For those of you that have photo retouching businesses, how do you have clients get photos to you if they live out of state? Just send 'em via USPS and pray or tell people you only accept Fedex etc?

I was just curious as someday i would like to try my hand at starting a retouching business and would be somewhat nervous in having people mail unique, one of a kind photos through the mail...

Thanks!

From my old site:

Make sure your original is safe. Send it in a reinforced flat (sandwiched between two sheets of cardboard) and mark it clearly "PHOTOS: DO NOT BEND". If you have an acid-free envelope to put it in, even better. Insure your photo, as well. And send it via a method that requires a signature to deliver.
For the return trip, the restorator should provide archival-quality acid-free storage sleeves for both your original and the restoration. This assures that nothing they're exposed on their way home will further deteriorate your precious original. These can also be used to protect your original at home. The shipping materials should also be of a quality that not only protects them, but can be reused for future restorations.
They should also be insured for your original plus the price of the restoration and sent in such a way that a signature is required to avoid being left on your porch or folded into your mailbox.

Thanks for the reply! You took your site down? ('from my old site...')

Yeah, I lost control of the domain during a transfer and decided it wasn't worth the trouble of getting it back.

For those of you that have photo retouching businesses, how do you have clients get photos to you if they live out of state? Just send 'em via USPS and pray or tell people you only accept Fedex etc?

I was just curious as someday i would like to try my hand at starting a retouching business and would be somewhat nervous in having people mail unique, one of a kind photos through the mail...

Thanks!
Hi Swanker,
Ask them to send hi-res scans (I prefer 600dpi TIFFs as starting point for retouching) using YouSendIt (http://beta.yousendit.com/) or DropLoad (http://www.dropload.com). Accomodates files up to 100MB*. For FREE! (Up to 2 GB per file if you register!). They can be downloaded within 7 days. Need security? Zip 'm with a password before sending (set the prefs in your zip app).

*combine photos in a zip-archive so you can send one big file (instead of many separate ones). JPGs won't be compressed any further (JPG is a compressed state already), but the archive will group and keep 'm together.

But if you need to send files like that a couple times a day, every day, you ought to set up an FTP server.

Have fun.

thanks for the reply! I dont know if too many people needing retouching work would have that good of a scanner though...

I dont know if too many people needing retouching work would have that good of a scanner though...

300-600dpi would be standard on most basic scanners, so scanning at that size shouldn't be a problem for anybody with a scanner. I do this, and have them upload direct to my PC via Abyss server, or to my site via private ftp. I would say I do about 75-80% of my business this way :bigthmb:
Posting a photo would be a total last resort, and something I advise people not to do. You could even get them to take the photo to a shop, and have it put on CD. Then let them post you the CD. Most photo shops do this now as a standard service :) .

just a suggestion, my mail lady will curl up any doccuments that will fit into my mailbox, even photo's sent priority mail (I think there supposed to drop off at the house) and the UPS will just drop the envalope/package on the step, while Fed-EX will only drop off if someone is home, if no one is pressent they will leave a notice leaving a return date and the option to drop without a signature.

hope this helps,

also this is just my area (ohio) and may vary from location.

thank you very much for the tip! :)