• How long does it take to restore a photograph?
• How much does it cost to restore a photograph?
• Can I send you a scan of photograph to be restored?
• I have a document signed by one of the President of the United States. The signature on the document is very faded. Is it possible to make the signature visible again?
• I have an old family photograph that is in good condition but covered with some sort of silver residue. Is it possible to fix this photo?
• Can you restore the original photograph instead of making a digital copy?
• Can you enlarge a small photograph?
• Is it possible to remove a person from a photograph?
• How do I protect old photographs and documents from fading?
• How long do the digital prints last?
• Do I need special equipment to play Photo CD or DVD?
• Can I make additional prints from the Photo CD myself?
• How safe is it to mail my photograph or documents?
• Do you keep digital copies of photographs and for how long?

How long does it take to restore a photograph?

In most cases it takes between 5 to10 business days to have a photograph restored. However, if a photograph is extremely damaged or if we are experiencing heavy workload, it may take a bit longer. It is particularly advisable that you bring in photographs to be restored well in advance of holidays such as Veterans Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day or Christmas.

How much does it cost to restore a photograph?

Each restoration project is unique and precise estimate can be provided only upon thorough examination of the original and assessment off all the requirements for the creation of the final image, such as size, tone, and even the lighting condition in a place where the restored photograph will be displayed.

Because of that the price for the restoration of photographs can range from $50.00 for light restoration of 5x7 photograph to hundreds of dollars for restoration of large size photograph that it torn, warped or damaged beyond recognition.

You may refer to our photo restoration services price list to compare the samples of photographs that we previously restored and find how much did it cost to have them restored. For more precise estimate you may send us a scan of your photograph or make an appointment to have the photograph evaluated at our studio. All estimates on photo restoration are provided free of charge.

Can I send you a scan of photograph to be restored?

If you are unable to bring a photograph to the studio or send it to be restored you can e-mail a scan or send a CD with high resolution scan file.

Please have a photograph scanned at minimum resolution of 600dpi at full color setting, even if photograph is black and white.

However, please remember that producing a high quality scan is the first and one of the most important steps in photo restoration. Unlike many discount photo restoration services that use low quality scanners in hope that later whatever imperfections of the scan, low resolution or color changes can be fixes in Photoshop, Preserve Your Past™ utilizes the most current high-end scanners available, to ensure capture of even the smallest details or the most minute color variations of the original that are needed for high quality photo restoration and art replication.

To see the difference in quality of scans produced with Kodak Creo IQSMART3 comparing to scans produced by a common scanner you can examine the two scans of the same photograph.

Both scans were made at 600dpi resolution setting. The scan on the left was made with a scanner commonly used in offices and copy shops.
The scan on the right was made with Kodak Creo.

Immediately it can be seen that the scan produced with Kodak Creo is much sharper and has better color balance and saturation. Closer magnification shows that Kodak Creo scan retained even the smallest details while the other scanner blurred the details making the image appear fuzzy. The better mounting of the photograph in the scanner combined with XY Stitch bi-directional scanning reduced the appearance of many cracks in the photograph while retaining the details. All that makes the use of high-resolution scanner extremely important for high quality photo restoration.

I have a document signed by one of the President of the United States. The signature on the document is very faded. Is it possible to make the signature visible again?

Preserve Your Past does not modify, enhance or alter signatures or any other parts of legal document or documents that may have historical value or significance. However, it is possible to make a display copy of the document on which the faded signature will be made visible again.

I have an old family photograph that is in good condition but covered with some sort of silver residue. Is it possible to fix this photo?

Most likely the photograph is displaying the signs of silver migration or what is commonly referred in photo restoration as “silver mirror”.

Silver migration is the process opposite of formation of patina or layer of oxidation on the surface of silver or bronze objects.

If a photograph was not properly processed, with time, molecules of free silver begin to appear near the surface if the photograph creating a shiny layer. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done to remove this layer. Some photo restorers suggest that a light coating of Vaseline can reduce the appearance of silver migration, but usually such treatment can lead to long-term irreversible damage to the entire photograph.

The better solution is to produce a high quality scan of the damaged photograph and to remove the damage by expert photo retouching.

Preserve Your Past has successfully restored many such photographs including those that came from the vast collection of historical photographs of New York City belonging to history associations and private collectors..

Can you restore the original photograph instead of making a digital copy?

Preserve Your Past offers traditional photo retouching service on case-by-case basis.

If an original photograph is damaged only slightly, it may still be possible to reduce the appearance of scratch marks and other imperfections by careful application of retouching spot tones.

The great misconception about photo restoration is that in the old times the true photo restorers whose art is forever lost were able to repair and restore an original photograph no matter how damaged it was.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Though some damages such as scratches, minor blemishes or tears in the original photograph could and still can be retouched and repaired by a skilled restorer, anything more then that required making of a copy of the original photograph.

The usual procedure was to photograph the original image onto a special copy film such as Kodak Professional Copy Film 4125 that was designed for retouching. After a copy was made the photo restorer would carefully retouch the negative removing all visible signs of damages and imperfections by applying special retouching tools and pencils. After the negative was retouched it would be printed on photo paper, this producing a restored duplicate of the original damaged photograph.

Nowadays, instead of making a negative from the original photograph a digital file is created by scanning the photograph with a high quality photo scanner. After the digital file is retouched the restored image is printed on specially designed paper of higher quality and longevity then most of old fashion photo papers.

Can you enlarge a small photograph?

Unless a photograph is very damaged or originally blurry or out of focus it can be enlarged. However, to preserve the details and the sharpness of the image it is advisable that enlargement should not exceed a certain size. Most passport size or wallet size photographs can be enlarger to 4x6 or 5x7 size and the photographs of those sizes can be enlarged to 8x10 or 11x14. A greater increase in size may result in loss of detail and excess appearance of film grain and texture of the original photograph.

Is it possible to remove a person from a photograph?

With careful photo retouching it is possible to remove a person from a photograph without making the image look artificially changed. It is also possible to remove the background on a photograph or change the lighting, making the faces covered by shadows to appear lighter. Preserve Your Past offers such services when a photograph is needed for private use only. No such photo retouching is done to alter the appearance of photographs of any historical significance or if such photo retouching may violate professional or moral values or code of conduct, such as changing the appearance of images for publication in newspapers, magazines or online publications.

How do I protect photographs and documents from fading?

To prolong the life of your photographs or documents and to prevent any additional damage we advise that you always store the original photographs in archival acid-free envelopes and boxes that can be purchased from your local art or frame shop.

Keep them away from any areas that may experience dramatic changes of temperature and humidity such as garages, attics, basements or any areas near fireplaces or windows.

Display the photographs or documents only in frames that are covered with UV protective glass.

Keep them away from exposure to direct sunlight, fluorescent light and drastic changes of temperature and humidity.

If your photographs or documents are mounted in frames, do not use chemical cleaners or solvents on the protective glass or the frame. Chemicals may penetrate the openings between the glass and the frame and cause additional damage to the photographs. Use only clean rags or paper towels with water to clean frames and glass.

If frame or glass become damaged or you would like to replace them, do not do it yourself, take them to a professional framing shop, specifying the use of archival materials for mounting and framing.

How long do the digital prints last?

All photographs and documents restored by Preserve Your Past are printed on fine art archival papers using specially formulated inks. With proper care and display, you can expect up to a 200 year life span, which will guaranty that many more generations in your family will enjoy these photographs and understand where they came from.

If your restored photograph or document does become damaged you can always order a new print made from an archived digital file by without having to pay again for restoration of the original.

The Photo CD or DVD disks that contain digital copies of your original and restored images or slide shows, unless mechanically damaged or broken, have life span of unto 200 years and can be viewed and copied without any loss of quality.

Do I need special equipment to play Photo CD or DVD?

You may view Photo CD on any computer equipped with CD or DVD drive. The DVD slide shows can be viewed on any consumer brand DVD player or computer with DVD drive.

Can I make additional prints from the Photo CD myself?

To provide the highest possible quality and longevity of the digital prints Preserve Your Past uses specially formulated fine art paper and inks, a print of acceptable quality and life expectancy of one to two years can be made using a home computer and printer. Please refer to the manuals provided by your printer manufacturer for an advise on printing photo quality images.

How safe is it to mail my photograph or documents?

Prior to shipping, place all photographs or documents into separate envelopes, and then place those envelopes between pieces of sturdy cardboard. Do not forget to request a copy of shipping bill and the tracking number. It is advisable that you do not send framed photographs or documents due to a high chance of glass breaking during the shipment.

We strongly recommend that you specify full insurance coverage and direct signature for your parcels and place a highly visible notes outside requesting careful handling.

Due to the numerous problems with UPS delivery service we advise that you ship all packages via FedEx.
Preserve Your Past will not be liable for any damage occurred during delivery of the materials to our studio and reserves the right to refuse the work or change the estimate price if the material arrive damaged or was not shipped according to specifications.

Do you keep digital copies of photographs and for how long?

All digital scans of original photographs and those of restored ones, copies of all CDs and DVDs are kept in our computer system for up to 3 years. This makes it possible that in case of loss of the original, the restored photographs or disks containing the digital files we will be able to replace them at a fraction of the original cost.

New York professional photo restoration, document restoration and preservation services for private and corporate clients, family history and genealogy research enthusiasts.

Preserve Your Past Inc. Professional photo restoration by Sebastian Wintermute - dedicated to preservation of visual history and ancestral legacy.
   195 Stanton Street
   New York, NY 10002
   East Village / Lower East Side of Manhattan

Nearest subway stations:
   F,V - Houston & 2nd Ave
   J,M,Z - Essex Street
Bus:
   9,14A,21 - Houston