Ordering Prints FAQ

How do I order a print?

To purchase prints go into the flash album and browse to the photo you wish to purchase and then click on the shopping cart icon located in the lower right, adjust the options to your liking then proceed to checkout. From the checkout page select the payment method you wish to use to submit the order.

Email Order:

Use this option to have your order viewed prior to sending payment this is required if making any special requests or paying by money order/check. I will contact you regarding your order.

Paypal Order:

This is the fastest and most flexible way to send payments which are received instantly. You do not even need a paypal account to securely pay by credit card or online debit.

Is my information secure when making my payment?

Yes, when using paypal to make your payment it is through a secure server and trusted payment source, also I am a verified premier paypal account holder which means you are eligible for paypal's extra protection when dealing with me. I do not see your credit information only shipping address. Your personal information I receive will be kept confidential and will not be shared with any third parties. Please visit paypal web site to find out more on there privacy and protection policies.

I don't have flash, how do I place an order?

If you do not have flash or an old version I would first suggest you download and install the latest version free from adobe's web site. Alternatively you may use the HTML Album Browse to the image you wish to order, right click on the image and select "copy image location" then send me an email including this URL by right clicking in the email window and choose "Paste" (or ctrl+v) Also include all the other details such as print size, paper type and any special requests you have. Before you send the email please paste that image URL into your own browser to verify it is the image or images you wish to have printed up.

What form of payments do you accept?

I accept paypal, money orders and personal checks in three currencies CDN, US and Euro. All prices are in CDN (Canadian) and is the currency I prefer though if you wish to use either US or Euro I will accept this at 3 cents lower then the current exchange rate at the time of processing your order. This helps cover my paypal currency conversion fees or should the rate change in transit.

If you are paying by personal check, there will be a waiting period for it to clear before your order is shipped, this is typically 5-7 business days, some times longer depending on your location and bank.

Do I need an account to place an order?

No account or registration is required to make a purchase.

Will the pictures I select stay in my shopping cart?

Yes, your shopping cart contents will remain there until you place the order or remove the items your self.

Are the prints signed?

Yes, the prints are signed and dated on the back, also usually includes the subjects name or place the photo was taken.

Do you offer discounts when purchasing more then one print?

Yes, when purchasing multiple prints in the following quantities.

2-3 Prints - 10% off the entire order
4-6 Prints - 20% off the entire order
7+ Prints - 30% off the entire order

I also offer a slight reduced price for prints I currently have in stock.

Note: Discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.

I have heard lots of talk about PPI, what is it?

PPI means Pixels Per Inch, it represents how many pixels will be printed per inch on the print. The higher the pixel count generally means a higher quality print. a 300PPI is the recommended amount for a top quality print and is what every one of my prints are done at unless noted otherwise.

What resolution are your images taken at?

I shoot with a 12MP SLR camera that has a full frame resolution of 4288x2848. My 2006-2009 images were taken at 7MP. Keep in mind some photos may be cropped, however every image on this site is capable of producing a high quality large print up to 16x20 unless a print size limit is mentioned. I also do custom sizes on request.

What is interpolation?

Even a high end 16 megapixel camera can only produce 16x10 prints at 300PPI right off the camera. Interpolation is required and a fact of life with digital photography when trying to do larger prints. It is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points. So software is used to recreate the neighbour pixel by guessing what it should look like based on the surrounding ones. There is many ways to go about this but with better quality software which I use (Genuine Fractals 5) it does a better job on guessing and maintaining sharper edges.

Depending on the original photo and how much detail there is the amount of interpolation that can be done varies. For the average photo most agree about 400% is the limit you should try to stay under before loosing to much quality, many will argue the limit is even higher at 800% with new techniques available. With most of my photos I can provide you with a large size of 16x20 print using only 200% interpolation printed at 300PPI. Larger prints are generally viewed from a bit of a distance so a lower amount of PPI can be more acceptable to lower the interpolation amount that is needed.

How are the prints done?

I use a professional photo lab for all my prints that uses Kodak Endura photo paper with high quality photo ink to provide a longer shelf life for your print. To ensure a high quality print they are done at 300 PPI unless otherwise noted.

How will my item be shipped?

I ship by Canada Post standard mail for prints up to 11x14 and mouse pads. I use XpressPost for prints 12x16 and larger including all other gift items, which is faster, includes insurance and tracking. This is my default shipping which includes the prices shown in the shopping cart, you may request a quote to use the shipping method of your choice.

To ensure your prints arrive safely all sizes up to 11x14 are shipped flat with cardboard to make sure they do not bend. Prints 12x16 and larger are rolled up and shipped inside non bendable shipping tubes.

How much is the shipping?

I offer low S&H prices along with combined shipping by number of print quantities, see below.
All print package offers already have shipping included into the price.

Shipping within Canada

$3 for 1-3 prints.
$4 for 4-6 prints.
$6 for 7 or more prints.

Shipping to USA

$3.99 for 1-3 prints.
$5.32 for 4-6 prints.
$7.98 for 7 or more prints.

Shipping to Europe / South America

$5.70 for 1-3 prints.
$7.60 for 4-6 prints.
$11.40 for 7 or more prints.

Shipping to Africa / Asia / Middle East

$6.30 for 1-3 prints.
$8.40 for 4-6 prints.
$12.60 for 7 or more prints.

Shipping to Australia

$6.90 for 1-3 prints.
$9.20 for 4-6 prints.
$13.80 for 7 or more prints.

How long will my order take to arrive?

I use a professional photo lab for my prints not one of those quick or self print labs like Walmart so there is a longer wait but the quality is worth it. Soon as I receive your payment I send the order in for printing, this process takes 3-4 days after the order has been place. I can ad a rush fee to speed things up (one day or two day option) which price varies with print size and quantity, if interested please contact me first to get a quote or use the email order on checkout.

Shipping time will vary depending on your location, the average shipping time for standard mail to:

Ontario is 3-4 business days

Canada 4-5 business days

United States 6-8 business days

International 8-14 business days

Xpresspost International delivers in 4 to 7 business days

Customs can also cause further delays when shipping out side of the country

Can I select multiple images when buying a large discounted amount of greeting cards?

No, not at this time. Due to how the printing order goes through to receive the discount they all must be of the same image. You Can receive partial discount on multiple images by just selecting smaller amounts for each image Like 4 or 8.

At times I have some greeting cards in stock, for this selection I can mix them up into any package you want or add extra from the in stock selection to another order.

Does my print come already framed?

No, all prints are sold as prints only. The framing and any matting is left up to you so you can better decide what will look best for the pictures location, this also saves on shipping. If you wish to purchase it already framed/matted, contact me with the details and I will see what I can do.

Packages

To add items to a package first select a photo, enter the shopping cart then pick the package and print size then select add to package. Proceed to selecting the rest of the photos you wish to add and in which size. The cart window can be dragged out of the way or even closed, all contents will be remembered. In your cart select view package for further details, under the report tab you can see how many of which size you have left to choose.

The print size I am interested in is not on the list

I do offer custom print sizes, please select custom print size from the list and use email order on checkout, or contact me for a quote.

What is cropping?

Different print sizes have different size ratios, so to maintain the images aspect ratio to fit that print size some cropping usually needs to be done. I manually crop all photos to my best judgment for the selected print size. In some cases the photo online is already cropped and I can go back and re-crop from the original to give you the best crop possible for that size. If you are concerned on how the cropping will look you can request a preview of how that print size crop will look. To do this just add a "crop preview" comment on the photo(s) in the shopping cart then select email order on checkout.

Will the prints contain any borders?

No, all prints are done borderless unless you request otherwise. You can request to ad a basic border or frame style, go here to view examples. To place the request ad the photo to the shopping cart and under comments include example # if chosen from there or any other details. At checkout select email order.

Will the prints have any type of markings on the picture?

No, all prints will be the image only. So the watermark you see on them from the web site will not be there.

What kind of paper do you use?

The prints are done in a professional photo lab that uses Kodak Endura photo paper. Standard greeting cards are done in an alternate photo lab using Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper. Custom text greeting cards are done in the Pro Lab on Kodak Endura photo paper.

What paper type should I use?

This can be a difficult choice to make, different type of photo paper can make the image look and feel different. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and location though here are some positives and negatives for each type to help you decide.

Glossy

• Pros:
Photos will have a shiny finish.
Colors are more vibrant.
Images are crisp and sharp (assuming the original photo was in focus).
Prints will not deteriorate as quickly and have a longer life span.


• Cons:
Glossy photos produce a glare, making them more difficult to see from certain angles and lighting.
They are highly susceptible to fingerprints and smudges but can usually be safely whipped clean with a lens cloth or liquid solution.

Matte

• Pros:
Glare is significantly reduced with matte finish prints.
Fingerprints and smudges are not as visible.
The look and feel to matte finish may be more desirable for certain photos like black and white.
Works well for large prints that will not be displayed behind glass due to no glare/reflections, fingerprints and dust being less visible.

• Cons:
The texture of matte finish can make a photo look grainy.
Colors are less vibrant and the print will look more flat.
The life span of the print is generally shorter and will deteriorate faster.

Lustre

Lustre is a good in between of Glossy and Matte and is what I would recommend for most situations. It can provide close to the same color and contrast ratio but without most of the glare. Glare/reflections are not totally eliminated but provide you with a good balance of the positives from both papers with far less of the negatives.

Metallic

• Pros:
Very high gloss and saturated colors which tend to make the image really pop.
Can come in many different colors and enhance the image.
High durability and longer life span.

• Cons:
Bad glare and reflections depending on location and lighting conditions.
Bright areas in the image may be blown out.
Is a lot more expensive.

Privacy policy and Terms and Conditions.

Can be viewed here