Website and Graphic Design - Toucan Graphics

Photographic Restoration
At Toucan Graphics we can:
Remove scratches, stains, and tears.
Revive faded or underexposed photos.
Restore missing corners and edges.
Remove or add people or objects.
Merge two or more people into one photo.
Create the photograph that never existed
but you always wanted.

...and create a completely new and
carefully restored photograph.

Let us take your cracked,
stained or torn original...

Roll back the ravages of time by allowing us to restore your cherished family photos.

Archival Photographs
The key to the longevity of archival photographs lies in the materials and the process used in their manufacture and in their storage conditions.

The paper that the image is printed on needs to be stable and also needs to be neutral and acid free. The paper we use everyday is bleached during the manufacturing process and ends up being slightly acidic. This has an adverse effect as it tends to continue bleaching in the long term, not only on the paper but also on the ink that is used in the printing process. For archival purposes, the ink must be neutral, stable and should have qualities like UV resistance. For example, acid free 100% cotton certified archival paper used with archival inks makes a long lasting combination.

If you wish to get the maximum longevity from your prints, then storage conditions also have to be taken into account. Store prints flat between sheets of other archival paper or cardboard in a container made of the same archival cardboard. Store them in a cupboard where the temperature is about 65ºF, the humidity is about 35%, and both of these do not fluctuate much. Again “stable” is the key word here. Also avoid getting fingerprints on the photographs as they may contain minute amounts of oil or dirt that can adversely effect them in the long term. Use cotton gloves when handling photographs.

Other ways to ensure that cherished photographs will be available for subsequent generations is to have more copies available and stored with different family members. Also you can choose to use a different medium and have your photographs digitally scanned and permanently stored on CD disk. You can easily store 100 or more high resolution images on each disk. Photographs can be printed from the CDs at anytime with every one being an exact copy. CD disks, properly stored, are very stable.

Option 1 Minor Repair

Option 2 Moderate Repair

Photographs requiring minor repair, such as one or two scratches in the background, or a corner missing, or a small stain that needs removing.

Adjusting the contrast and brightness of all photographs at all levels of repair and reproduction is included at no extra charge.

Photographs requiring more repair, such as 3 or 4 cracks or scratches anywhere in the background and including the body (but not the face) of the subjects, and perhaps one or two corners are missing.

No matter what size the original photograph is, an identical size reproduction is included with all levels of repair at no extra charge.

Option 3 Major Repair

Option 4 Merging or Adding or
Removing People or Objects

Photographs requiring major repair, such as missing pieces of the background as well as the subject’s body including damage to hands or face.

If you wish, all your repairs and/or reproductions will be mounted on photographic card stock at no extra charge. Just indicate on the order form what colour board you would like.

Your original photograph is never altered. We photo-scan the original photograph and a high definition image of the photograph is created in the computer. It is this image that has the repair work done to it.The now fully restored image is then permanently stored on digital CD, so that if you require extra copies in the future all you have to do is give us a call.
The fully restored image is then printed using special formula Quadtone Archival inks on either 190g/m2 weight Kodak Paper, Webber-Valentine acid free Glossy Photo Paper, or Somerset Velvet* Archival Matt Photo Paper.
We use the latest technology and materials, thereby producing the best quality archival ink image available to date.
*Somerset Velvet is acid free and certified Archival by the Wilhelm Institute.

If you are unsure of which category your photo falls into:
Give us a call on the telephone and we will assist you.
Write or fax or e-mail us with more details. We will reply right away.
Send the photo to us with no obligation. We will return the photo to you along with a written price quote. If you decide to go ahead with the restoration, there is no need to re-send the photo. Just sign and post the order form, or telephone us and tell us what you would like done.