A number of clients have recently asked some basic questions about copying, repairing or retouching a photograph, so i thought i would answer some of these queries here.

We start with what happens to the original image and the answer is that is it used to create a digital version and then its role is complete. It is placed in a flatbed scanner which then produces a digital version that can be edited, enhanced and then sent for printing. Scanning is quick and does not harm the image.

One aspect that is important is that the original image is never sent away. It isn’t dispatched to a photo lab or anywhere else. This means that if you use one of the digital services, you are dealing directly with the person doing the work  – me, Richard Flint. No shop assistants or nameless individuals. The original photograph remains safe.

Add to that the ‘while you wait’ aspect where a photograph, negative or slide can be copied and returned quickly without having to leave it anyway, it allows valuable images to be copied with no risk of loss. Ten minutes and i have what i need to work with and the original can be back in your hands. Simple.

Finally i often get asked what i types of things can be digitised or copied and the answer is pretty much everything from pencil drawings to old negatives. The only issue is the size of the original which is fine up to A4. Anything larger than that would need special scanning.