Batch conversions are supported by (www.) IrfanView (.com) - perfect 
free picture viewer and simple editor. It supports a.o. batch *resizing* 
to 3:2 or *cropping* to a fixed position and size in pixels.
The first option will lead to some distortion whilst the second requires 
all pictures in one batch to have the same resolution e.g. 1600 x 1200 
so these can be cropped to let's say 1500 x 1000 from absolute position 
50, 100

Hope this helps,
Reinder


Reg Siemens wrote:
> Hey Pete,
> 
> Thanks for the further info on Paintshop Pro.  I guess cropping them one
> picture at a time with the predefined format will have to do if there are
> none that incorporate some type of wizard to do a batch.  I still think it
> would be a feature that would be beneficial...do a batch conversion to 3:2
> and then just preview thumbnails to ensure that they're OK before printing.
> 
> Based on your message I looked for pre-defined 4x6 cropping feature and none
> of the photo editors that I had previously installed on my machine had it,
> however I found a copy of PhotoSuite Platinum sitting on the shelf that was
> bundled with some video editing software that I bought and I'd never
> bothered to install it...till now.  I went ahead and installed it and sure
> enough it has the predefined formats and this certainly works better than
> the hit and miss manual cropping.
> 
> Thanks for steering me in the right direction!
> 
> Reg
> 
> 
> "pmg" <pmg@replytogroup.com.au> wrote in message
> news:3f0c80fa$0$9355$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> 
>>Reg
>>
>>Most of the graphics editing software I've used allows you to either
>>manually resize the image using the mouse or there is a resize tool option
>>that allows you to set the ratio or actual dimensions. What I have often
>>done is set the width or height to what I want, looking at the value that
>>this creates in the resize tool's options or settings and then simply
>>calculate the other dimention by either multiplying or dividing by 1.5
> 
> and
> 
>>setting the other dimension to that figure.
>>Any "totally automatic" cropping tool (if it exists) will obviously leave
>>you no control of where the crop needs to be.
>>Paintshop Pro, the editor I use has configurable presets in it's resize
>>toolbar (4X6, 6X4, etc etc) that you can add to or modify. When using the
>>resize tool this option appears on the toolbar and you can simply click
> 
> the
> 
>>ratio you want. This produces the cropping frame correctly proportioned
> 
> over
> 
>>your image and you only need to drag the corner and move the position to
> 
> get
> 
>>the correct crop position, the preset ratio is fixed. Of course Paintshop
>>comes with all the other enhancement tools like redeye removal, automatic
>>photoenhancement, special effects, etc so it is a complete package. It's
>>available for a free download and trial period.
>>Good luck.............Pete
>>
>>"Reg Siemens" <regsiemens@coldmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:0MTOa.10028$V8.7648@news1.mts.net...
>>
>>>>Almost any graphics editing program will do this, from lowly freewares
>>
>>(eg
>>
>>>>http://www.rocketdownload.com/details/grap/4676.htm) all the way to
> 
> the
> 
>>>big
>>>
>>>>daddies like Photoshop. Usually the dig camera comes with a software
>>
>>that
>>
>>>>will do the cropping along with other things like rotation, etc. I use
>>>>Paintshop Pro (www.jasc.com) because it's loaded with other options
> 
> for
> 
>>>>tidying up your image before printing.
>>>
>>>Thanks Pete,
>>>
>>>I have various photo-editing packages on my system and I've been fixing
>>>red-eye etc. and I have also used their cropping tools but it seems to
> 
> be
> 
>>>trial and error i.e. crop and undo until you have the 3:2 ratio required
>>
>>for
>>
>>>standard prints.  I'm probably not alone in wanting to print my digital
>>>photos professionally and I would hope/imagine there is software out
> 
> there
> 
>>>that would, as an example, format all of the selected photos from 4:3 to
>>
>>3:2
>>
>>>cropping the bottom only.
>>>
>>>Reg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Pete
>>>>
>>>>"Reg Siemens" <regsiemens@coldmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:NpNOa.9533$V8.7146@news1.mts.net...
>>>>
>>>>>Sorry if you have answered this question a million times, but I'm
> 
> new
> 
>>to
>>
>>>>the
>>>>
>>>>>world of digital photography and just found out the hard way that
>>>
>>>digital
>>>
>>>>>photos are created in 4:3 format when your standard photo processing
>>>>>facility print is 3:2 (e.g. 6x4, 7x5, 10x8, etc.).  Taking digital
>>>
>>>images
>>>
>>>>in
>>>>
>>>>>to have them professionally printed has resulted in the top and
> 
> bottom
> 
>>>>being
>>>>
>>>>>cropped.  I like to take my photos with very little head room and
>>>>
>>>>therefore
>>>>
>>>>>have found many of my shots are less than ideal when cropped equally
>>>
>>>from
>>>
>>>>>top and bottom.  What I'd like to do is manipulate the images prior
> 
> to
> 
>>>>>burning my CD to take to the printer so that I choose how they're
>>>
>>>cropped.
>>>
>>>>>So the point of this whole message...what is the best software to
>>>>
>>>>facilitate
>>>>
>>>>>cropping a whack of images to 3:2 ratio prior to printing?  More
> 
> often
> 
>>>>than
>>>>
>>>>>not, I'd like to crop exclusively from the bottom.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks in advance for your help
>>>>>
>>>>>Reg Siemens
>>>>>Winnipeg, Canada
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
> 
>