Why You Should Still Use a Small Photo Restoration Company, NOT the "Big" Drugstores and Grocery Stores

Pharmacy chains are sure convenient, aren't they? One quick stop after work and you've got your prescriptions, a tube of toothpaste, some toilet paper and a gallon of milk. They may even do a pretty good job of processing your vacation photos within an hour.

However, there's one thing those big chains won't admit: They aren't photo specialists. When you have a photo that needs special attention, you should find a small restoration company to handle your memories with care. There are plenty of reasons why.

Small photo retouching services have more time to focus on each individual customer.

Small, independent photo restoration shops can offer you the personal attention that a busy chain drugstore, discount store or grocery store cannot. You know how the scenario plays out. You're standing in line at the big box store, and the cashier must wait on five people before she can rush over to the photo area to assist you. Even after the wait, you may find her to be unknowledgeable on photo refinishing.

The training such photo lab workers receive is limited. Your photo restoration experience will come from working with a restoration specialist who is trained to fix old photos.

A small photo restoration company employs and trains mostly professional and semi-professional photographers and graphic artists who have a special knack for photograph restoration and photograph refinishing. While some of the big box stores quick turnarounds on photo processing, they lack the skills and equipment to help you with photo corrections, photo retouching, picture editing, removing discolorations or repairing a ripped or torn photo. Photo refinishing is an art that requires special talent, skills and software. Restoration specialists have an eye for details, so they offer better quality control than those other guys.

Most impoirtantly they know they aren't just handling a damaged Vintage photo. They are restoring a memory.

They listen to your concerns about Your Vintage Photos.

You aren't simply another customer standing at a register when you work with a small photo restoration service. Photo refinishing specialists understand the sentimental value of a photograph. They understand that you aren't comfortable sending an original print off to a company in another state. They even understand when you want your great-grandmother's eyes to be the exact shade of blue that you recall. They know your memories matter, and small firms like Heritage Photo Restoration and Genealogy (Photoancestry) also have professional genealogist teams on staff.

This means that you can do a lot more than have your photo restored. You can have one of the Heritage genealogy professionals find more information about people in the picture. Have you ever wondered where your baby got that auburn hair? A genealogist can do a little digging and get to the bottom of it for you. They can even provide you with your entire family tree, although it will take a bit of time. Genealogy professionals have access to millions of records that date back centuries.

A quick search can reveal a lot about your history. A detailed search may give you a glimpse into a past that you had no idea existed. Some old records even include photos. Imagine seeing your great-great-grandfather for the first time ever. You're never going to get that opportunity while standing in line at the pharmacy.

Photograph restoration specialists offer services like more paper choices.

Heritage offers 28 different choices of paper for your repaired photos. They are handling your treasured photographic memories, and they understand presentation is important. Many even offer custom framing, which is something else you don't find at the grocery store photography lab. Small companies want your photos to look amazing because they care about their work.

Many small photo refinishing companies will come to you.

Forget about leaving your comfortable home and driving across town to handle photograph refinishing. In addition to online capabilities, some local companies will even pick up your damaged photos at your convenience, including Heritage Photo Restoration and Genealogy, a company that specializes in photo restoration in Houston. If you can't find a small company to fix old photos near you, many specialists offer online photo restoration. When you upload your original photo, the company will once again scan your original at maximum possible resolution on a commercial-grade digital scanner. This allows small photographs to be enlarged to poster size.

The commercial chains cannot provide the high-resolution enlargements. Their photo refinishing equipment is built to quickly provide mediocre results to the masses. An independent company will work harder to provide you with better service and restore picture quality accurately. They can also develop and restore negatives and slides to provide the best photo restoration.  Still, you have to be careful.  Is the service throwing around bizarre-sounding proclamations like "I am a certified master artist?"  Time to get out your phone and look that one up to be sure.  Get to know the people restoring your photos.  There's something special about having trust in someone who's handling your vintage photo restoration jobs.

Restored Photos can wow your guests.

If you're planning an anniversary celebration or any type of milestone, photo specialists can restore picture quality, even if the photographs were taken generations ago. Again, these quality restorations can be enlarged, so you can place memories around the celebration hall. You can even ask a photo specialist to take a black and white photo to a colorized version.

Restored photographs will be well received by any guests of honor, and they will appreciate when smaller prints are placed into a small picture album. Most small photo restoration companies will be happy to frame, mat or put your newly restored treasures into an album that is perfect for giving.
The small shop is much more likely to work with you on changes to the restored photo if you are unsatisfied. You are not just a number. Small businesses understand the importance of personalized service. They need every customer who walks in the door, so they will make certain you are happy with your photographs when you leave.

Small businesses give back to your community.

When you use an independent photo refinishing business to fix old photos, the money you spend stays in your local economy. A big box store will often send any profits back to the company's headquarters, which may very well be out of state. When dollars are funneled back into the local economy, it results in more local jobs and more tax dollars for your city and county to use on local projects. Handling your photo restoration locally benefits the entire city.

Heritage Restoration and Genealogy employees work and live in the Houston area. Their paychecks and profits are spent at local businesses.

So if you are interested in being treated like a valued customer and searching for the best photo restoration Houston has to offer, Heritage is a wise choice. Don't forget that they also offer online photo restoration for those who live out of the Houston area. It's one of the few small companies that can restore photos online with integrity.  Finally, if Heritage cannot perform the task you require, they will tell you.  Every time.  You'll know up front what to expect, and if that's bad news, Heritage is not afraid to tell you.

Once you try a online photo restoration, you will be telling all of your friends and family how they can restore photos online and easily transfer them to scrapbooks or upload them to family websites. A photo restored to its natural state of glory can have a significant impact on the overall look and feel of a photo album or family website. Consider having a photo restored and see the difference. They can bring your old photos back to life.