your artwork.
Add blank borders around the edges, which looks unfinished.
Cut off parts of the image automatically, which might remove important details.
By cropping your artwork yourself, you stay in control. You decide exactly which part of the image is shown in the final print.
Canvas vs. fine art paper formats
Printumo offers two main product types — canvas prints and fine art paper prints — and each comes with its own set of available aspect ratios and sizes.
Canvas has 7 aspect ratios to choose from:
Aspect ratio | Description | Example sizes |
1:1 | Square | 8×8″, 20×20″, 40×40″ |
5:4 | Near-square rectangle | 10×8″, 25×20″, 40×32″ |
4:3 | Classic photo format | 16×12″, 24×18″, 40×30″ |
7:5 | Slightly wider | 21×15″, 35×25″, 56×40″ |
3:2 | Standard photo ratio | 12×8″, 30×20″, 48×32″ |
16:9 | Widescreen / panoramic | 32×18″, 48×27″, 64×36″ |
2:1 | Ultra-wide panoramic | 20×10″, 40×20″, 60×30″ |
Fine art paper currently supports fewer aspect ratios, including:
1:1 — Square (e.g. 40×40 cm, 70×70 cm)
4:3 — Classic format (e.g. 40×30 cm)
5:4 — Near-square (e.g. 50×40 cm)
5:7 — Taller rectangle (e.g. 140×100 cm)
A-series — Standard paper sizes (A6 through A1)
Canvas offers more aspect ratios because it supports wider panoramic formats (like 16:9 and 2:1) that are popular for landscape photography and wide artwork.
How the cropping tool works
Upload your artwork on the product creation page.
The cropping tool shows you the available aspect ratios for your selected product type (canvas or fine art paper) and market.
Select an aspect ratio and position the crop box over your artwork.
Move and resize the crop box until you are happy with the framing.
Save the crop. Your artwork is now ready for all print sizes that use that aspect ratio.