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Scanning and Restoration

A true story.....

I was lying in bed one night wondering (as you do) that if the house caught fire and I had chance to grab one thing, what would it be? (Assuming of course that people and pets were safe). I mentally went through the obvious list:- personal documents, jewellery, computers, money, camera, hi-fi, etc. I quickly realised, without wishing to sound frivolous, that the loss of most things were just different degrees of cost or inconvenience... until I thought of the photos. They represent loved ones, friends, kids, pets, places, holidays, memories…

Loss of our photos would be beyond inconvenient...they represent cherished moments from our past, and are irreplaceable. And so (as mentioned in my little 'bio' on the home page), I've just finished scanning 6,000 slides (and a further 2,000 prints and negatives). This was a direct result of the above realisation. I now have all our photos backed-up on 3 DVDs which I keep at a friend's house....

Of course not only are your old prints, negatives and slides at risk from fire, loss or accidental damage, they will deteriorate with age - mould, fading, scratching, finger marks, dog ears, colour shifting… the list is endless.

So we offer two levels of service:

 

Scanning. Using high-quality slide and flat-bed scanners, we will transfer your photos (prints, slides, negatives) onto CD or DVD. Not only will you then have the peace of mind of having a backup copy of your photographs, but if you have a computer, you can then do things with these images previously difficult or unthinkable with conventional photos.

  • You can crop them, enlarge them, print them, or you can get creative and start manipulating the images.

  • You can organise them in virtual albums, indexed in various ways (by dates, by people, by places, etc.).

  • You can send them as email attachments.

  • You can include them in other computerised documents.

  • You can have a go at making your own greetings cards.

  • Or you can just enjoy having them in a form that you can browse at will, using one of the many free photo browsing applications.

  • You would always know where your collection was, and be able to locate any photo at any time.

  • You can make further copies of your images for extra security.

or...

Scanning and restoration. After each image has been captured, we can fix some of the obvious forms of deterioration such as dust and scratches. We can also compensate for fading, yellowing and creasing, and we can even restore some missing parts of images.

In addition, we can correct a number of other problems, including shortcomings with the original image, such as moderate under- or over-exposure, or a colour cast due to processing problems. We can even re-crop the photos to improve the composition.

In short, our restoration service can improve the following problems: Dust/Scratches/Tears/ Creases/Dog-ears/Mildew/Fading/Foxing/Colour casts/Poor composition/Under exposure/Over exposure

Here's a couple of examples of what can be done, the first is a photo from the 1950's (which probably then spent the next thirty years in a sideboard drawer...)

 

Or this one mounted in a frame with an oval window (and spent too much time in the sunlight)...

 

Whatever level of service you choose, all of your images will be on CD-R or DVD for posterity. And of course you will still have the originals.

We charge by the image, and it’s a hands-on process, so depending on how many photos you have, and whether you just want the standard scanning service or the photo restoration service, it can represent a significant investment. Except now you would now have a hedge against the unthinkable.... and as discussed above, you would have the additional benefits of digital versions of your photographs.

Our charges (subject to a minimum order value of £20.00):

Scanning from negative, slide or print…….

65p per image

Restoration……                      

It depends on the amount of work, but you should probably allow around £2.00 per image

Note that 35mm slides and negatives are scanned at 1800dpi (dots per inch), and prints at 300dpi. (With regular bulk-processed prints there’s normally no point in scanning beyond 300dpi, but if you have high-quality images, higher resolutions may be requested.)

(We reserve the right to refuse commissions, where the photos are of a consistently poor quality, unless special arrangement have been made)

Email or phone to discuss these services further (see Contact Me)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                          

 

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