FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers)

Q. How does the photo retouching and photo restoration ordering process work?
A. Ordering happens via emails, approximately like this:
It sounds complicated, but  everything normally flows smoothly and quickly.

Q. In step 4 above, you send out a "watermarked" version? What is that?
A. A watermarked version has all the retouching or restoration already done, then "PROOF" is marked on it in light gray. You can see how the photo will look, but if you like and pay for it we will email you the un-watermarked version.

Q. Do you accept only digital photos?
A. Yes, we do everything over the Internet. If you have a physical photo that needs retouching, you can scan it. Please see the Physical Photos menu item for advice on how to get the best results.

Q. My photograph is too large for my scanner
A. Not a problem! Just scan all the parts of it and send us all the parts. We like assembling jigsaw puzzles, and there is no extra charge.

Q. What are your most common retouching requests?
A. Acne removal; slimming of the body, arms and face;  reduce wrinkles and dark circles under eyes; "make me look 10 years younger," reduce bright glare from camera flash; sharpen a blurry photo. For photo restoration, the general request is just "fix this old photo."

Q. What kinds of photos do you work on?
A. We do photo editing on almost anything, except we do not accept nudes or obscene photos. We also do not accept professional photos unless you include in your email a statement that own the copyright or have permission from the copyright holder to modify the image. That means we cannot accept many professionally-shot wedding photos. But, we often can make amateur photos look a lot better!

Q. How long does it take to retouch my photos?
A. Our normal turnaround time is about 5 days, frequently quite a bit faster than that.  Because we cannot predict or control issues like workload, computer problems and internet delays, we are unable to guarantee a turnaround time or delivery date. We will never promise a delivery date for your work.

Q Is there any kind of photo retouching  you will not do?
A. We will not work on porn, nudes,  or photos showing violence or criminal activity.

Q. Why don't you work on porn, etc.?
A. It's just a personal choice. We know that we are missing out on a big part of the retouching market (lots of skin showing means lots of blemishes and lumps to hide). There are plenty of other retouchers who will handle those images.

Q. Are your testimonials real or just made up?
A. They are all real and un-solicited. Every one of them came from actual living clients. We do not ask clients for testimonials or give any incentives for them.

Q. Who does what at 399Retouch?
A. Doug, Matt, Nick and Shane are our photo retouching and restoration team. Miles does scheduling, client communications and webmaster. Zoey (aka "Fang") is in charge of security.

Q. What kind of payment do you accept?
A. We accept Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and Paypal. All payments are handled by PayPal.com (owned by eBay, a huge corporation), so your credit card information is safe and secure. Our PayPal payment email is payments@399Retouch.com 

Q. How many photos can I attach to an email?
A. Unless you are certain that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will permit you to send very large emails, we recommend attaching only one or two photos per email. In the email please describe the service you want, like "Standard Beauty Retouch", along with any special instructions.
 
Q. Are there any precautions for Hotmail users?
A. Yes. Hotmail users should send digital photographs as file attachments, not as "photo attachments." Hotmail compresses "photo attachments," which removes much of the detail in the photographs.  Other email services sometimes do the same thing.
 
Q. How do I attach a photograph to an email?
A. If you have never emailed a photo before, this guide will show you how to do it quickly and easily. When you click on the link the guide will open in a separate window.

Q. How can I send a very large photo, or several photographs?
A. You can use a free, no registration file transfer service like SendSpace.com or TransferBigFiles.com (up to 5 photos per batch). You do not need to give them your email address...these are free ad-supported services.

Q. How long has 399Retouch been in business?
A. We opened our virtual doors in January, 2006. Our retouching staff has several prior years of Photoshop experience. The legal name of the company is 399Retouch LLC, and we are headquartered in Austin, Texas USA.

Q. Do you work on video?
A. We retouch and repair only still photos, at least for the present. A Texas company that preserves and restores video and film is Master Computer and Video. They have an impressive client list and have been around since 1985. Tell them we sent you.

Q. Do you know where I can buy Photoshop cheap so I can do my own retouching work?
A. You can buy PS lots of places on the web, but if you pay less than $600 (US dollars) it's likely to be contaminated with viruses, trojans and other malware. Plan to spend months and years learning how to use it effectively. After you get really, really, really good, send in your portfolio...we might put you to work.

Q. I've heard that Texans love to brag. Is there anything you want to brag about?
A. Two things: 1) We have the most satisfied clients in the business, because we give them the quality, economy, speed and personal service that they want. 2) Our Austin office participates in Austin's Green Choice renewable energy program.

Q. I have another question not answered above.
A. Please email it to us and we will answer as quickly as possible.