We often get phone calls regarding restoration projects. This leads to questions about the price. I struggle to give an answer over the phone for a very simple reason:
I need to see it first.
There can be problems at aren’t clear initially, so it’s vital for us to see the image first hand, so that we can give you the most accurate quote possible. I don’t want to quote someone two hundred dollars when it’s a forty dollar job, and vice versa. That firsthand appraisal is vital to make sure the client and I are on the same page.
Often, people will describe their image as having minor blemishes, but there can be hidden damage. If you bring your photo into the light and tilt it, there can often be hundreds of small cracks throughout the image. Scanning the photos at high resolution can magnify these cracks, creating more issues than there may have been initially.
Even the kind of paper photos are printed on can create challenges. A silken laminate was quite popular decades ago. It creates a noticeable pattern when scanned. It is painstaking to address, but might not be noticeable until it’s digitized.
Another factor is the copying effect. There can be massive shifts in quality depending on whether you’re working from the original print, a negative or a copy. When you copy an image, it loses some clarity. The more you copy, the more clarity you lose. The more you can bring, the better.
We can offer quotes through email; when you’re sending an image, make sure it’s as high quality as possible. Be aware that certain types of phones will not play well with emails, and can result in a loss of quality.
Bringing in your photo really is the best way to get the most accurate quote possible.
Visit our restoration page to see examples of our work.
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