Memory Portraits strives to produce breathtaking portraits from practically any scanned photograph.  However, some guidelines must be followed to ensure proper processing.  Marginal photos may not ship for the following day, while improperly submitted photos cannot be processed at all.

Scanning & Cropping Images

     In order to produce a good portrait, we need a photo of the person which shows the complete head and full width of the body, down to the waist or slightly above.  If you have a good photo, such as the one shown in figure 1, you will not need to crop the photo.

     If you receive a photo somewhat like figure 2, it is best to crop out the unnecessary areas and only send us the relevant parts of the photo. After doing your preliminary scan, using "preview" or "scan," depending on the terminology used in your scanner software, crop as shown in figure 3.  Most photos should be scanned at 100% size, but if you have a very small photo after cropping, you should enlarge it to 150% or 200%.

 

 

Submitting Files & File Types 

     When submitting a TIF (.tif) file, set the resolution to whatever is needed in order to have a 2 to 2.5 MB (megabyte) file or slightly less. A 2 to 2.5 MB file is a reasonable size file that can be sent in approximately 10 to 12 minutes using a dial-up connection. If you are using a broadband connection you may go higher in file size. A larger file would result in a higher quality portrait.  

     If you have a dial-up or slow Internet connection you may prefer to send a JPEG (.jpg) file. JPEG files transmit more quickly.  We can produce a good portrait from a jpeg if they are scanned and saved at a HIGH RESOLUTION.  If you have a very nice 8x10" photo, you should probably use a resolution of 600 dpi.  A compression or quality scale may appear on your screen while saving the JPEG file.  This scale should be set on "high" for the best results.

     Figure 4 shows a low resolution JPEG on the left half, and a more acceptable high resolution JPEG on the right half. Notice the blocky distortion on the left; this is unacceptable for portrait production.  Rescanning this "1x1.5" photo at 1200 dpi will clear up the distortion.  We find that the files can be sent more easily in the mornings.  The Internet becomes busier in the afternoons resulting in slower transmission and more problems.

     If you have any problems or questions about scanning your photograph, please contact us and we will be happy to help you.