PHOTO RESTORATION
Restore & Repair Photos
Absolutely fantastic service, with a really personal touch. Nothing was to much trouble for Sharon. Pictorium definitely went that extra mile!!! Marie Doherty
30s VIDEO See Photo Restoration in action!
Your photographs expertly restored from just €15
Pictorium is one of Ireland’s leading digital imaging experts specialising in photo restoration, retouching and editing photos.
We are professional graphic designers with over 30yrs experience and are the go-to people when TV and Radio want to talk to an expert in photo restoration. READ our Testimonials
Our enthusiasm for quality of service is only surpassed by our passion for restoring your damaged photographs, both old and new to their former glory, to be enjoyed for generations to come.
We are here to help and would be delighted to offer expert advice and discuss your photos.
We work with customers nationwide on a daily basis via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
READ about Photo Restoration
30s VIDEO See Photo Restoration in action!
Don’t let those memories fade or be lost, let Pictorium restore and repair your photos, bringing them and their precious memories back to life.
We understand how precious photographs and their memories are. Whether it be the only photograph you have of a loved one which is torn, the family photo that is now stuck to the glass of the frame, a damaged photo of that amazing holiday, a faded photo of your homestead or even discoloured photos in that wedding album you want to give as a gift.
We have seen it all, from photos that have been found in the attic; crumpled in your wallet through to photos that have been torn by, yes the cat; even drawn on by a younger you or your children, or as we like to call them those budding Leonardo Da Vincis!
Example of types of damage
- Faded or dark photographs – balance and enhance
- Discoloured photographs – colour correct
- Cracked, creased or scratched photographs
- Torn & ripped photos – piece together & restore
- Photographs stuck to glass
- Stains, smudges, water damage from photographs – remove and restore
- Foxing – remove and restore (seen as brown spots which comes from impurities in the paper / mould activated by humidity)
How we work
We ideally like to work from an original image, but we live in the real world (!) so we know that that is not always possible. So yes we can work with what ever you can give to us.
Please do bear in mind though that you will always get far better results from an original photograph than you will get from • a low resolution scan/digital image • a photo that you have taken on your camera phone of a hard copy picture • a photo from Facebook • one that has been sent to you via Text/WhatsApp • copy of a photo/screen grab etc.
Why In short, there is a lot of key information that cannot seen by the naked eye, this is what we access when we scan and manipulate your photo. The information is lost in a low res (resolution) scan, a copy of a photo or a picture (taken using your phone) of a hard copy photo.
1) SCANNING
This is where we scan (also known as digitising) and create a digital / soft copy of your photo.
Scanning in photos professionally is all about getting as much detail as possible from your image. This is called resolution. We scan at 3,200dpi for slides (6,400dpi upon request), negs etc. and up to 1,000dpi depending on the size of your photo.
This ensures that we get every scintilla of information from your photo no matter how small therefore optimising your photo allowing your photo to be enlarged without it losing detail or becoming blurry/grainy. READ about our Scanning Service
2) BALANCE & ENHANCE for faded or discoloured photos
Over the years photos tend to discolour and fade. There are a multitude of reasons that photos fade, the main being due to the interaction of sunlight with your photos. READ MORE
There is no one button fix, all photos are different and so each of your photos need different levels of re-balancing.
The work we do is very image specific. We work with the brightness, contrast, tones, colour levels and hue/saturation… to enhance your photo. This will rebalance your photos whether they be colour or black and white.
The results can be amazing, your colour photos look brighter, clearer and more vibrant and your brown or discoloured photos are now a clear and natural black & white.
3) RESTORING
Over the years we have restored 1,000s of photos for our customers. What makes us different is we have a genuine passion for our work and are meticulous when it comes to restoring your precious photos.
Our attention to detail is second to none. This coupled with our photographic techniques, expertise and the state-of-the-art hardware and software, results in the seamless restoration of your photographs. READ our Testimonials
4) PRINTING/FRAMING
Once your photos are restored we can then give them to you as digital images and / or we can print them for you.
We offer a wide range of printing services. READ about our Printing Services
Printing to your preferred size • strut mounts • framing: ready-made & bespoke • canvas printing.
All from our shop in Monkstown Dublin
What do we restore from
HARD COPY Photographs, Pictures, Artwork, Documents, Certificates, Historical, Letters…
SLIDES & FILM Negatives (Negs) Positives, Colour and Black & White Slides (photo transparencies – all sizes), Singular Film (all sizes) and Strips of Film
OLDER MEDIA Glass Slides, as well as Lithographs, Tintypes, Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes
Click here to learn more about Older Photo Formats
APPOINTMENTS Shop number is (01) 284 6106. We ideally like to work via appointment as we will scan in the photo whilst you are here and show you what can be done. So we do spend time with our customers and do not want to have you waiting (you are also very welcome to wait or Drop and Go)
EMAIL if in digital format please email.
DROP & GO Put your photo into an envelope along with your name and tel no and we will call you when we have your photo scanned in.
POSTAL ADDRESS If you post it to us, we will call you as soon as it arrives. We will then scan your photo and call you to discuss what can be done.
Pictorium Photoshop
No 3 Monkstown Court
Monkstown Farm
Glenageary, Co. Dublin
A96 HK30
Tel +353 1 284 6106
Email: info@pictorium.ie
We work with historians, museums, conservationists, genealogists, sports and social clubs, corporates and customers nationally and internationally.
Whether you come into the gallery shop or we work together by phone / email / post you are guaranteed an unrivalled experience.
Pictorium Photoshop… Bringing your photos back to life
We work with customers nationwide on a daily basis via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
We are here to help and would be delighted to offer expert advice and discuss your photos.
PHOTO EDITING
Edit & Retouch Photos
…deleting two sisters from the middle of the photo, to make it look like I was standing beside my friend… you’d never think they were there in the first place! I can’t wait to see my friends face when I give her the photo… Anne Walsh
30s VIDEO See Photo Editing and Retouching in action!
With professional photo retouching and editing, you can have the perfect shot every time…
Have you ever wished someone wasn’t in an otherwise perfect picture, or missed out on an essential wedding shot. If you loved the photo but not the background… we have the solution for you READ our Testimonials
We have all been there when you get all the family together and you take 10 photos and still do not get them all smiling at the same time. Not to worry we can edit and retouch your photos to make sure everyone is smiling AND have their all their eyes open too!
With our retouching and editing skills and our attention to detail, Pictorium can add or remove whatever you need from an image, so you get the perfect photo.
We are here to help and would be delighted to offer expert advice and discuss your photos.
We work with customers nationwide on a daily basis via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
READ about Photo Editing & Retouching
Your photographs expertly edited & retouched from just €15
30s VIDEO See Photo Editing and Retouching in action!
Whether it be a Wedding, Christening, Birthday or even your Graduation photos. You thought you had everyone in the photo but then realised that you were missing someone from that shot. Give Pictorium a call. We can take a person from one photo and put them in another photo, so you have that photo that you thought you had!
We have all had those days where our skin has broken out or we have bags under our eyes. Not to mention that you had a stain on your dress. Pictorium are here to edit and retouch your photos to hide blemishes and we can even whiten your teeth.
Add or remove a person from a photo
- Would you like to add a person to a photo?
- Would you like to remove a person from a photo?
- Would you like an object removed from the photo?
Change the background
- Have you got a picture where the subject is spoilt by the background?
Remove objects
- Did you leave your bag of groceries in the middle of the photo?
Combining photos
- Two or more photographs can be combined into one composite picture. Backgrounds can be altered or completely replaced. Sections of the scene can be removed and replaced.
We have a wealth of experience retouching and editing your photos
We are professional graphic designers with over 40yrs experience and are the go-to people when TV and Radio want to talk to an expert in photo restoration. READ our Testimonials
Our enthusiasm for quality of service is only surpassed by our passion for restoring your damaged photographs both old and new to their former glory, to be enjoyed for generations to come.
How we work
We ideally like to work from an original image, but we live in the real world (!) so we know that that is not always possible. So yes we can work with what ever you can give to us.
Please do bear in mind though that you will always get far better results from an original photograph than you will get from • a low resolution scan/digital image • a photo that you have taken on your camera phone of a hard copy picture • a photo from Facebook • one that has been sent to you via Text/WhatsApp • copy of a photo/screen grab etc.
Why In short, there is a lot of key information that cannot seen by the naked eye, this is what we access when we scan and manipulate your photo. The information is lost in a low res (resolution) scan, a copy of a photo or a picture (taken using your phone) of a hard copy photo.
1) SCANNING
This is where we scan (also known as digitising) and create a digital / soft copy of your photo.
Scanning in photos professionally is all about getting as much detail as possible from your image. This is called resolution. We scan at 3,200dpi for slides (6,400dpi upon request), negs etc. and up to 1,000dpi depending on the size of your photo.
This ensures that we get every scintilla of information from your photo no matter how small therefore optimising your photo allowing your photo to be enlarged without it losing detail or becoming blurry/grainy. READ about our Scanning Service
2) BALANCE & ENHANCE for faded or discoloured photos
Over the years photos tend to discolour and fade. There are a multitude of reasons that photos fade, the main being due to the interaction of sunlight with your photos. READ MORE
There is no one button fix, all photos are different and so each of your photos need different levels of re-balancing.
The work we do is very image specific. We work with the brightness, contrast, tones, colour levels and hue/saturation… to enhance your photo. This will rebalance your photos whether they be colour or black and white.
The results can be amazing, your colour photos look brighter, clearer and more vibrant and your brown or discoloured photos are now a clear and natural black & white.
3) RESTORING
Over the years we have restored 1,000s of photos for our customers. What makes us different is we have a genuine passion for our work and are meticulous when it comes to restoring your precious photos.
Our attention to detail is second to none. This coupled with our photographic techniques, expertise and the state-of-the-art hardware and software, results in the seamless editing and retouching of your photographs. READ our Testimonials
4) PRINTING/FRAMING
Once your photos are retouched and edited we can then give them to you as digital images and / or we can print them for you.
We offer a wide range of printing services. READ about our Printing Services
Printing to your preferred size • strut mounts • framing: ready-made & bespoke • canvas printing.
All from our shop in Monkstown Dublin
What do we restore from
HARD COPY Photographs, Pictures, Artwork, Documents, Certificates, Historical, Letters…
SLIDES & FILM Negatives (Negs) Positives, Colour and Black & White Slides (photo transparencies – all sizes), Singular Film (all sizes) and Strips of Film
OLDER MEDIA Glass Slides, as well as Lithographs, Tintypes, Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes
Click here to learn more about Older Photo Formats
APPOINTMENTS Shop number is (01) 284 6106. We ideally like to work via appointment as we will scan in the photo whilst you are here and show you what can be done. So we do spend time with our customers and do not want to have you waiting (you are also very welcome to wait or Drop and Go)
EMAIL if in digital format please email.
DROP & GO Put your photo into an envelope along with your name and tel no and we will call you when we have your photo scanned in.
POSTAL ADDRESS If you post it to us, we will call you as soon as it arrives. We will then scan your photo and call you to discuss what can be done.
Pictorium Photoshop
No 3 Monkstown Court
Monkstown Farm
Glenageary, Co. Dublin
A96 HK30
Tel +353 1 284 6106
Email: info@pictorium.ie
We work with historians, museums, conservationists, genealogists, sports and social clubs, corporates and customers nationally and internationally.
Whether you come into the gallery shop or we work together by phone / email / post you are guaranteed an unrivalled experience.
Pictorium Photoshop… Bringing your photos back to life
We work with customers nationwide on a daily basis via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
We are here to help and would be delighted to offer expert advice and discuss your photos.
PHOTO SCANNING
Photos • Slides • Negs • Albums
Had a few thousand scans done by Sharon. Seamless process from beginning to end. Highly recommend. Well priced. Superb quality. John Greene
READ ABOUT PHOTO SCANNING
Print
Scan / Digitise your Photos and Protect Them For Life
We restore & repair photos on a daily basis so we have see our fair share of damaged photos.
From torn, faded & marked photos, water damaged slides & negatives through to faded and discoloured portraits & lithographs.
Your photos are precious memories, so why not digitise them to keep them safe for you and future generations to enjoy.
We offer a Professional Photo Scanning Service. We can scan in your original photographs, slides, negatives, positives, glass slides, lithographs etc.
Photo Albums are a speciality as we are happy to remove them from (and put them back if requested) the album for you. In fact we recently worked with a customer who inherited 44 Photo Albums with approx 2,800 photos from her family. We removed the individual photos scanned in each one, catalogued them and then gave her 10 copies on USB sticks to give to her extended family.
Scanning & Resolution (detail)
Scanning in photos professionally is all about getting as much detail as possible from your image. This is called resolution.
As photo restoration specialists part and parcel of what we do is scanning photos, slides etc. to the highest resolution. This ensures that we get every possible detail from your photographs/pictures/portrait/art. We also work with documents and historical and war letters and documentation.
This in turn means that your photo can be enlarged without losing any of the detail.
Unlike many services we do not use automated image correction software bundled into scanners which often end with poor results. This can leave your photos discoloured and with a blur.
Every photo is unique and should be treated as so. Because of this we would always recommend raw scans and then when needed using photoshop to colour correct and restore.
Quality of Service
Your photos are precious and need to be treated with the utmost care. They can be easily marked by damaging oils on finger prints. So to keep your photos safe we always wear our lint-free gloves when handling your precious pictures.
All work is done in-house and each and every photograph is treated with the utmost care.
When your photographs are scanned they are then quality checked by us before you receive them.
Cataloguing
We offer cataloguing at no extra cost. If you would like to batch your photos by event/occasion/decade we will catalogue them for you.
What Do We Scan?
We have been working with Customers nationally and internationally as well Museums, Historians, Genealogists, Organisations, Sports & Social Clubs, Schools… for decades so you can imagine we have see it all.
We offer a professional scanning service for:
Photos Hard Copies, Loose and in Albums from passport size up to large format
Albums We can take the photos out of the album and put them back (upon request). In some Wedding Albums and older Albums the photos are stuck in the Album. We can scan them in directly from the Album
Film Slides/Transparencies (110, 126, 135 (35mm), Negs etc in all sizes
Glass Slides Photographic and Painted Glass Slides
Documents & Letters War Memorabilia, Historical and Personal
Old Style Lithographs, Daguerrreotypes, Ambrotypes & Tintypes
Resolution for Types of Scans
Hard Copies, Slides, Negatives & Film
PHOTOS Resolution: Up to 1,000dpi, depending on the size of your photo
Slides, Negs and Film Resolution: Naturally 3,200dpi. Up to 6,400dpi
We work with Hard Copies, Slides (+ glass slides), Negatives & Film on a daily basis with no limit on the amount we scan.
Lithographs, Daguerrreotypes, Ambrotypes & Tintypes
Resolution: Up to 1,000dpi, depending on the size of your image or portrait
These styles of printing date back to the 1800s!
Not only do we scan your precious portraits and art to the highest possible quality we can also restore them.
We are asked on a regular basis how can you tell the difference. We have put together a quick guide to the different types and their distinguishing features.
Please below for more information. If you ever need any help or advice please do call or email us.
Storing your Digitised Images
We can enlarge or reduce the size of the scanned photographs to suit your needs.
All of the scans are stored onto CD / DVD and USB / Memory Stick.
We regularly zip and dropbox/wetransfer photos to customers. We also email photos on behalf of our customers – very popular when your family or friends live overseas.
Not Recommended
Home Printers with Scanner Adapters
Scanners attached to home printers tend to only be good enough for scanning in documentation. You will not get the level of quality that you need to enlarge and/or print.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are great for taking a natural photo but not a “photo” of your photos or even using an app to digitise your photos. There are a myriad of reasons why.
• They will never be able to take a photo to the same quality/resolution as a high res scanner.
• A camera phone will not have as big of a sensor as a digital camera. This allows for more light to be let in as well as more options resulting in crisper, clearer photos.
• Namely it is nigh on impossible to take the photo without letting light in which will reflect on the photo itself putting a cast over the photo.
• Unless you can take the photo exactly straight on the photo will be misaligned with the end result being a distorted photo.
Sending via Text WhatsApp etc
If you have a high res image that you want to send to have it restored or even printed. Always email the photo.
WHY When you email a photo (depending on your phone) your phone will automatically either a) send the Actual size file or b) ask you if you would like to send a “small, medium, large or actual” size image. Always choose “actual” size.
When you send via text, WhatsApp etc. your phone automatically sends a lower quality version of your photo equivalent to a small or medium size image.
Photograph Types_A Quick Guide
LITHOGRAPHS 1796-1950s
Surface: Paper and/or backed onto canvas
Lithography was invented around 1796 in Germany by an otherwise unknown Bavarian playwright, Alois Senefelder, who accidentally discovered that he could duplicate his scripts by writing them in greasy crayon on slabs of limestone and then printing them with rolled-on ink.
It was very popular with painters who would use black chalk or charcoal. It is an original piece of artwork with the signature, usually located on the back.
Lithographs v Print
By Look A lithograph will show signs of irregularities in the dot pattern with offset lithography leaving a dotted circular pattern in rows
By Touch You can also compare a lithograph vs. print by touch. Rub your hand lightly over an original lithograph, and the surface should feel slightly raised. Prints will always have a completely flat surface because they came from a printing press.
DAGUERREOTYPES 1839-1860s
Surface: Highly polished, mirror-like silver
Invented by Louis Daguerre and introduced worldwide in 1839 and was the first publicly available photographic process.
They are shiny to view and were made on highly polished mirror-like silver-coated copper plates and would come in protective cases or sleeves, often made of leather and lined with silk or velvet.
You have to tilt them at a 45 degree angle to view them. Depending on the angle at which you view them, they can look like a negative, a positive or a mirror.
They became less popular with the advent of the less expensive Ambrotype in 1860.
AMBROTYPE 1854-1880s
Surface: Glossy often behind glass
Patented in 1854s and superceded the more expensive Daguerreotypes in the 1860s.
Like the Daguerreotype they be found in hinged protective cases. They are typically housed in miniature hinged cases made of wood covered with leather, paper, cloth, or mother of pearl.
They are on glass. Backed with a dark substance (such as varnish or paper) they look positive, but when the backing starts to deteriorate, you can often see through the glass.
TINTYPE 1853-1930s
Surface: Iron, semi-glossy
Patented in 1856. They are actually printed on iron, not tin. Unlike a daguerreotype, tintypes are not reflective.
Most Tintypes are not found in a protective sleeve or case. Cased tintypes may be difficult to distinguish from cased ambrotypes.
Weight can help to differentiate, but a magnet may be used to conclusively identify the tintype’s iron support.
APPOINTMENTS Shop number is (01) 284 6106. Do call us and we can organise an appointment to go through all of your options.
DROP & GO If you do not have time to sit down with us, why not call us. Shop number is (01) 284 6106. We can talk about your options and costs over the phone. You are then very welcome to drop your photos, albums, slides etc. into the shop.
POSTAL ADDRESS We work with a lot of customers nationwide. Please call us and we can work with you via phone and email. Please pack your photos, slides etc very carefully and then send them to us. We will call you as soon as they arrive.
Pictorium Photoshop
No 3 Monkstown Court
Monkstown Farm
Glenageary, Co. Dublin
A96 HK30
Tel +353 1 284 6106
Email: info@pictorium.ie
Whether you come into the gallery shop or we work together by phone / email / post you are guaranteed an unrivalled experience.
Pictorium Photoshop… Bringing your photos back to life
We are here to help, so call us and see how we can digitize your memories.
Scanning photos for customers nationwide via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
PRINT YOUR RESTORED PHOTOS
Print • Canvas • Framed
Sharon just want to say a huge thank you for my amazing new Canvas. Its Stunning we both love it! Thanks Again xx Nichola Fields
READ ABOUT PHOTO PRINTING
Now that your photo has been restored. Why not put it back where it belongs… in your house for everyone to see!
We can enlarge or reduce your restored photo and print it on:
- Canvas Prints
- Photographic Paper or Poster Print
- Framed one of our beautiful Photo Frames or
- Why not create a Photo Montage / Photo Collage of your Restored Photos
We work with customers nationwide on a daily basis via • Our Shop • Phone • Email • Facebook • Post.
We are here to help and would be delighted to offer expert advice and discuss your photos.