RJ-Summers.com / Frequently Asked Questions

"Restoration" can simply be defined as bringing your photo back to its original state, making it look like it did when it was originally processed. Photo restoration is now done digitally on a computer, where your irreplaceable original photo is kept safe in your possession, and without being subjected to chemicals, inks, and dyes. Digital restoration also has the advantage of being able to be modified, to meet the criteria of the owner, as well as being permanently stored on your computer, preserving the image from future wear.
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Can You Restore Torn Photos?

Yes we can, with great success I might add. If the photo is in separate pieces, keep them that way. Don't try to help us out by taping them together. Also, if they are already taped, don't try to remove the tape. Just scan the pieces very loosely arranged, and we'll put the 'jigsaw puzzle' together again. The only real trouble may come when part of the photo is actually missing. If the missing part is just a background, or something easily duplicated, no problem. If the missing part is someone's face, we may need you to send in a similar photo with the face intact.
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Can you Restore Photos with Writing on them?

Most of the time, yes. I say that because some photos have a great deal of thick and heavy writing that is more of an obstacle. Usually though, it is not a problem. Please do not try to erase any writing though. That does not help.
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Can you Restore Every Photo, Regardless of Damage?

Regardless of damage? Fully restored? Sometimes no. I've yet to see the photo that cannot be at least 'improved' considerably with the techniques that we use, but some photos are just too faded or otherwise damaged to make a full restoration realistic. Keep in mind I am speaking of those extremely damaged photos, almost unrecognizable otherwise, which is actually more rare than not. You might just be surprised as to how much repair that we are capable of.
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What is Photo Editing?

By contrast, restoration is returning a photo to its original state, where 'editing' is changing a photo in some manner. There may be undesirable objects or persons in your photo. Maybe a really busy background that only detracts from the intended subjects. Have you ever seen the wedding or family reunion group photo where everyone is smiling beautifully and some 5 year old is making a goofy face? Or how about the group photo where everyone looks great except for the person that blinked? We've all taken wonderful photos where your thumb is in the lens area. Would you rather see a clear blue sky with white fluffy clouds instead of that grey overcast sky in your landscape shot? These are just a very few of the ideas that we can fix. Basically, if you want your photo different is some way, not necessarily damage control, but in the image itself, we can do that for you.
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What is Black & White Colorization?

It's pretty straight-forward, Black & White Colorization is colorizing all or part of a black & white photo. Although the colorization of vintage photos usually looks colorized, nobody usually seems to mind. The trick is to use realistic colors for the time period, and try to make it look like it was done at the time the photo was originally processed, even if it was done 100 years ago. It's an interesting effect. For artistic expression, it looks really nice when the main subject of a photo is colorized while everything else in the background remains black & white. In the old days, colorization meant that the photo was actually painted, with paints, inks, and dyes. If you didn't like the way it turned out, too bad. With computer aided colorization, the colors can all be modified to meet the subjective needs of the client.
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Do I pay ahead of time for your services?

No, you don't. You upload the work you would like to see done, we do it, and then show you what we've accomplished on your very own Personal Gallery Page. You see the results before you ever pay for anything, if you decide to order prints.
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How do you stay in business if you don't charge up front and don't even know if you'll ever get paid?

We don't think that will ever be a big problem. Since we operate with all the risk on our side, you can rest assured that we always do our very best work. Our livelihood depends on it. I don't think anyone can reasonably expect to please everyone, but our experience has shown that this business model produces results that are pleasing and fair to both the artist and client.
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How do I Upload My Photos to you?

First your photos need to be scanned with a high quality flat-bed scanner. This produces a digital image file that lives on your computer. From there they can be uploaded to us. Don't try to email them as an attachment, the size of the photos will probably crash your email account. Don't worry about FTP accounts either. We have the software loaded onto this site that will take any size image file you can send, without any problems. That's what it was designed to do. On the menu bar you will see an 'Upload Your Photos' link. Open that and follow the directions there. It's actually easier to do than sending an email!
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What if I don't have a scanner?

Most people don't have the kind of high quality flat-bed scanner that should be used to scan in your photos. Some however have access to one at work or at school, or perhaps a friend or relative. If not however, just about every print shop or office supply store does have one and will be happy to scan your photos for you, for a small fee of course. Just bring a blank CD or USB drive for them to load the image files onto, so you can take it home and transfer them to your computer.
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Is it safe to scan my Vintage Photos?

The practical answer is 'yes'. Technically, every time you subject a photographic image to a high intensity light, it fades just a very little bit. If you've ever hung a photo on a wall next to a window you might know what I mean. Of course that might even take years depending on the exposure, but you would have to scan your photo hundreds, or even thousands of times before you would ever notice any fading. Please do however, ONLY use a flat-bed scanner. I've heard horror stories about how some people have tried to send an old photo through a scanner that has its originals pass through rollers, and changing directions a couple of times during the process. Flat-bad only. Keep your originals safe.
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Can I mail my original photos to you?

ONLY if there is just no other way. I say this because, quite frankly, I just do not trust the mail system to always deliver your irreplaceable family photos without bending or otherwise damaging them, or losing them altogether! Uploading a scanned and digital file of your photo keeps your original in the safest possible place, in your possession.
If you cannot find a suitable scanner, and you must send me your originals, there are two rules: #1) You must send your originals in a BOX. The U.S. Post Office offers free Priority Mail boxes that actually do a good job of at least keeping the sorters or mailman from bending a regular envelope (even if it is marked "Photos - Do Not Bend"!). Priority Mail also has the advantage of being trackable. And #2) You must enclose either postage or payment that will allow us to return your originals to you after we have professionally scanned them. Remember that we do not charge any money up front for our services and cannot pay for the return postage for your originals.
Please rest assured that if you do mail in your photos, that they will be professionally handled in a temperature and humidity controled, smoke free enviroment. I cannot guarantee however, their safety during the mailing and delivery process.

Please click on "Contact Us" in the Menu Bar and send an email requesting our regular Mailing Address.
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At what Resolution should I Scan my Photos?

Really high, somewhere in the 2 to 10 megapixel range. It could even be higher if that's what you've got. The fact is, the higher the resolution, the more digital information we have to work with, and that translates into better end results in your prints. If you have an especially small original photo with not much data to begin with (low contrast) you might not be able to get a high resolution scan. Just do the best you can. Don't try to email these as an attachment however. It is likely to not work at all. Our upload service is made for huge files, up to 1 gigabyte at a time. That's 1,000 megabytes! Scan with the highest resolution you can get away with.
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Which image file format should I use?

There's nothing really wrong with good old .jpeg or .jpg, but better options if you have the choice would be .tiff or .tif, .png, or even .bmp, since these are not considered 'compressed' images, which sometimes lose data during the compressing/decompressing stage of transmission. Do NOT however use a .gif format. Those are generally used for vector illustrations and lose quite a bit of color information in photographs.
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Where is this Personal Gallery Page?

It's actually a page on our website that we create just for you. After we've completed the work on the photos you uploaded to us, we will email you with the Web Address (url) of your very own Personal Gallery Page where you can see the results and order prints if you like, now, or any time in the future. Your gallery page address will always stay the same, and if you ever forget the URL, it's easy to find again with the "Customer Pages" look-up link in the menu bar.
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What if I just don't care for the results that I see?

Hopefully you would be willing to give us some feed-back as to how we might be able to do things different with your photo(s) so that you would be satisfied. If that doesn't happen however, you simply are not under any obligation to buy anything. If given the chance however, we will work very hard to satisfy your needs.
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What Size Prints do you offer?

Pretty much all of them! Everything from a 4" X 6" to the giant 30" x 45", and everything custom in between, including square prints. We even offer panoramic prints ranging from 6" x 18" to 30" x 180". We use Kodak Endura paper with either a matte or glossy finish.
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Do you Conduct Business Internationally?

Yes we do. We ship all over the world. The currencies that we currently accept are; U.S. Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Austrailian Dollar, and the Japanese Yen.
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I think the Results are Amazing! How do I Order Prints?

We're so glad you like them! Ordering prints has never been easier. In your Personal Gallery Page just click on your photos and open the shopping cart. From there just specify the details of what you'd like and follow the links. If you change your mind, it's just as easy to remove specific items or clear the cart altogether. The default currency is the U.S. Dollar, but it is very simple to change that and be quoted in the currency of your choice.
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Can I Order More Prints in the Future?

You sure can, and we hope you do! These photos really make wonderful gifts, and are especially good for those 'hard-to-shop-for' friends and relatives. Your Personal Gallery Page will always be there for you, we'll never take them down. Occasionally we'll have a sale on re-prints, and will be sure to notify you via email.
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What if I forgot the Web Address of my Personal Gallery Page?

It happens all the time! No Worries! There is a link in the menu bar called "Customer Pages" that has instructions as to how to get that URL address again.
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What if I have a question that is not answered here?

Just click on the "Contact Us" link in the menu bar and send us an email and we will try to get back to you within 24 business hours.
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Upload Your Photos Today!