For professionals
A photograph checklist you can hand over.
The same six questions arrive every week, usually in the first phone call, usually from somebody who has not slept. This page exists so you can answer them once, on paper.
The short answer
There is a printable one-sheet checklist you can give to families. It covers choosing the photograph, copying it without risking the original, what may and may not be changed, and the pixels each printed piece needs. It is free, it carries no advertising, and you may reprint it or put it on your own site with attribution.
It prints as two A4 pages — one sheet, both sides — and the PDF can be emailed to a family as it stands.
01 · The four sentencesWhat settles most of it, in one conversation.
Most of the difficulty families have with the service photograph comes down to four things, and saying them early saves a phone call later.
- "Use a recent photograph, even if it is not the best one." Families default to a favourite from decades earlier, and the room often does not recognise it. One gentle sentence at the right moment is usually enough, and it is much easier to hear on the first call than on the day before the service.
- "Have it scanned rather than photographed, and do not send the original anywhere." A flatbed scan at 600 dpi costs nothing and covers every print they will need. Families routinely post irreplaceable prints to a restorer because nobody told them not to.
- "Fix the damage, leave the face alone." This is the one where families need permission to not improve somebody. Over-smoothed faces are the most common regret after the service.
- "Ask us the size before you order the print." The easel is a fixed size. Families order 18 × 24 for a 16 × 20 frame every week and there is no way back from it.
02 · At the venueThe four failures that happen most often.
| What goes wrong | Why | The fix, in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Print curls on the easel | Large prints on photo paper are not flat; unmounted paper bows | Ask families to request foam board mounting when ordering |
| Portrait photograph on a landscape screen | Slideshow tools crop to fill by default | Ask for the slideshow as a video file, checked before the service |
| Photograph across the fold of the program | Self-designed programs in word processors | Supply a template with the panels marked |
| Wrong print size for the frame | Nobody asked what the easel takes | State the size in the first email |
None of these are the family's fault, and all four are avoidable by saying one sentence at the right time.
03 · The numbersThe reference numbers, if you keep one page open.
| Piece | Size | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Easel portrait | 16 × 20 in | 2400 × 3000 |
| Large easel / chapel | 18 × 24 in | 2700 × 3600 |
| Chapel board | 24 × 36 in | 3600 × 5400 |
| Program cover panel | 5.5 × 8.5 in | 1650 × 2550 |
| Prayer card | 2.5 × 4.25 in | 750 × 1275 |
| Slideshow | 16:9 screen | 1920 × 1080 |
The full version, with the arithmetic behind it, is on the size page.
04 · Using thisReprint it, link it, put it on your own site.
The checklist is free to print, photocopy, email and republish, and the PDF is there to forward when a phone call is not the right medium. No attribution is required, though it is appreciated because it tells families where the rest of the guidance is. The rest of the site is written for families rather than for the trade, so it is safe to send as a link.
Two things this site does not do, and will not: it does not sell printing, and it does not push professional restoration where repair is enough. It is published by a restoration service and says so on every page's footer.
If something here is wrong for your market — sizes vary by country, and some of these are British and American conventions — the correction is welcome and will be made on the page.
Questions people ask at this point.
Can we print your checklist for families?
Yes, freely, with no attribution required. It is two A4 pages, designed to print as a single sheet on both sides, and it carries no advertising.
Can we link to this from our own website?
Yes. Linking to the checklist at /handout/ or to the size table at /specification/ is welcome. The pages are written for families, so they are appropriate to send directly.
Do the sizes work outside the UK and US?
The pixel requirements are universal, because they depend on the print size and not the country. The sizes themselves are British and American conventions; a 16 x 20 easel print is standard in most English-speaking markets, and varies elsewhere.
The checklist
One sheet, no advertising, print it as often as you like. It links to the longer pages for families who want them.
Open the printable checklist