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How to
Order
There
are many ways to order, that's why you may want to call before you do
anything. We can discuss what works for
you. Pick up and
Delivery for locals, call 619-397-7600.
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Contents:
How
to order by E-mail
How
to order by US Mail
Some
Tips For The Genealogist
Scanning
Topics
Estimate/Prices
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Many
people have great confidence in sending their originals via US mail. Some
mail us a
photocopy of photograph to get a quote first. We write back and you know how it
goes. This method is time consuming but there are people that are
uncomfortable with computers. They simply send the photo with their contact information
and a check for an estimated 50% down and we get in touch as soon as it
arrives.
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We
have received huge photos in UPS packages and FedEx envelops with
self addressed envelops for the return, we like that.
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Some
like to send us a CD of the photos they want restored and then communicate
via e-mail.
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Yet
others with scanners or access to one, scan
the photo and e-mail it to us. If this is your style click e-mail. 
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Upon your
approval of the quote, a payment can be made using personal check or
money order. There will be a $25. fee for returned checks. If for any
reason you are not satisfied we will attempt to resolve your concerns. If we are unable to
and you return the work to us within 30 days of receipt for a full refund
of your down payment.
PAYMENT Full
payment upfront is always appreciated however, we require a 50% down payment before we begin restoration, and the balance
when you receive the finished work. Unless you have had us do work for you
before and we have developed a working relationship with us. We accept
checks and cash only, to be able to give you such low prices.
TURN
AROUND TIME We can complete your restoration in
8-10 business days... most people are not in any RUSH but if you need it
now we can have it done in two days with a RUSH FEE of $50. Upon completion, we will return your originals and
finished archival quality photo via US mail or FedEx, unless other arrangements
are
made.
VACATION
LOCATION If you live in
southern California and rather not put your photos in the mail and do not
have a scanner, this is for you. We are well known among genealogist and they
will travel far, to have us restore their photos. They make plans to do
some sightseeing in the
area and include having their photos scanned as part of the trip. Good idea!
Call for an appointment.
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So E-mailing is your
preference....start by scanning your photo at a minimum
of 300dpi, and e-mail it to us
at: Restorations@PhotosMadePerfect.com.
If the file is to large you may have to send one photo per message or contact us for further
instructions on uploading your files to our website. If you want to enlarge the photo, you must scan it at a higher
dpi depending on how small the photo is and how large you want to make it.
Read "Scanning Topics" or
contact us for instruction on uploading to our site.
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Genealogist
This
is possible if you live in Southern California, we scan them while you
wait.
You
may have gone to visit a relative far away and they
proudly showed you pictures of your ancestors and they won't let you have them!
If they had a scanner there would not be a problem, but if they do not, what
then? We have heard of people going to the nearest Kinko's and copying
them all. When they got home they called us. We were able to turn photos
on paper (that will fade) into quality photos. Check out your local
Kinko's
they may scan them for you and put
them on CD which is the better of the two. Some people took photos of the pictures on the wall. That
can work too! Below are samples and tips.
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Some
Tips For The Genealogist
These
are samples (taken by amateur photographers) of photos taken sitting on a
dresser. You don't have to be a professional, as long as you do do the following:
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You must stabilize the camera while shooting. Professionals use
tripods.
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Have
good lighting so you don't have to use flash, avoiding the reflection of the
flash or shoot at a very slight angle, until you don't see the
reflection. Notice even the reflection of the flash can be removed if
this is all you have.
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Take
many pictures, some are bound to be decent.
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The
photo on the left below, was on Paper. Depending
on the kind of paper used, these types photos may have lines, dots and fibers
throughout. The same with Photos from Newspapers, books and
magazines. They all can be improved.
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This
newspaper photo was completely recreated to get back the photograph
appearance.
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Photos
Made Perfect by US Mail

Many
clients nationwide
send us original photos (by mail or e-mail) with a check and directions of what they
have in mind. They estimate how much 50% down payment would be after
looking at the "Estimate" page.
We do the restorations and mail them the restored copy with an
invoice for the balance and they send us the remaining balance. That simple.
Be sure to package your photos properly
to avoid damaged (PMP is not responsible for lost or damage photos), then mail them using a traceable carrier such as
UPS, Emery, Airborne, or Fed-Ex (we have yet to lose any by this method). You
can include a self addressed
pre-paid envelope
from the same company to accommodate your original and the size of the photo you ordered.
If you don't want to, we can add the shipping cost to the invoice and you can
pay the balance when you receive the finished work.
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Scanning
Topics
1. For photo quality
copies, color photos need to be scanned at "True Color, color depth 24
bit" as a minimum. This is usually in the
scanning process as either an option or a user preference setting. You will need
to review your specific scanners documentation or on line help index to
determine how to do this with your specific scanner. 2.
When saving the files after scanning, save them as either .bmp, .tif or
.jpg. file format. The .jpg's are much smaller files and they
print out fine, but of the three, .bmp and tif are the best. When we
work on the original images, they are in either .tif or .psp (Paint Shop Pro)
since these file formats are classified "lossless" compression, you loose nothing
as you re-open and save. However the .jpg file
formats, are classified as "lossy" compression. You do loose
some image quality every time you save and re-open a file. You will
notice a sharpness difference only when you magnify the image and only after many times
of re-opening and saving it and only then does it become visible. The difference
between file sizes are enormous. An 8 x 10 photo scanned at 600 dpi as a .jpg
is 3.7 mb. Scanned as a .tif or .psp the file is a whopping 60+mb... no way
around it. You really need a performance machine when working on these monsters.
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3.
For the finished restoration copy to be photo quality when printed, the scan
resolution must be fairly high. Rule of thumb to determine scan resolution
is, that if no enlargement of the original will be made, can at a minimum of 300
ppi (pixels per inch). If enlargements are needed, you should scan higher.
Use the method below to determine the proper scan resolution:
| Magnification |
Scan
Resolution |
| 1X |
300 |
| 2X |
600 |
| 3X |
900 |
| 4X |
1200 |
| 5X |
1500 |
| 6X |
1800 |
Example:
if your photo measures 4 x 6 inches and you want to enlarge it to a 5x7, you
need to think...how many times larger is that? 2X's larger?... so you would scan at
600 and it can be resized later to work on.
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Have
all your photos scanned onto a disk, then you can transfer them to any medium
that comes along in the future. Store your originals away in a fire proof
box and view them on CD as often as you want without damaging your photos
further. Once on disk you can print copies for everybody, e-mail them to your friend,
share them on internet, and make PowerPoint presentations for all kinds of
events. If you do not have a scanner or you are already scanning more than you
care to, save time and let
Photos Made Perfect scan for you. Photos
to Video is the scrapbook of the future, we have a list of Video
people in our custom gifts pages.
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Store
your originals in an dark, dry, acid free and a temperature controlled
environment.
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To
scan photos to email them to Photos Made Perfect see our Scanning
Instructions
- Future Packaging & Preservation LLC (archival
supplies division) has acid free papers and plastics to store often used as well
as "Scanned once and put away safely" photos, clippings, and important
documents, PH pen for detecting alkaline and much more. For more
information call 800-786-6627 in 1580C W. San Bernardino Rd, Covina CA 91722
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Article
from Sept 1999 PC Photo Magazine
Scanning
Success. You get the best final images when you start with the best
scans.
Text
and Photography by Graeme Fordyce
Working
on your own images is one of the most gratifying things to come from the rise of
computers in the home. There's tremendous satisfaction in taking a photo, seeing
it through the scanning and processing workflow then printing out this beautiful
product of your efforts. All scanning is more than a matter of plugging
a print or slide into a chunk of hardware, though. There's more under the
surface, and these tips should help smooth and improve your approach, as
well as prevent some of the gremlins that can creep into the scanning process.
Know
what you are buying, and look for the best you can afford. Everything looks
impressive in the ad and sounds amazing when the salesperson is trying to move a
product. Know the fundamental film and flatbed scanner characteristics to
seek. The are: high optical resolution, large bit depth (at least 36-bit)
and wide dynamic range (at least 3.6, on the scale from 0 to 4.0). The
type of connectivity is no small matter either--it will affect the data transfer
rate a great deal (SCSI is the fastest, then USB, then paralle port).
Flatbed scanners with CIS are very compact, but CCD sensors still offer better
scan quality.
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