How Do I Make Letterbox Pictures: A Step-By-Step Guide

A letterbox picture format is a method employed to showcase widescreen content on classic 4×3 screens, commonly found on older television sets. This technique involves resizing the picture frame to match the dimensions of the screen, which means reducing its height while maintaining the original width. Consequently, this adjustment results in the appearance of black bars above and below the picture, ensuring that the entire widescreen image can be viewed on the narrower 4×3 screen without cropping or distortion. This approach allows viewers to enjoy widescreen content on older TVs while preserving the intended aspect ratio of the original content.

“What are the dimensions of a letterbox image and how is it utilized in web design? Letterbox images are commonly employed as primary visuals on full-width web pages by web designers. These images typically come in three different height options: 500px, 550px, or 600px, with a fixed width of 1900px. The purpose of a letterbox image is to ensure it consistently spans 100% of the width of the viewer’s screen. However, on various devices, it is intentionally designed to display a portion of the main header text just below the image, providing a visually engaging and interactive experience for users. This design approach aims to balance image aesthetics and content accessibility. [Published on September 11, 2020].”