Retouching FAQs

Our "Portrait Retouching" service is one of our most popular offerings.

Portrait studios love it because they can send us the "keeper" images from their session and we'll make sure they look their best for a customer sales meeting or final print. Your Image Specialist will Custom Color Correct each image, then perform the corrections included in the package, as needed, to finish each image.

This common-sense approach to portrait retouching means no more long explainations of what needs to be done to each image. The Portrait Retouching service includes:

• Custom Color Correction based on your studio profile.
• As-Needed Adjustments:
  • Blemish Removal: Minor blemishes and minor skin imperfections will be removed.
  • Soften Wrinkles: Wrinkles will be softened while maintaining a natural look.
  • Enhance Eyes: Whiten, boost color, enhance sharpness.
  • Whiten Teeth
• Skin Softening: We will selectively soften the skin tones in the image while maintaining detail in the hair, eyes, eyebrows eyelashes, and other important areas.
• Up to 3 heads are included in the base price. Additional heads are extra.

Your Image Specialist will first perform the adjustments and corrections included in our "Portrait Retouching" service, then apply the corrections you order with our "Portrait Retouching Options" service. This provides you with an opportunity to make additional image corrections that are not included in the base "Portrait Retouching" package.

It's the perfect way to fine-tune your image and thrill your customer!

We only accept RAW or DNG files for this service.

Put simply Portrait Retouching-Lite is just that, a toned-down version of our Portrait Retouching service.

It has been our experience that many images don't need the extensive retouching work provided in our Portrait Retouching service. In fact, many images may be fine with a simpler correction. That's what we offer with Portrait Retouching-Lite.

We still Custom Color Correct each image based on your profile, then remove a limited amout of blemishes or other imperfections from up to three subjects. Then we sublty soften skin tones in the subjects to further reduce the appearance of blemishes and to smooth out skin tones.

While this is a more limited retouch, it's a less-costly way to improve your images and boost sales.

Our Custom Retouching service is for addressing corrections that go beyond those found in our Portrait Retouching, or Portrait Retouching Options, services. To get a quote on Custom Retouching you must order an estimate in our store. Here are the steps:

1. You must sign up to become a customer by completing our New Client Questionnaire (If you haven't already done so).
2. Sign-In to our store, and click these options in the sidebar:
1. Retouching Services
2. Custom Retouching
3. Click the Custom Retouching item and follow the instructions to obtain an estimate.

Yes, to maintain an efficient process, we require that you use our folder structure when submitting orders. It is very simple and will enable us to know where all of your files are located, and how we are to treat them. When the completed order is returned to you, you will immediately know where everything is, eliminating any guesswork or uncertainty.

You can maintain your current file naming conventions when submitting your orders.

Order Submission

We have developed a folder structure that makes submission fast and easy.

- Download our folder structure here -

Simply place the RAW or DNG files in the appropriate folder based on the service(s) you have ordered. The "_Final Thoughts" file is simply a text file you can use to send us any last-minute instructions.

Simply duplicate and reuse our folder structure for each order you send.

Failure to submit an order in this manner will cause a delay in processing your order, and result in additional charges. Specifically, we will charge a minimum of $20 for the first hour of extra time needed to process the order, and additional time will be billed in fifteen-minute increments at a rate of $20 per hour.

You may ship your order to:

Silverback Imaging & Design
355 S. Teller Street, Suite 200
Lakewood, CO 80226

You may drop off your order at this address between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. All orders (including drop-offs) must be properly packaged and addressed to SilverBack Imaging and Design. All orders received after 3:00 PM mountain time will be checked-in the following business day.

Yes. The first step in any retouching project is to begin with a solid image. That means we will correct your image for proper color (white balance), skin tone, density, etc., prior to beginning any retouching. The price for these adjustments are included in the retouching price.

The turn-around time is based on the service you purchase from us. They are highlighted here:

Our standard turn-around time for each order you submit is 8-10 business days. The turn-around time is measured from the day we receive your order in our office, to the day we ship it back to you. If the turn-around time includes a holiday, the turn-around time for your order will be extended by the number of days of the actual holiday. Our Terms and Conditions specifies the holidays our office recognizes.

The turn-around time for rush orders is 5-7 business days, measured from the time we receive your order in our office, to the time we ship it back to you. Once again, if the turn-around time includes a holiday, the turn around time for your event will be extended by the number of days of the actual holiday. Our Terms and Conditions specifies the holidays our office recognizes.

8-10 business days is our guaranteed turn-around time for all Retouching orders. The actual time may be faster depending on the number of orders in our queue. We process all orders in the order in which they are submitted. The number of images in the order doesn't come into play. We feel this is the only equitable way to process them. A small order may take 8-10 business days if the queue is heavy or it may take less time if it's light.

No. We only accept RAW or DNG files for this service. That gives us the best opportunity to perform the retouching you require.

Yes, we will gladly accept your RAW or DNG files. RAW is without a doubt the best way to capture images. It produces the highest quality ‘digital negative’ with greater dynamic range than JPEG capture. RAW also provides you with greater exposure latitude and the greatest potential for wonderful adjustments. Further, if you capture your images in RAW mode and the Adobe RGB (1998) color space, you’ve maximized your potential for the best ‘digital negative’ you can generate.

Of course. While we don't provide scanning services, we ask that you follow these guidelines when sending us your scanned images:

We strongly recommend that you have your film scanned professionally at your local lab. This is because labs have very high quality scanners and a staff trained in the nuances of scanning images. This may cost more than doing it on your own, but will produce a far higher quality in your final image.

We understand that having your images scanned professionally may not be an option for you. If you must scan the images yourself please keep in mind that this is the digital equivalent of creating a print from a negative in the darkroom. Listed below are some very important components of scanning images yourself.

Resolution:
Images must be scanned at minimum of 300 ppi (pixels per inch). Anything less may sacrifice quality. While many scanners can offer very high resolution options, scanning color prints can rarely yield more detail when scanned at more than 300 ppi.

Size and Scaling:
The final output of the scan should reflect the maximum desired sized you prefer your final print to be. For example, if you wish to create an 8" X 10", set your scanner to produce this size (or slightly larger to allow for cropping down to 8" X 10").

Exposure/Density:
When scanning film it is crucial to set the exposure or density for each individual image. This must be done to maximize the amount of data captured by the scanner. Many scanners offer an option to set the black and white points, using this is a good way to get proper density. An image scanned to the proper density allows for greater latitude in post production, resulting in greater detail in the shadow and highlight areas. Failure to do this can cause blown out highlights or blocked up shadows, even though there may actually be detail in the negative. Do not batch scan the images, each image should be individually adjusted and scanned.

File Format:
It is very important to select the proper file format when scanning an image. We prefer the TIFF or PSD format. These formats are lossless and allow for, RGB 24 - 48 bits. Although a JPG file may seem like a good solution because of its very manageable size, it does not have the same range the other formats provide. JPG format always uses a lossy compression, which can cause the image quality to degrade with repeated savings, not to mention it only allows for a RGB range of maximum 24 bits.

Scan color and black and white images in RGB mode (even if you want black and white output) to give us the greatest flexibility.

Sharpening:
Resolution might add detail, but it can't add sharpness, they're different things. Resolution adds the detail that lets us recognize features. Sharpness makes the edges clear and distinct. Scanners often include a USM (UnSharp Mask) tool, which can be used to sharpen an image. We advise not to apply any sharpening during the scan. This is the last step in the post-production process and will be applied just before we create the final output image.

Absolutely, positively, yes! We are not providing a backup service for you or your files. You should have a very strict backup process in your office that begins immediately after shooting each assignment. Even though you send us files for processing, you should maintain the originals on the computer(s) in your office as well as a backup copy of each file on secondary storage media located in a safe place in case of a hardware or software problem that causes you to lose data.

We will not be responsible or liable for image files you lose due to your failure to adequately back up your business assets. In fact, we will only maintain your files in our office for a period of thirty (30) days after shipping the files back to you. After that time has passed, your files will not be maintained in our office.

We accept your VISA, Master Card or Discover Card as payment for our services. Each time you place an order using our secure online ordering system, simply enter your credit card information during the checkout process. That way you pay for the service as you use it.

We calibrate our monitors to ICC standards at a minimum every two weeks using professional hardware and software calibration tools. These are the same tools your lab should be using if they were doing the work for you.

Try our Savings Estimator a free widget that will estimate how much you can save using Silverback!

The beauty behind our offerings is that they free you to do the things you really should be doing to grow your business. The best way to look at paying any company to take work off of your plate is to ask yourself the following question:

Is the cost of the product or service less expensive than if I were to do it myself?

In other words, if it costs you $450 for us to handle your post-production work, you consider your time to be worth $100 per hour, and it takes you ten hours to do the work yourself, then you save $550 by using our service. In other words:

In this scenario, if you shoot 20 weddings a year, that translates into an extra $11,000 in your pocket over the wedding season. If you shoot 30 weddings a year, that translates into an extra $16,500 in your pocket over the wedding season. In addition, during the 10 hours per event that you have gained back, you can shoot other jobs, promote your business, network with industry vendors – the list goes on and on!

So the actual benefit is potentially much higher than the dollar savings. Even if you pay yourself less than $100 per hour to do the work, and can use the reclaimed time for other jobs or business promotion, the benefit of using our service may far exceed the cost.

When you become a client, you will complete a New Client Questionnaire that tells us about your business and image preferences. Based on your studio’s style of photography, preferences for black and white images, how simple or stylized you like your enhancements, we will assign an Image Specialist to your studio that best fits your profile. You should view your Image Specialist as extension of your team. Someone who will always be assigned to work on your events, and will quickly get to know your studio’s style, editing preferences, how you want your color corrected and black and white images to look, and how you like your artistic enhancements handled. You will be able to communicate with your Image Specialist and develop a relationship that will make the work we do for you look exactly the way you and your clients want.

Our Image Specialists came to Silverback with strong industry credentials. They understand color management and the tools and technology that will allow them to produce great work for you.

Our recognized holidays are:

• New Years Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents’ Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veteran’s Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• The Friday after Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve Day
• Christmas Day
• Last workweek of the year

If your job's turn-around time includes one (or more) of these days, the turn-around time will be extended by the number of days of the actual holiday