Viewmaster Personal Pictures
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Please read it all.

Clean
Please make sure your frames are clean and lint-free. You can use a soft piece of linen or cotton to clean them, such as a clean T-shirt. Don't wipe too hard, I don't recommend any cleaning agents unless they are too dirty to clean without.
Selecting Pictures
Pictures that have too much or too little light are not good candidates for printing. Of course there are some pictures that might not make good prints that you may want anyway. Only extremely dark pictures are 'unprintable'. Occasionally, I have found some colors that don't print well, but that's hard to predict.
Film Type
The type of film used will make a big difference as to the quality if the picture. However, typically what you see is approximately what you get. If the picture is light, dark, fading, or grainy, you'll see it by looking at the picture through a viewer. If the picture is fading, you may want to have it scanned and printed quickly because this problem will continue to get worse.
Picture Sharpness
Viewmaster frames are very small, and it is hard to predict which ones will make good prints, although I am happy with most of them. Because of the size of the frame, the clarity of the pictures are not as good as standard pictures from slides. I print the scans on 4x6 paper, and most of them at this size turn out great. The scans on this site are real scans from Personal Viewmaster Reels (although the quality has been reduced for computer file size purpose.)
'How big can the prints be?'
I recommend printing the pictures as 3x5 or 4x6 prints. Those sizes are considerable larger than wallets. Because of the dimensions of Viewmaster slides, the prints will be approximately 3x3.25 or 4x4.25. A couple times I have taken really nice Viewmaster pictures and tried to make 6x6.5 prints. I was really surprised at how good they look. However, most experts suggest that prints should be made of images near 300 dpi or better. Blowing a Viewmaster slide to that size (6x6.5) results in about 150 dpi, which should not be a good picture. My guess is that even with better quality scanners which may be available in the future, 4x4.25 will probably be about as big as you will be able to count on for a Viewmaster picture because of the tiny size of the Viewmaster slide.
For Use on a Web Site or Computer
Scans from Viewmaster frames are typically great for use with the computer because it does not require the sharpness that most people want with a print. Because of this, you can also typically enlarge them on the computer, as well. Extremely bright and (especially) dark frames can still be a problem for the scan.
Editing (or Formatting)
I am able to edit out unwanted portions of the picture. This can allow me to print them a little larger. When you send me your reels, let me know if you want me to edit them or not, or I suggest that you leave it up to my own judgment. In general, if you leave it up to me, I don't like to do much editing, but occasionally I'll edit.
Test
If you are unsure, I suggest printing a small number of prints (say five to ten) so that you can see if you will be happy with them.
'Should I send the whole reel or just individual frames?'
I think the whole reel is best, but if you would rather send the particular frames you can put them in a 'zippered' sandwich bag.
'Why are there fourteen frames on the reel, but only seven pictures?
To create the stereo (or 3D) effect, the Viewmaster camera takes two 'images' of the same picture from a slightly different angle. When you look at the picture through a viewer, each eye sees a slightly different image (a different perspective). That's what creates the 3D effect. Unless you request differently, you will only get one frame of each picture. If you want both frames, I charge for each frame.
'I want some pictures on a reel, but not every picture.'
That's alright. I suggest circling the number of the pictures you want on the reel with a pencil. If you particularly want the left or right image, put an 'L' or 'R' next to the circle. If there are no circles, I will assume you want all the pictures. If you do not specify Left or Right, I will typically chose the right frame unless it is inferior to the left.
Payment
Because the scanning of the frames is so time-consuming, payment is due in full when you send the frames.
Keep Me Informed
Let me know before you send the reels (by email) so I can expect your reels. If you're in a rush, ask me if I am able to finish them when you need them. It can take a long time to scan large numbers of frames, and I may have several orders ahead of yours. Also, once I send you the address to send the reels, email me if you change your mind so I'm not waiting for your pictures.
How Much?
Look on the 'Price' Page.


Feedback
After you get your pictures and scans back, I would appreciate that you email me and let me know that you got your pictures and what you think. This helps me do a better job for the next customer. Now you know just about everything you can learn online, email me to request a quote or ask unaswered questions.


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