Digital booths
Fit or fill: why a face gets cropped in a photo strip
A worked example makes the shape mismatch visible.
The photograph can be sharp and still lose the top of a head when placed in a strip. The problem is often the difference between the source picture’s shape and the window it has been asked to fill.
Two useful behaviours
MDN distinguishes fitting an image inside a box from covering the box, which can crop parts of the image. Those behaviours are a useful way to understand template previews, even when the editor uses different labels.
Evidence: Technical documentation
Calculate one example
In our example, a 600 by 400 picture must cover a 300 by 300 square. Scaling its height to 300 produces a width of 450. A centred square crop removes 75 pixels from each side of that scaled image. Fitting the complete picture instead leaves space above and below. Neither result is a failure; they serve different priorities.
Choose before composing
If a face or gesture lies near an edge, crop a copy deliberately before adding it to the layout, or choose a window closer to the original aspect ratio. Check all frames in the finished preview. A border that looks right around the first photo may conceal an important detail in the fourth.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- MDN — object-fitTechnical documentation