FAQ
Why Us / What is wowApic
Pricing / Payment
Satisfaction / Guarantee
Delivery
Services
What can be done?
Scanning
Privacy / Copyrights
Downloads / Zip files
Emails/Notificiations

Why Us
What is wowApic?
wowApic is a Florida based company providing convenient and easy to use professional photo services at great value prices!
We offer custom photo editing, enhancement, restoration and colorization services by experienced professionals for the amateur, hobbyist and the professional.We also offer Pop Art which unique custom designs to your photo.
Why can't I restore or enhance the photos myself?
Manipulation of digital photographs is a very complicated process. Not only do you need the necessary hardware and software which can be expensive but you also need experience working on diverse photographs. Widely available online software like Picasa can do some very basic editing but more advanced techniques require months of practice on a wide ranging variety of photos. This is why people prefer using experienced professionals for their restoration and enhancement requirements.
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Why choose wowApic?
Its simple, heres why:
  • 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
  • Easy to specify instructions - Unique feature!
  • Instant custom quote - Unique feature! No waiting for quotes or time consuming evaluations
  • Instant notification of delivery date
  • Delivery as quick as 24 hrs. for rush jobs
  • Free with every order - Lighting, contrast and color optimization on every picture by professionals
  • High quality and responsive customer care
  • Privacy and security of your photos and information respected and ensured
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Pricing / Payment
How do I pay?
wowApic accepts all the major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and in addition we also accept Pay Pal.
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When do I pay?
All services at wowApic require payment at the time of order. All major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted. In addition payment can also be made via Pay Pal.

When the order is completed, you are shown a preview of the completed picture. If you are satisfied with the work, you can download the picture and the order is complete. wowApic offers a money back 100% satisfaction guarantee.
What is the cost of your service?
wowApic prices are among the lowest in the industry. Please refer to the Pricing Section for detailed pricing information
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Satisfaction / Guarantee
Is my restoration project guaranteed?
YES! We offer a 100% money back guarantee on all services if you're not satisfied with our work.

If we haven't done the job to your satisfaction then we'll do it again FREE. Our unique feedback process let's you specify any corrections. If after that, you're still not satisfied, we will refund your money. Please read our Satisfaction Guarantee for additional details.
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Delivery
How long does it take to complete my order?
When you place an order at wowApic, we tell you exactly when we will deliver your finished picture. Rush orders are also available at additional cost. Prices for standard and rush delivery are given when you place an order. Delivery durations for photo fix & enhance and restoration are shown below:
  Rush Standard
Enhance/Fix 1 day 3 days
Restore 3 days 5 days

All durations in business days.

Delivery durations for Pop Art are given at the time of order. This is because the time required to create each design varies, depending on the complexity of the work.

What will I get back when I place an order?

When your order has been processed, you will be able to download the completed picture at the highest possible resolution. You have the flexibility to use your picture(s) as part of your photo blogs or website or simply print them in any medium you choose.
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Services
What type of services do you offer?

wowApic offers a whole range of photo related services.

We offer advanced and basic photo restoration.We can colorize black and white photographs. We also perform photo editing, enhancement, touch-up and manipulation. . Besides these standard services, we also offer creative services for your photo called Pop Art.
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Photo Restoration and Colorization
Digital repair of old worn out/damaged photos
Colorization of black & white pictures
Photo Fix and Enhance
Cosmetic Enhancement
Fix Hair
Fix Eyes
Tan Option
Crop / Portraitize
Fix Tilt
Camera Mark Removal
Add Text
Glare Removal
Hand tint / Change color
Background Change
Add Person / Object
Remove Person / Object
Custom Instructions
wowApic
Pop Art To view the different Pop Art we offer, go to our Pop Art
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Do you do restorations or modifications of aged documents and commercial photos?
Yes. We perform restorations and modifications on commercial photos. We also restore old documents, certificates, maps, newspaper clippings etc. If you can scan it, we can restore it.
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What can be done?
My photos have mold & stains. Can you restore these?
Yes! Photos with mold, stains, tears, water damage etc. can be restored. If a person's face is missing, it cannot be re-created. However, backgrounds, objects etc. can be restored if partial detail still exists.
I have some 35mm pictures which are extremely grainy and the lighting is bad. I need to now if you can enhance these pictures?
Yes! Photos that are taken with traditional 35mm film can be digitally enhanced. You will need to scan the prints and upload to wowApic
Can you repair photos that are completely torn into multiple pieces?
Yes! Scan the torn pieces of the picture together, upload it to wowApic and let our experienced technicians work their magic. As long as you still have all the pieces of the torn picture, we should be able to repair the picture.
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Can you repair photos that have been underdeveloped or overexposed?
Yes! Our seasoned technicians can repair these photos.
My photo is black & white, will it be black & white when you have finished with it?
Yes it will. We will return your photo with the same color it was when you sent it to us unless you specify otherwise. Faded color photos will be restored and brought back to life.
Can you make a black and white photo into color?
Yes! Use our colorize option and our technicians will transform your Black & White images into color photos.
I have an oval portrait of a loved one; will it still be oval when it is restored?
Yes, we will preserve the original shape of the image unless you specify otherwise.
My photo is quite blurry; will it be nice and sharp when it comes back?
It depends; this entirely depends on the blurriness of the image. This is one thing that we can not easily fix. When we "sharpen" an image, it can cause it to become quite "grainy". Some compromise may need to be done on the end product.
I cannot recognize the face of one of the people in the photo, will I be able to see it when you have finished?
It depends on the level of damage. If we can see "through" the damage to the detail then we will be able to bring it back to life. If we cannot see any detail, then we will not be able to restore it for you unless you can provide another photo with the face of the missing person.
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Part of the photo is missing completely. Can you replace this?
As long as it is not an important detail like someone's face, then very often we can recreate/replace the missing part of a picture.
In a group photo, one of my friends has her eyes closed. Can you open her eyes for us?
Yes! If you can provide us with a picture of the same person with her eyes open, it would help. If not our seasoned technicians will open the eyes using their best judgment.
I only want one person from a photo and I want a portrait picture of him, can you do this?
Yes! Use our Portraitize icon and place the image editing box on the person whose portrait you want captured. Leave the rest to us.
Can you only restore photos?
We can also restore old documents and certificates, maps, newspaper clippings etc. If you can scan it, we can restore it
How is a damaged photo restored?
wowApic uses the latest digital technology to completely restore your damaged photographs. Our technicians have years of experience working on photo manipulation software such as Adobe PhotoShop.
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Scanning
How do I scan my picture?
Quick Description
  • In the scan preview window, select just the photo (no white bars showing around the photo)
  • Choose the color photo setting (even for black and white photos)
  • For photos that are larger than 6" x 4" please set the resolution to 300 dpi. Smaller photos will require scanning at 600 dpi. Your scanning software will normally have an option to change the resolution
  • Save the file as a high quality JPEG
  • Upload photos to wowApic (10 MB maximum per file)
"Web optimized" images of 200KB or less generally are insufficient for high-quality editing - and rarely create acceptable quality prints

If you are unable to obtain a good scan following the above instructions you can take your photo to a copy shop (Kinko's) and have them scan it for you. Provide them with the instructions above and ask them to save it on a CD/DVD or USB (Memory Stick).
Detailed Description
1. Scanner Setup
Set your scanner to the default factory setting. Check to make sure that your scanner software is not making any type of corrections or adjustments.
2. Scanner surface
Make sure the scanner surface/glass is clean and doesn't have any smudges, fingerprints, dirt or hair. Please clean the scanner as per the manufacturers' instructions.
3. Your photo
Check the photo for any smudges, fingerprints or debris. Using a lint free cloth, gently remove any surface dust and dirt.
4. Placement on the scanner
Carefully place the photo face down on the glass. If your photo has been bent or has creases and folds, please put a weight such as a book on the photo after placing it on the scanner to flatten it out.
5. Scan settings
In the scan preview window, select just the photo (no white showing around the photo).
Change the "Image Type" to Color Photo, True Color, Millions Of Colors, etc. (even for black and white photos).
For photos that are larger than 6" x 4" please set the resolution to 300 dpi. Smaller photos will require scanning at 600 dpi.
If you see a "Reset Button" for enhancement options, click it to reset the settings. Check to make sure that this does not change other settings (DPI etc.).
Don't make enhancements. Settings like "sharpen" and "Digital Ice" should be turned OFF (no check mark showing).
6. Scan and Save
Save your photo image file in the highest quality level (or minimal compression) possible. The file should be stored in the JPG format. This means that the file will have ".jpg" as the file extension.
Make note of where the file will be saved so that you can find it later. The higher the quality (same as less compression), the clearer your photo. Please note that the down side of this is that the file will be larger. It may take longer to upload the file to us, but the quality of the final product will be superior. You should now have a good scan of your photo to send us.

"Web optimized" images of 200KB or less generally are insufficient for high-quality editing - and rarely create acceptable quality prints

If you are unable to obtain a good scan following the above instructions you can take your photo to a copy shop (Kinko's) and have them scan it for you. Provide them with the instructions above and ask them to save it on a CD/DVD or USB (Memory Stick).
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What resolution do I scan my picture at?
  • For photos that are larger than 6" x 4" please set the resolution to 300 dpi
  • For photos that are smaller than 6" x 4" please set the resolution to 600 dpi
What file type and size should I send?
The acceptable file types are PSD, PNG, TIFF and JPEG. Please limit files to less than 10 MB. "Web optimized" images of 200KB or less generally are insufficient for high-quality editing - and rarely create acceptable quality prints.
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Privacy/Copyrights
Are my photos secure?
We at wowApic have a firm commitment to protecting the privacy of our customers. Only authorized personnel at wowApic who work to fulfill your order have access to your photos and images. We do not share your photos, images and graphics with anyone or provide information about your photos, unless required to do so to satisfy any law or regulation. We never use your photos in our marketing material without your explicit permission. Read our Privacy Policy for a detailed description.
Is my personal information shared with any third parties?
We take privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. We do not sell, transfer or rent our customer list to any third-parties. We have installed rigorous security measures to keep your personal information secure. Read our Privacy Policy for a detailed description.
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Flexibility of Copyrights?
Some of our competitors never give you a digital image of the finished work. So when you want multiple prints, you end up paying lot more than their advertised price. We deliver digital images and our copyright policy lets you have the flexibility to use them as part of your emails, photo blogs, personal websites or print any number of copies on a medium of your choice. Read our Intellectual Property Policy for a detailed description.
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Downloads / zip files
Why can't I download my file?
Wouldn't it be simple if, when you clicked the "Download Files" button, the file just landed on your desktop? But, because of spyware and hacker threats, your Internet browser may disable automatic downloads. This keeps bad sites from installing "dangerous downloads," thereby adding a step to your download process.

For example, Internet Explorer (with Windows XP Service Pack 2) and Internet Explorer 7 will pop up a little bar at the top of the screen that informs you a download has been blocked. To continue the download, you can right-click that bar (called an information bar), and select Allow this download. Once you do that, you'll see a dialog box that asks you to approve the download--it's redundant, of course, but secure. You should then choose to save your file to the Desktop or a designated download folder. Mozilla Firefox users will just see the dialog box.

We also keep your completed/accepted files for 14 days, just in case. These will be available in the 'My account' area under Completed files. You could download your files from here if your last attempt to download failed for any reason.
Where did my download go?
One of the biggest problems with downloading files is figuring out where they go once they're on your hard drive. Creating and using a download folder eliminates that problem. Right-click your desktop and hover your mouse pointer over New until a menu pops up. Select Folder from that menu to create a new folder on your desktop. When the folder appears, its name, New Folder, should be highlighted already, so you can just type your name for it, such as wowapic. Though you don't need to leave this folder on your desktop, make sure you remember where you put it. When you start downloading a file, your computer will ask you where you want it to go; specify your download folder, and you'll always know where your files are.

You might want to create a separate folder for your wowapic downloads, or just use the My Pictures folder in the My Documents directory on Windows machines. Some photo software look in their own folders to find photos/image files, but most of them will also search your computer for photos. As long as you know where to find the files, though, you should be able to tell the program where to look.
How Do I Unzip?
You need to download and install a File Archiver/Zip Utility software. Here's a couple of some popular 'zip' software to unzip your files. Once installed, the archive software should now be part of your Windows or Macintosh system.

For Windows
http://www.7-zip.org/ - Free software
http://www.winzip.com/index.htm - Paid software

You can now open your Zip file by double-clicking it.

Commonly, one of two prompts will then appear:

"Unzip or install from an existing Zip file" in the WinZip Wizard. This Wizard will then walk you through the steps to unzip-extract the files.

"Extract files to..." in the WinRAR Wizard. Just like WinZip software, you will be prompted for the next steps. Give it several moments to do its job, and your files are now decompressed as separate complete files. You now use those files like you would any other files. If you want, you may also delete the Zip original file to now save space.
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Emails/Notificiations
Not receiving our e-mails?
No one likes getting SPAM or unsolicited emails and email filters and SPAM blockers are working overtime to protect you from it, which is wonderful. However, aggressive spam filters can sometimes block legitimate emails -- email you really want.

Luckily for us all, you can do something about it. By adding wowApic to your email address book, youre saying to your email software that you want your email from us.

So add us (donotreply@wowapic.com and care@wowapic.com) to your address book to help make sure you get the emails you want. Its easy! But if you're not sure how to add us to your email address book, click here.
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I was worried that the results would look fake but I was proven wrong!! Thank you-perfect job!
-Randi R
Sat, Jun 5, 2010
 
Many thanks a great service!
-Louisa S
Wed, May 26, 2010
 
AS ALAYS EXCELLENT, the work you do is incredible. AND you can do it a lot faster than I can:) I would spend days on Photoshop, doing what you do in minutes!
-Millner A
Thu, May 20, 2010
 
Once again an excellent job! Your work is amazing and wow-a-pic always transforms a great photo into an incredible photo. Thank you.
-Nicole J
 Tue, Apr 27, 2010
 
This is so simple and easy to do. The picture is perfect, just what I expected. Thank you!
-Deedra W
Tue, Apr 20, 2010
 
Thanks so much for making my memories perfect!
-Anna l
Fri, Apr 16, 2010