The Better Image

The Better Image is a professional photo restoration business. From what I understand they deal mostly with historical photographs and documents, but they will work with personal items. Be warned! Better Image is expensive, and I do mean expensive. However, you certainly get what you pay for and although I have no other photo/​print/​document restoration business (at least one that deals with individual consumers) I feel the money I spent was well worth it.
I brought them a 70+ year old, hand-​tinted print, of my mom as a kid. The print was in bad shape. Creases, peelings, watermarks, the whole shebang. Right off the bat they told me that while they could probably match the colors by hand, the creases and bends might be a problem and they would not guarantee «like new», only an improvement. I was also told that the process wasn’t done by using a scanner and Photoshop, they work with hands-​on and custom colors (paints for lack of a technical term) and acid baths. Most of all it would be pricey. Very pricey. I signed the papers with a twinge of buyer’s regret and hoped for the best. Three weeks later I was not disappointed. Although the prints isn’t like new, it’s in much better shape. Most of the creases are gone and the re-​touches (tinting) are not visible at all. It looks like a new print that has been handled a little carelessly, and when I say this I am praising the work and not criticizing. It is now a beautiful, hand-​tinted print.
The folks who work at Better Image are no-​nonsense pros and if you have any print of value or sentimental value, and you have some cash in your account I very much recommend them.