Black and white services since 1987
Custom silver gelatin prints
Exceptional quality and personal service
For fine art digital printing visit us at Still River Editions
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What is a gelatin silver print?
Q: Do you have print order forms?
Q: I have some old black and white negatives--what should I do with them?
Q: I have an old family picture that's damaged--can you fix it?
Q: Can you make black and white prints from color negatives?
Q: Can you print on other paper or use special paper developer?
Q: If I print my image at a certain size, why will it be cropped?
Q: If I leave my original artwork/prints/negatives with you, will they be safe?
Q: Do you offer print mounting?
Q: What paper surface is recommended for hand coloring?
Q: What ISOs do you suggest for current black and white films?
Q: I am not local, do you accept work by mail, UPS, or FEDEX?
Q: Can you ship my completed job back to me?
Q: Do you have pre-paid mailers?
Q: What forms of payment do you take?
Q: What is a gelatin silver print?
A: This term refers to traditionally made black and white prints, with a suspension of silver salts in a gelatin base, exposed to light with an enlarger, and then developed in chemistry. Prints can be either resin-coated or fiber-based, but this term more commonly refers to fiber-based prints.
Q: Do you have print order forms?
A:
You can download some helpful order forms, for black & white print orders (PDF) or for digital print orders (PDF).
Q: I have some old black and white negatives--what should I do with them?
A: We're happy to work with old negatives, and are one of the few labs in the area who can readily do so. If you have a lot of them, you can have contact sheets made of your negatives to see what you've got, and then choose which to enlarge. We can work with negatives of many discontinued formats in addition to current ones, and we can also make contact prints from glass plate negatives.
Q: I have an old family picture that's damaged--can you fix it?
A: While we can't fix your original, we can do a repair digitally after scanning (digitizing) the original. For more information about your particular circumstances, please give us a call to arrange an estimate in person so we can give you individual attention.
Q: Can you make black and white prints from color negatives?
A: Yes we can. Although to get the best black and white print, there is nothing like a well exposed black and white negative. There is no extra charge to print a black and white from a color negative.
Q: Can you print on other paper or use special paper developer?
A: We'd be happy to talk with you about your needs on a case-by-case basis. It depends on a lot of factors including cost to you, timeline, and our workload already in-house.
Q: If I print my image at a certain size, why will it be cropped?
A: The ratio of the length to width of your image determines what size it can be enlarged or reduced to. If you want it a different size than what it works out to be, your image may have to be cropped. For some images, this is not a problem. For others, a compromise must be reached. To get a better idea of what size your image can be printed, go here to our print proportion calculator.
Q: If I leave my original artwork/prints/negatives with you, will it be safe?
A: All artwork is protected on premises, and is handled with a high standard of professional care. Our facilities are fire/burglar protected and insured.
Q: Do you offer print mounting?
A: We offer mounting for prints we make (unfortunately, we can't mount prints not made by us) on 3/16" Gatorfoam®, or on 3/4" or 1 1/2" ready-to-hang standout mounts--thick foamboard with a finished black edge. More information for mounting black and white prints here (look at bottom of page).
Q: What paper surface is recommended for hand coloring?
A: We suggest satin surface for RC prints, and flat matte for fiber-based prints. We need to know prior to starting the prints if it will be hand colored, so that we will adjust our printing to compensate.
Q: What ISOs do you suggest for current black and white films?
A: That's a big question that needs to be discussed with one of our technicians prior to the shoot. Please contact us.
Q: I am not local, do you accept work by mail, UPS, or FEDEX?
A: We certainly do. We ask that you please use a carrier that allows tracking and insurability. We can not be responsible for items lost or damaged in route to us.
Q: Can you ship my completed job back to me?
A: Yes we can. We ship via UPS, FEDEX, local messenger, or US MAIL. Shipping charges will be added to your job invoice unless you provide us with your valid shipper account number. For standard sized jobs, the current preferred shipping method is UPS Ground, for a flat rate of $12.00.
Q: Do you have pre-paid mailers?
A: No we do not. Pack your job in a container that will allow for some rough handling in route to us.
Q: What forms of payment do you take?
A: We accept all major credit cards, checks, cash, PayPal, or pre-approved NET30 accounts.
