frequently asked questions

What is a collage?
A collage is an artistic composition traditionally pasted onto a backing, usually of paper, canvas, cardboard or wood. Collage combines many different source materials such as photographs, postcards, letters, string, ribbon, diplomas, invitations, tickets, pressed flowers, cut-outs from newspapers, books, magazines and anything else that can be included to produce a uniquely pleasing display. When a collage is composed solely from photographs it may also be called a photocollage or photomontage, although photomontage is commonly understood today to mean moving pictures, for example, as in a slide show - not a film or movie.

These days it is increasingly common to have collages made entirely from digital source materials, such as anything that has been scanned, jpeg, tif or gif files. Once the digital files are gathered one must then use Photoshop or other image editing software to combine the files into the final composition. These compositions, which are printed like digital photos, are known as digital collages.

Why should I get a digital collage from collageville?
BECAUSE YOU WANT SOMETHING UNIQUE AND SPECIAL THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE!! The last thing you want when ordering personal art for your home is to know that every Tom, Dick and Harry can have the exact same design - that's not special - it's mass market and does not answer individual needs or preferences. At collageville, we pride ourselves on the fact that each and every order is given the individual attention, care and artistry it deserves because we love what we do and we love collage! Plus, unlike many other services, we ensure you receive a beautiful print of your collage and a final jpeg version (sent via e-mail) that you can share and reproduce as many times in as many ways as you like - at no extra cost!

Is this an automated process?
Absolutely not! All our digital collages are handmade to your specifications, we never, ever use automated collage-making programs.

What if I want to use regular photographs for my digital collage?
Of course you can use regular photographs for your digital collage, it’s just a matter of how they become digitized or turned into digital files.

Photographs are of immense sentimental value and may not be replaceable if the negatives are gone, so for this reason, along with the fact that things do get lost in the post and there are acts of nature beyond our control, we think it's best if you can get your photos scanned yourself, preferably at 300 dots per inch (dpi) resolution or higher. It's also important to make sure that the photos and scanner are as clean as possible before scanning because fingerprints, dust and dirt will show up on a scanned image.

If you prefer that we scan your photos that's no problem. We're happy to scan photos and return them unharmed. Just remember it's important that you send photos in a board-backed envelope marked 'photos, please don't bend' to make sure they don't get damaged in the post.

Do I need an e-mail address to order from collageville?
Yes. E-mail is the mechanism by which we confirm your order and send you the final jpeg of your collage or print. It's also the way we contact you for approval of draft work and the way you can request changes to the work, so it is necessary. If you don't have an e-mail address you can sign up for a free Hotmail e-mail account or a free Yahoo e-mail account.

What resolution / quality digital images should I use?
It’s best to use high resolution images taken at the highest quality settings, particularly if you want your collage to be A4 (11.69in x 8.27in / 297mm x 210mm) or larger (check your digital camera’s manual for information on camera settings). But generally speaking, images with a resolution of 768 x 1024 (1.2 mega pixels) and higher are suitable for digital collages.

Please note that very low resolution images may not be suitable for fine image editing; they can be used, but they may not be able to be as precisely defined or enlarged as you would like. In cases where image resolution or quality is too low collageville may suggest an alternative collage style/size, subject to approval, or regretfully inform customers that the order cannot be processed.

What are the best subjects for a collage?
Collage is so wonderfully versatile that your digital collage doesn't have to be limited to one subject, event or set of images. With collage you can really bring together all your favourite pictures despite the fact that they may include photos from last year’s vacation, the parents’ 1st anniversary 40 years ago, your adult child’s first birthday, your sister’s wedding last week or all the family pets over the past 20 years.

There are, of course, certain occasions that just seem to be made for collage, these include - weddings, parties, birthdays, holidays, vacations, anniversaries, graduations and family reunions. And if you're in business, collages are great for reports and promotional materials, particularly when there are many images to include.

What makes for a great collage?
Photos and images that are loved make for great collages, but the better the originals, in respect of film quality/megapixels, exposure, composition and general good photographic guidelines, the better the collage will look. That's not to say we can’t enhance, fix or clean things up - there are no hard and fast rules - and we always do our best to ensure that all the images in our collages look their best. So, if you love a photo we will use it and make it work in your digital collage, even if it’s not in the best shape or the greatest shot ever.

What if I only want part of an image used?
Another great thing about a collage is that the images used to make it don’t have to be 100% perfect because the sum of the parts is much greater than the whole. Sometimes only part of an image or photo is really good, and that’s just fine for collage-making because we can choose to use only the best bits.

How do I order a digital collage, and how does this work?
Click the order link at the top of any page - this takes you to the order form. Just fill in the form, e-mail your images to us using the e-mail link at the bottom of the page and click 'Submit'. You'll then see a screen where you can review your information. If you need to change anything just go back, enter the correct information and then re-submit it to review. When everything on the preview page is correct click 'Submit' again and that's it.

After we get your order you'll get two (2) automated e-mails and another e-mail with the details of the order, the final cost and a PayPal payment request. Then, unless we have any questions, the next time you'll hear from us will be via e-mail with a link to view your draft digital collage or the photo that we've worked on. From that point you'll have three (3) working days to approve the draft or request changes.

Your order will be finalized after you confirm that you are happy with your digital collage or the service performed on your photo or image. At that stage we will e-mail your jpeg(s), print your print(s) and send them off to the mailing address provided.

Finalization of orders, from the time of your approval to shipping, can take up to 48 hours Monday – Friday (excluding public holidays when the post office is closed) because prints need 24 hours to dry to ensure longevity.

What if I want a really big print?
If you want a really big print we've found it works best if you find a local service that specializes in large format prints. You can take the high resolution jpeg we e-mail to you to your local service and they can use it to make your really big print.

If there are no services in your area that make large and super large prints we will be happy to work something out with you - just let us know when you place the order how big you'd like the print and we can work out the arrangements and additional cost from there.

What if I don’t like my digital collage?
But you will!! However, just to make sure, we ask for your approval of the design before the final jpeg and print are issued. If you aren’t happy with your draft digital collage just let us know what you don’t like, or what you’d like changed, we’ll make the changes and e-mail you a link to another version for approval.

How long will it take to get my digital collage or restored photo?
You'll receive a link, via e-mail, to the draft version of our work no more than 7-10 working days after placing your order by e-mail, or from the time we receive your order in the post, and often sooner. When you get the link to our work you can request changes or confirm that you accept the design.

When you're certain you're happy with your digital collage, or the service performed on your photo or image, we'll e-mail you a printable version of the jpeg and issue your collage or image to the mailing address provided within 48 hours Monday – Friday (excluding public holidays when the post office is closed) because prints need 24 hours to dry to ensure longevity.

What if I need something in a hurry?
We’re always happy to oblige if we can. So if you need something in a hurry please send us an e-mail outlining exactly what you need and how fast you need it. We'll reply within 24 hours Monday – Friday, letting you know if we can help, and we do our best to answer all weekend queries as quickly as possible.

What’s the average price?
The cost of a digital collage depends on the style, size and number of images used, but they start at $15 (ex. postage and packaging) for a 5inx7in / 13cmx18cm block collage using three (3) to five (5) digital images.

Photo restoration, on the other hand, is priced based on the state of the original, so we need to see it first to let you know the exact cost, but it usually runs anywhere from $25 to $75.

Please see our pricing page for more details.

How do I pay?
We accept payment through PayPal which means you can use a major credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or your existing PayPal account. It’s fast and simple, and if you already have a PayPal account it means you don’t have to re-enter your personal or credit card information, but importantly, you don't have to have a PayPal account to make a payment through PayPal.

After we get your order we’ll send an e-mail requesting payment, and all transactions are processed through the secure PayPal site. You just click the link in the e-mail requesting payment and follow the simple instructions.

What if I don’t want to pay electronically?
We also accept international bank drafts, cashier's checks and money orders in US dollars, but regret that we cannot accept personal checks.

If you want to place an order and wish to pay via bank draft, cashier's check or money order we'll begin processing your order upon receipt of the images or photographs and a 50% down payment. You can download a printable version of the mail order form here or from the orders page and submit it with your images on disk, or photographs, and the down payment.

My question isn't here - what can I do?
If your question isn't answered here please e-mail us or see the contact page for our phone number.

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