Crop Factor

[slp0268]

I am so perplexed with this crop factor.  Am I correct in saying that what we shoot isn't anything what we get?  Does one have to "overshoot" and if you crop in Lightroom, is there a way to know what the image will look like in the size you print it?  Needless to say, I am stumped and aggravated over this.  If anyone has an EASY explanation I will be so thankful.

[diddee]

Here is what I do.  I do not change the dimensions of my image unless I am printing to a specific size.  So if I need a 5x7, then I take the full size image and crop it.  This way I can move the image around as I wish.

You can get a preview of your crop in Lightroom.  Click on the little triangle in front of the Navigator panel.  This should drop down a preview image.  If it does not, search "Navigator preview" online and check your "Preferences" tab against recommendations made
in one of those posts.