FAQ | Photo Restoration & Editing

Q. How do we get started?
A. Simply email a photograph to 399Retouch@gmail.com and ask for a free, no obligation, no hassle price quote.

Q. What is a “watermarked” version of a photograph?
A. A watermarked version has all the retouching or restoration already done, then “PROOF” is marked on it in light gray. You can see exactly how your completed photo will look. If you like and pay for it we will email you the un-watermarked version.

Q. Do you accept only digital images?
A. Yes, we do everything over the Internet. If you have a physical photo that needs retouching, you can take a couple of photos of it with a smartphone or scan it. Within the last few years smartphone cameras have improved so that a smartphone photo is as good as the results from a scanner. If you have a scanner, the best results come from a scanner setting of 300 or 400 dpi and “jpg” or “jpeg” format. If your scanner has a “Photo” button or setting, that will probably work perfectly.

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. You do not need to keep everything straight, but you need to be careful to have overlaps so all parts of your original are scanned at least once.

Q. What are your most common retouching requests?
A. Slimming of the body, arms and face; reduce wrinkles and dark circles under eyes; acne removal; “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 porn, nudes or photos showing violence or criminal activity. 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 photos taken by your friends look a lot better…including smartphone photos!

Q. How long does it take to retouch my photos?
A. Our normal turnaround time is about 6 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.

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. Matt, Nick, Shane and Vince are our photo retouching and restoration team. Miles does scheduling, client communications and webmaster. Zoey (aka “Fang”), a rescue now deceased, previously was 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.

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. Photoshop (Creative Cloud) is sold by Adobe as a subscription for $600 per year. 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. Is it true that 399Retouch purchases 100% solar power from its local utility company?
A. Yes. We participate in Austin Energy’s “Community Solar” program, also known as “roofless solar”. The program is designed for customers who cannot install solar panels on their own roofs (roof oriented wrong, shaded by trees, etc.). Austin Energy locates a large number of panels on vacant land, then sells their electricity to customers who opt in to the program.

Q. I’ve heard that Texans love to brag. Is there anything you want to brag about?
A. Yes: We have the most satisfied clients in the business, because we give them the quality, economy, speed and personal service that they want.

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