Picture ratio Evolution History: 3:2, 4:3, 16:9 What's the difference?

Common ratios

At the beginning of the information age of 195x, the most notable feature is that analog technology has turned to digital technology, graphic design has been gradually led by electronic devices from paper to media, and the granularity units have changed, but this is not so much for designers, the problem is the ratio.

Aspect ratio, which is the height ratio, only discusses the three most common categories: photography, video, and display equipment.

The common rates of photography are: 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, of which 135 film ratio is 3:2. In recent years because of the popularity of consumer cameras 16:9 also become common.

Video frequency commonly used ratios are: 4:3, 16:9, 21:9, traditional TV screen ratio of 4:3, High-definition TV is 16:9, 2009 years after the advent of 21:9 UWB TV ratio and cinema widescreen ratio of 2.39:1 most close.

Monitors commonly used ratios are: 5:4, 4:3, 16:10, 16:9, more than 4:3 are called widescreen. 2008 years later, the display gradually shifted from 4:3 and 16:10 to 16:9. The following are common resolutions for monitors: 1024x768 (4:3), 1280x1024 (5:4), 1280x800 (16:10), 1680x1050 (16:10), and 1920x1080 (16:9).

From small to large merged similar terms are: 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 16:10, 16:9, 21:9, compared to the following:

Comparison of different ratios

　How do they show pictures?

Looking at the large Internet traffic, using 1:1 is a more obvious trend, whether it is social media or online shopping. Admittedly, 1:1 of the processing is relatively simple and consistent today across multiple platforms.

Comparison of different website ratios

It is noteworthy that the longitudinal ratio (portrait) is relatively rare, but due to the nature of the fashion category, that is, clothing by the model wearing more display, more and more E-commerce products favor the use of waterfall flow (Pinterest style waterfall) structure, So that the portrait of the vertical display also more.

And in the video products, 16:9 in the king status, one is the popularity of HD, the second is easy to compatible with 21:9 or even greater widescreen ratio.

　And see the Golden divide

The Fibonacci Golden Rectangle (Fibonacci Blocks) of the title map reveals another subjective argument about the 1:1 mainstream on mobile platforms. With the smart phone screen to close to 16:9, graphics and text mixed page using a golden rectangle to balance the picture and text both the primary and secondary relationship, but also a form of beauty.

　　The compensation processing of the picture

Non-1:1 ratio processing, one is to use card layout rate compensation, such as YouTube:

Another category, the picture ratio of vertical 4:3, such as Farfetch, no use of background fill (such as Etsy) approach, the upper and lower pictures of the Carousel (carousel) directly displayed.

　　Summary

The display and display devices are mutually reinforcing. A group of Flickr data shows that as the iphone has largely replaced SLR as the mainstream camera device, 4:3 and 16:9 of the picture counts as catching up with the traditional photography of 3:2, half the world. Cross-platform Internet products have been trying to keeled between the PC and wireless, but the reality is brutal, the two platforms of mature products must be the elimination of the long, user time resources are limited. The logic of mobile one is to consider how to migrate and extend to a larger screen on the basis of ensuring the optimal operation of the mobile-side display. Interesting comparisons can be seen between products that have a PC with a mobile end and a reverse line. As with living organisms, different species with a beneficial relationship tend to evolve in convergent ways.