Our FAQ is divided into sections for convenient reference. Please choose a section from the list below, then find your question within that section. At any time you may press
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- Image Renaissance Digital Media Overview
- Digital Print making
- Scanning & Slide Services
- Photo Restoration
- Panorama Prints:
- Web Site Design & Authoring
Image Renaissance Digital Media Overview
Why should I use Image Renaissance?
What is a direct-digital continuous tone photographic print?
Why is a digital print better than a conventional photographic print?
What equipment do you use for fine-art print making?
What is so special about a LightJet 5000 print?
How do you ensure color accuracy?
Where do I install the ICC device profiles on my system?
Where can I learn more about color management?
How big can you make my print?
Do I have to print big to get the benefits of digital printing?
What about color-correcting my image and cleaning up the dust and scratches?
Digital manipulation changes the original image. Isn't that a bad idea in photography?
I can get digital prints from my local photo outlet. Aren't they all the same?
I want to see proofs before I commit to expensive prints. Is this possible?
What do you mean when you talk about archival prints? Aren't all photographs archival?
My files are already in digital format. Can you print them?
What is a Master Scan and why do you charge extra for it?
After you scan my images, who owns the scans?
How about custom layouts or text on my images?
What is the average turnaround time on prints?
How are my prints shipped to me?
How do I know which type of scan I need for my image?
I don't understand image resolution... please explain.
What scan resolution do I need?
You say you can "optimize" my scans... what does that mean?
Can you scan documents, drawings, or photographs?
Can you convert my conventional slide show for on-screen presentation?
I want to glass-mount my slides. Can you do it?
What kinds of images can be digitally restored?
What kinds of damage cannot be repaired?
Do you have examples of your restoration work online?
My heirloom photos are irreplaceable. How do I know they will be properly cared for?
Can you remove someone from a photograph?
I have multiple overlapping slides that I want to make into a panorama. Can you do it?
How should I take my pictures to achieve a good panorama?
Can you make prints from panorama cameras?
What about other panorama technologies, like QuickTime VR?
What kinds of web sites does Image Renaissance build?
Once my site is online, how will people find it?
I don't have a domain name yet - a www.mybusiness.com. Can you help me get one?
I already have a web site, but I want to make some changes to it. Can you do it for me?
What about ongoing site maintenance?
Image Renaissance Digital Media Overview
About Image Renaissance Digital Media
Image Renaissance is a custom digital media lab located near Seattle, Washington. Established by Douglas and Yan Stuart, we specialize in fine-art photographic print making, heirloom photo restoration, and web site design and authoring. We also offer commercial four-color printing, full scanning services, custom slide mounting, and custom on-screen slide shows.
We're passionate about what we do, and our goal is to deliver to our customers the highest-quality digital media products with unsurpassed, personalized service at affordable and extremely competitive prices.
Digital media refers to the application of computerized digital tools and techniques to traditional print-oriented media like photography. Digital media also encompasses the creation of purely digital content such as web site design and development.
Why should I use Image Renaissance?
You will receive the best possible products, produced with state-of-the-art tools, techniques, and equipment.
You will receive a level of customer service that is nearly impossible to find in today's mass-production world. You will never get lost in the shuffle as you do at so many big professional labs.
Our experience is unsurpassed. Doug and Yan have over 20 years experience in the professional graphic arts field, and have helped to create some of the software tools that professional graphic artists and photographers use throughout the world. We provide a blend of technology, precision, and visual artistry that is apparent in every piece of work we do.
We will listen to you. We can't deliver what you want without listening to your input. We have experience working with advanced professionals and relative novices. No matter what your level of expertise, we'll help you take your work to the next level and achieve the results that are most important to you.
We stand behind everything we do with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you're not happy with a piece of work we do for you, we'll do it again. If you're still not happy, we'll gladly refund your money. It's as simple as that: we won't be happy until you are.
What is a direct-digital continuous tone photographic print?
A direct-digital print is one where your original image is converted into a digital file (scanned) and then printed directly onto standard continuous tone photographic materials using laser light. The resulting print exhibits sharpness, clarity, and color saturation unlike any print you've ever seen; it just looks better!
Why is a digital print better than a conventional photographic print?
This excerpt from an article in the 1996 PMA magazine explains it very well:
"Digital prints are superior to large-format copy negatives and inter-negatives used in mural enlargements, since the scanned image can be enhanced, color corrected and manipulated to perfection by computer before printing. Digital originals are sharper, because second (and sometimes third) optical-system negative generations are eliminated. Digital printers do not suffer the same physical problems created by giant-size print enlarging, such as optical lens distortions, Newton rings, dust particles, soft edge images due to print paper curl, and poor depth-of-focus due to imperfect alignment of the enlarger to the printing surface. Image softening caused by physical vibrations during long exposures with room-size enlargers is also eliminated."
What equipment do you use for fine-art print making?
On the input side, we use the following scanners: Nikon Super CoolScan 4000ED CCD scanner, and Heidelberg Tango drum scanner. We use both Macintosh and Windows-PC networked workstations with color-calibrated professional graphic monitors. Most of our image-editing work is done on the Macintosh because it's faster, but files are interchangeable between the platforms. Our primary fine-art photo printer is the Cymbolic Sciences Lightjet 5000. All our photographic prints are made exclusively using Fuji Crystal Archive RC materials to ensure longest archival life (rated by Wilhelm Imaging at 60 years).
What is so special about a LightJet 5000 print?
The LightJet 5000 series direct digital printer, manufactured by Cymbolic Sciences Inc. is regarded as the premiere digital photographic printer in the world today. The printer takes a digital file and images it directly onto Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper at extremely high resolution. The exposed paper is processed with normal color chemistry just as you would with any color print. The result is a true photograph -- not an inkjet or Giclee print -- on the longest-lasting photo media available. This type of direct digital printing represents the greatest revolution in photography since the invention of color film!
How do you ensure color accuracy?
Each device used in digital print making has different color characteristics. You've probably seen this when you view an image on different monitors, or when you've wondered why your inkjet printer doesn't give you an image that matches your original. The key to controlling color is to work in a completely color-calibrated environment. What does that mean? It means that each step of the print making process, scanning, editing, and printing are done using calibrated equipment and carefully controlled conditions. ICC profiles are used to describe and compensate for the color characteristics of each device. Monitors are calibrated with a spectrophotometer. Even the lighting conditions that are used to view your photographs are consistent. The results are excellent color accuracy and almost perfect repeatability, something that's nearly impossible to obtain using conventional photographic methods.
Every piece of equipment used in the print making process, from scanner to editing monitor to printer, has its own way of interpreting the color information in your image. Another way of thinking about it is that each device sees color a little differently. A device profile is a way of correcting for those differences and allowing different devices to work together to produce an accurate and reproducible result. Device profiles allow us to convert your image files from one known colorspace to another, so that we can scan, edit, and print with complete color accuracy.
Where do I install ICC device profiles on my system?
Windows 95 and 98: Put them in Windows\System\Color folder
Windows XP, ME, NT 4.0 and 2000: Windows\System32\Color folder
Mac OS 8-9: System Folder: Color Sync Profiles (ColorSync 2.5)
Mac OS X: Home/Library/ColorSync/Profiles
Where can I learn more about color management?
There are many excellend sources of information on color management, but one good one is the Adobe website at www.adobe.com
How big can you make my print?
Maximum final print size is heavily dependent on the type of scan used and the quality and format of the original. If we start with a sharp, medium-format negative we can produce razor-sharp prints up to 4x8 feet (if you've never seen a 4x8 foot print, it's really big!) Anything over 24 x 36 inches requires a drum scan for optimal quality but we are able to deliver extraordinary results below that size with a correctly profiled, multi-pass CCD scan. The key is to talk with us about your particular needs and let us work with you to determine the best path to take to deliver the exact result you want.
Do I have to print big to get the benefits of digital printing?
We find that the sharpness, clarity, and color-saturation come through on every print we do, no matter the size.
What about color-correcting my image and cleaning up the dust and scratches?
Our Pro and Master setup packages includes basic color-correction for film type, and clean-up (cloning) of minor dust and scratches. The Pro print is limited to overall corrections of color balance, saturation, and contrast. Our Master setup package includes much more thorough color-correction and image touch-up, as well as custom editing and correction to bring out the image that is in the photographer's artistic mind. We recommend you try our Pro printing service first. Tell us what you're trying to achieve and we'll tell you if you need to upgrade to a Master print.
Digital "manipulation" changes the original image. Isn't that a bad idea in photography?
No matter what kind of photography you do, your goal is to take the vision that's before your eyes and in your artistic mind and capture it on a piece of film and paper. To this end, you manipulate composition, light, and exposure. You may use filters or gels. You change lenses or even camera formats. In the darkroom you may use different processes and papers, or "manipulations" like dodging and burning to achieve your desired artistic result.
Digital techniques just give us more tools to work with to achieve your artistic vision. We can make adjustments to contrast, saturation, density and overall tone. We can burn and dodge, soften and sharpen, shift colors, or crop and scale. In some cases, like precise color control, contrast adjustment, and sharpening, the digital tools are far superior to any "analog" darkroom techniqueWe can make very precise changes to the whole print or just to certain areas or color layers. We work closely with you to achieve the results that you want - to make sure that the image that's in your mind is the one that people will see when they view your print.
And after all, isn't that what great photography is all about?
I can get "digital prints" from my local photo outlet. Aren't they all the same?
Overwhelmingly NO! There is a huge range of equipment and expertise being touted for digital printing. Take a slide to one of those photo outlets and make an inexpensive "digital" print. If you're happy with the results then you don't need us. Ask your digital printer some questions. Ask if they maintain a color-calibrated work environment. Ask about archival life of the prints they produce. Ask about the experience of the people who will be making your print. Ask if they guarantee accuracy and repeatability of the print. If you don't get the answers you want, give us a call.
I want to see proofs before I commit to expensive prints. Is this possible?
Of course. All of our Master prints include one 8x12 proof. If you are using our Pro service, or if additional proofs are desired, they are available for $25 each. Proofs are not intended for final display, and all are marked with information that tells us about your print.
What do you mean when you talk about archival prints? Aren't all photographs archival?
Definitely not. Archival life depends on many factors: print-type, mounting, framing, and display conditions just to name a few. For an excellent discussion of archival life of photographic prints see Henry Wilhelm's web site at www.wilhelm-research.com. Current Kodak and RC-based materials are rated for an archival life of 15-18 years. Displayed Ilfochrome is rated at 25 years. The Fuji Crystal Archive materials we use exclusively for our Lightjet prints are simply the best color materials available today, with an archival life of over 60 years when properly handled and displayed!
My files are already in digital format. Can you print them?
Yes we can, and we welcome the opportunity to work with artists and photographers who are already doing digital work. But there are a few caveats. First, it's extremely important that you be working on a high-quality color-calibrated monitor, and that you understand the issues involved in color-management. Second, since we don't control the color-management process from start to finish, we can't guarantee that the final print will precisely match the image that you see on your monitor. If you're already doing digital work with your images we'll need a 100% scaled, unsharp masked, RGB TIFF file between 200 and 300 ppi (output side) in a well-known colorspace (we edit in AdobeRGB or EktaSpace). We would be glad to work with you. Talk to us about your particular situation.
What is a "full resolution" scan?
Normally when scanning your original, we scan according to the size of the print that you're making. A full resolution scan is an archival scan made to the maximum suitable resolution of the device and image. This scan allows maximum flexibility for future digital uses, and also serves as a digital "backup" to your film original. We can even generate a new piece of film from a full resolution scan should something happen to your original. Full resolution scans are typically 100MB scan for 35mm and up to 300MB for larger formats.
If you purchased a Master Print, then you may always reorder prints at any size up to the maximum resolution of your scan. Preferred / Reprint pricing applies if you print from your original profiled print file, and Digital Standard pricing applies if we need to re-layout for a different size. If you purchased a Pro Print, then you may reorder up to the size of your original print. Consistency and reproducibility are hallmarks of our digital print making.
After you scan my images, who owns the scans?
You do. If you purchased a Master or Pro Print, then both the scan file and the profiled print file are returned to you (or archived at IR in the case of a Master print). The photographer retains full ownership and rights to the digital image, of course.
Giclee printing is really just a fancy name that photographers and designers use to talk about inkjet. Limitations in print-life have made most Giclee processes unacceptable for archival fine-art work until now. That has recently changed with the introduction of more pigment-based inks, higher resolution devices, and a broad range of archival papers. We're keeping an eye on new developments in this area and will add Giclee capabilities when we're sure we can deliver a consistently high-quality product.
How about custom layouts or text on my images?
Sure. By default we print our images with a quarter-inch white border on the long dimension of the print, but some of our customers prefer larger borders. We can also add a limited amount of text ( title, photo credit, and copyright information) to your print as part of our custom layout with either a Pro or Master print.
What is the average turnaround time on prints?
We place a great emphasis on personal attention to each piece of work we do. As such, our print making jobs are handled strictly on a first-come, first-served basis and the turnaround is dependent on our current workload. We don't take shortcuts. Typical turnaround is 5 days to shipment of the proof (with a Master print), and 5 days from when we receive your signed proof to shipment of the final image, but this time can vary with our current workload. Rush service is available for an additional charge.
How are my prints shipped to me?
We flat-ship your images whenever possible. Your prints will be carefully packaged in foam-core, plastic, and heavy cardboard to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition. In the case of very large prints, they must be rolled and shipped in heavy mailing tubes. We usually ship either via Fedex or USPS priority mail.
CCD stands for "charge-couple device" which is the light-sensitive electronic device used by certain scanners to capture image information. These devices have made huge technological advances in recent years, and the top CCD scanners produce truly remarkable results. We can produce CCD scans up to 4000 dpi with extremely good dynamic range. For many images where extreme enlargement isn't required (above 24 x 36), a CCD scan can deliver excellent images at a much more affordable price. That said, a CCD scan can't match the resolution or dynamic range of a really well done drum scan, and that's not something that's going to change anytime soon.
How do I know which type of scan I need for my image?
The type of scan you need depends on the type of the original and your intended use for the image. In general, if you intend to print at 24x36 or larger, or if your image has extremely wide dynamic range or extremely subtle tonal variation that you wish to capture, then we highly recommend a drum scan. In many cases, though, a high-quality CCD scan is often more than sufficient. Talk with us about your particular needs and we can make sure you have a scan that will work for you both now and in the future.
I don't understand image resolution... please explain.
Resolution is a very misunderstood topic. Here's our best stab at a simple answer:
Scan Resolution: Refers to the spacing of the RGB color samples taken from the original image by the scanner. The higher the resolution, the more data will be captured and will be available to show image detail.
Display Resolution: While on the video screen, resolution = size of displayed image, since all video displays use a fixed display resolution. If your image is 400 pixels wide it will use 400 pixels of your screen. The resolution of monitors varies from about 640 pixels in width, up to 1600 (or more) pixels in width.
Print Resolution: Determines the spacing of the printed pixels on the paper. 200 pixels at 100 dpi, or 400 pixels at 200 dpi will both print as 2 inches of width, the same size as the scanned original. Each printer (or other output device) has a particular resolution that's best for its color-reproduction capabilities. If we print 50 dpi to a device that needs 150 dpi, the results will be unacceptable. We also don't want to send the printer a lot more data than it really needs. The key for best results is to know the capabilities of the device and send just the right amount of data.
What scan resolution do I need?
The amount of resolution you need depends entirely on what you're going to do with the image you're scanning, and the capabilities of the output device.
If you're intending to produce extremely high-quality, or extra large format (greater than 24 x 36) prints of your images, then a drum-scan is the ultimate scanning choice. A professional drum-scan can capture every nuance of color and detail to produce spectacular fine-art prints of your best images. That said, our new 4000 dpi CCD scans yield excellent results at print sizes up to about 24"x36"
For on-screen display of images we almost always want to use 72dpi scans. These are perfect for web site images, scanning your favorite photos for email, or on-screen presentations.
For printing, the required resolution is dependent on the capabilities of the printing device, and we always scan with these capabilities in mind. There's a maximum useful resolution for printing, and it's a lot less than you might think. You don't need to scan at your printer's advertised resolution to produce great results.
The printer's advertised resolution refers to the addressability of the ink dot, and not to the resolution of the image. Printers use a process called dithering to reproduce color by combining several ink dots in a pattern to fool your eye into seeing a certain color. That means that several printer ink dots are required to make one pixel of image. It also means that the printer's image resolution is actually much less than the advertised dpi number.
To make a long story shorter, for most laser or inkjet printers:
- if the printer is 300 or 360 dpi, use a 50 to 100 dpi image.
- if the printer is 600 or 720 dpi, use a 100 to 200 dpi image.
Photographic output requires different image resolutions. Your best bet is to talk with us about your intended use, and let us help you make the right resolution choice.
You say you can "optimize" my scans... what does that mean?
Optimization refers to tuning the image files for reduced image size (faster loading), and "web safe" color palettes. Optimizing images is an important consideration if your intended use is web-publishing, CD-ROM, or other multimedia application.
The file format you choose is also important. Full-color photographs are generally best when saved in JPEG format. JPEG and PNG-24 compression preserve the broad color and tonal range in photographic images better than other compression formats. GIF and PNG are usually the best file formats for line-art, or illustrations with areas of solid color.
We can provide custom optimization during the scanning of your images for an additional cost of $2 per scan.
We can also provide Digimarc® "Digital Watermarking" of your images for copyright protection. We will embed your Digimarc® ID in your images at the time of original scan for an additional cost of $2 per scan.
Discounts for watermarking and optimization are available for large volume scan orders. Please contact us for details.
Can you scan documents, drawings, or photographs?
Yes, we can produce very good quality scans of reflective (paper) documents or photographs at original sizes up to 16x20. If you have large format documents (like blueprints or mechanical drawings) you would be better off to use a service bureau that specializes in large format document scanning.
Yes, we can scan your original positives, negatives, or transparencies and deliver those scans to you on standard CD-RW in either PC or Macintosh formats. We can also read and write most other common storage media as well (Jaz, Zip, etc.) so let us know what you would like and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.
Can you convert my conventional slide show for on-screen presentation?
Yes, we can convert your current slide show for on-screen or on-line viewing. We can provide title slides, credit slides, and custom transitions to give your slide presentation a polished and professional look. Powerpoint format is the most widely used, but other slide show formats are available. We can also build slide shows into your website as part of our web development services. Talk to us for details.
I want to glass-mount my slides. Can you do it?
Yes. If you have a slide presentation that you are projecting frequently, glass-mounting offers additional protection for your valuable slides. It also prevents much of the distortion and burning that can come from frequent use of high-lumen projectors. We use Gepe AN-R glass mounts.
What kinds of images can be digitally restored?
All but the most heavily damaged images are typically restorable, though the amount of damage will influence both the quality of the finished product and the cost of the restoration. Simple stains, tears, dirt, scratches, and discoloration are easily corrected in most cases. The best way to know for sure if your image is restorable is to let us look at it. We'll provide you our honest opinion and a free estimate of restoration cost.
What kinds of damage cannot be repaired?
Damage that completely obscures essential areas of the photograph is nearly impossible to repair. For example a broad scratch that completely hides someone's face is going to be very difficult to fix.
Do you have examples of your restoration work online?
Yes. This web site features samples of our work. See the photo restoration section of the site.
My heirloom family photos are irreplaceable. How do I know they will be properly cared for?
We consider your original photographs to be priceless. While in our custody you can be assured that your originals will be handled with the utmost care, will be stored in a fire-safe vault when not being used, and will be returned to you by secure, traceable, insured shipment. We've handled lots of valuable images, and have never lost or damaged one yet and we don't intend to start now. Of course, one of the huge advantages of the digital process is that once we have a digital scan of your image it can be permanently archived. You will never have to worry about damage or deterioration to your originals again.
Can you remove someone from a photograph?
That depends on the photograph. Some photographs lend themselves to object removal better than others, but it can be done about 75% of the time. To know for sure, we have to look at your original.
I have multiple overlapping slides that I want to make into a panorama. Can you do it?
Yes, in most cases. As long as there is reasonable alignment and consistent lighting conditions between the overlapping images we can produce an essentially seamless panorama from multiple images. We've done some amazing mountaineering photographs using this technique. This falls under the category of custom photo-editing and is billed at $60/hour in 15-minute increments. A good rule of thumb for estimating cost of panoramas is to figure about 15 minutes per frame.
Stitching refers to using digital techniques to connect and blend multiple photographs into one. It is a powerful technique for producing true wide field-of-view images. It has the added benefit of effectively increasing the final image's resolution so you simultaneously improve image content and quality.
How should I take my pictures to achieve a good panorama?
While it is usually possible to make a good panorama from any good set of overlapping photos, here are some guidelines that will help to achieve the best results:
1) Use a tripod. Ideally a panorama is made from a set of images taken around a single point of rotation. Level your tripod: we use a bubble level available at any hardware store. This is especially important if you're going for a full 360º shot.
2) Use a medium focal length lens The shorter the lens, the more overlap you need in each frame. This is because a wide-angle lens exaggerates the distortion from edge to edge across the frame, so you'll want to take images with good overlap so that just the central, less distorted portion of each frame can be used in the panorama. And don't change your focal length between shots if you're using a zoom.
3) Make sure you're providing adequate overlap. A good rule of thumb is that you should have 1/3 frame overlap. Closely spaced photos also help minimize the exposure variabilities caused by autofocus cameras. If you can do it, lock your exposure on the shot with the "average" lighting conditions and try to take your shots when the light is more even. You'll sacrifice a little on the exposure of individual frames, but more than make up for it by maintaining even exposure and color across your panorama.
4) Try to avoid cutting up strong foreground features across multiple frames. Better to take too many frames than end up with too few.
5) Shoot in vertical format (portrait orientation). The image width will come from the overlapped images. Use vertical orientation to capture as much "up down" information as possible.
Can you make prints from panorama cameras?
People mean different things when they talk about panorama cameras. Some cameras (like APS format) shoot a partial frame of film when in "panorama mode." In fact, these aren't real panoramas at all since the camera simply crops the top and bottom of the frame to change the aspect ratio of the image. So you're really seeing less, when the whole idea of a good panorama is to see more! There are also very specialized (and very expensive) panorama cameras on the market that expose a continuous long strip of film. We can produce prints from these special negatives as well, but they typically require a drum scan. The best panoramas can be made with your regular camera by following the simple guidelines above and letting us stitch the image.
What about other panorama technologies, like QuickTime VR?
Quicktime VR is a very cool "immersive" image technology. We are not offering QTVR services at this time, but will do so when the number of requests warrants that we add this service. So if you want it, please tell us!
What kinds of web sites does Image Renaissance build?
We specialize in web sites for small- to medium-sized businesses. We are especially good at helping companies design and establish their first presence on the internet. Oftentimes, the best place to start is to adapt your existing sales or marketing materials to web site format. This is sometimes called brochure-ware, and represents the most affordable way for a small business to get online quickly. Of course, the Image Renaissance web site is a good example of the type of work we do, and we would be happy to provide links to other commercial sites we've designed and built.
Once my site is online, how will people find it?
Contrary to what you may have heard, the world will NOT beat a path to your door once you have a web site. Like any other business-building activity, it will require diligence, good marketing, and a bit of patience to see the results of your web site efforts. The main way that people will find you is through your registration with major search engines, and the way that search engines find and index your site. We know how to build your site so that it is properly indexed by the search engines, and registration with the major search engines is included in all our web site packages.
I don't have a domain name yet: a www.mybusiness.com. Can you help me get one?
Yes! We will gladly assist with registration of your domain name. Or you can do it yourself through one of the registrars.
No. At this time we do not provide actual site hosting. It is far better to leave that to companies that specialize in hosting. We can help you set up an account with a reliable web-hosting service if you wish.
I already have a web site, but I want to make some changes to it. Can you do it for me?
In most cases, yes! We're very good at taking an out of date "first-generation" web site and turning it into a valuable tool for your business today! Contact us for a free consultation and we'll be glad to look at your particular needs.
What about ongoing site maintenance?
No problem. We provide ongoing site updates and maintenance on an as-needed basis, or if you have regular update needs we have annual subscription maintenance services as well. See the Web Design section of our web site for more information.
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