The best choice of film formats in order of preference would be slide or transparency, negative, and then photo print. In some cases, better results can be obtained from a print rather than the negative, but usually it's the other way around. Generally we can get better color and detail by scanning a negative, often better than the original print. If possible, we suggest you send both the print and the negative so we can use whichever we determine will work the best once we are able to see them both.

If you have a digital photo you want printed, don't repeatedly save the file in jpeg format. Each time you save it, it is recompressed and more image detail is lost. If you want to work on your file in an image editing program such as Photoshop, save it in tiff, photoshop or some other uncompressed format until you are ready to have the file printed. At that point you can save it in jpeg format using the highest quality setting to reduce the time it will take to transfer the file to our system, or you can leave it in tiff format if you don't mind the extra time it will take to send it.

Regardless of what size megapixel camera you may have, setting your camera to capture the largest image possible is always the best idea. You should also make sure the compression settings are at the highest quality possible. This will use a higher quality of jpeg compression. If your camera can save in an uncompressed format, it might be advantageous to use this option if you plan to make a very large print of your photo as jpeg compression is usually noticeable the larger you make the print. Also see working with JPG files above for tips on keeping your digital photo from degrading as you work with it.

This is a difficult question to answer because of several factors. The biggest impediment to a quality print at a larger size from a digital photo is often jpeg compression artifacts. If you've followed our advice from above on how to get the best quality from your camera, you can often print your image quite large with good results. Obviously, the more megapixels your camera has, the larger you can print your image without loosing quality, all other things being equal. However the printing material also has an affect. Since canvas has such a textured surface, enlargements will often look better than on paper since the texture helps hide the lack of resolution that is common with enlargements. Another factor to consider is viewing distance. A print that shows a lack of resolution due to enlargement up close, might look just fine from arms length. We've printed images at 16 feet wide from 8 megapixel cameras that look very good from five feet away , so where a print will be displayed and how close you expect it to be viewed from are important to consider when deciding how large a print can be made.

Watercolor paper prints must be framed under glass for protection, and traditionally have a mat in a complimentary color around them, although the mat is not required. When you order a print, you will be asked on our order form for the image size and the media size. If you want the image to extend all the way to the edges of the paper, these measurements would be the same, but it is often desirable to have some margin of paper around the image. If you will be matting the print, a small amount such as 1/4" to 1/2" would be sufficient so the matte can lay on top of the print without covering any of the image. In this case, the media size would be 1" larger than the image size in each dimension (1/2" on all sides). You can also leave a larger amount of paper showing, such as 1" to 2" and skip the matting. In either case, be sure to decide before you order so you can fill in the order form correctly.

For canvas prints, we automatically add 2" all around the image size to allow your print to be stretched by your framer. If, however, you want to gallery wrap your print, which is where the image actually wraps around the sides of the stretcher bar so that the print doesn't need a frame, you should keep a few things in mind. Make sure you talk with your framer to see how thick the stretcher bars will be so that you allow enough image to wrap completely around the sides. You will also need to make sure that nothing important will get wrapped over the edge of the stretcher bars, like the tops of people's heads, etc. In the additional instructions section of the order form, be sure to state that the image will be gallery wrapped, and indicate if you need more than the standard 2" margin so you have enough for stretching.

The most basic form of archival print is simply reproducing your existing photo onto archival photo paper, watercolor paper or canvas. We can print from your scan or digital photo, or we will scan, retouch and print the photo onto your choice of material using archival inks so that the finished work will last for 100 years or more if properly cared for. This is an excellent way to repair and preserve family photos for yourself or as a gift.

We can also make modifications to your photos to fix problems that aren't easily correctable using traditional methods. In the following example, we changed the head of one family member because they had their eyes closed, and in the subsequent photo, you can see where we added a family member on the left who was not in the original photo, and changed someone in the back row.

Another element that can be added to watercolor paper prints is an artistic edge effect. This effect is inexpensive and gives a photo the look of a painted edge. People often mistake a photo with an edge effect as an actual painting because it's unusual to see that type of edge on a photo. Here are some examples below.

Pricing

Below are some example sizes and prices. Virtually any size is possible, so contact us for a price on a different size. The prices below include everything required to produce your print, ready for framing including scanning, retouching, any edge effects or digital painting, depending on what you order, an e-mailed proof of any effects, and the final print. These prices don't include shipping, stretching, mounting or framing. Often it makes the most sense to have your local framer perform these steps to save on shipping cost and to allow you to choose the frame that suits your tastes. If, however, you prefer to have us mount or frame your prints, we can provide that service as well.

Digital art effects have come a long way, and now are able to create a fairly convincing impression that the photo is in fact a painting. With a digital effect, we do not have the same control and creative license that we would have with a Digital Hand Painting, but for most people, these effects are exactly what they are looking for, and at a much more reasonable price than a digital painting.

We offer 5 different styles of artistic effects; Oil, Watercolor, Pastel, Colored Pencil, and Modern Art. We can control how detailed or abstract the finished image will be, so we use our best judgment for each image, and then e-mail a proof for approval before we print so that the image can be adjusted if necessary.

By clicking on any of the three example headings below, you can see samples of how the artist effects look when applied to some different images. Each has different amounts of detail so you can see how the different artistic effects look for different kinds of images.