Frequently Asked Questions

Our cards are actual photographs, printed on professional quality Fuji Crystal Archive photographic paper, with a Luster (matte) finish, which resists fingerprints. Your cards WILL NOT FADE, and will last a lifetime!

We are a professional photo lab, and print all of our own work - we do not outsource our printing. Due to this, it is not unusual that we have orders shipped out the same day of approval.

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Availablity of the Online Preview Tool requires the use of Internet Explorer versions 7 or 8, Firefox, or Safari - though there may be slight display differences in Safari. If you are using Internet Explorer 6, or any other brand of browser, you will not see functioning options for online preveiws. Please consider upgrading your browser to IE 8 or Firefox (we recommend Firefox).

The Preview Tool is intended for broadband internet connections and requires no software downloads. If you experience technical issues, please make sure of your browser version. You may also wish to temporarily disable any stringent security software which may block JavaScript. Please feel free to contact us if you experience any unusual and/or repetitive issues.

Of course, if you do not have the time, or if you do not need an online preview, you can also choose the "Let us do it for you" option, which is directly beneath the preview tool launch button on many designs. Regardless, ALL orders, both previewed and not, include proofs as part of the completed order.

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For orders placed "outside" of the Online Preview System, as needed, we provide up to 3 revisions at no additional charge. Online Preview orders will receive up to 2 revisions at no additional charge.

You will receive your proof invitation via email in one or two business days, based upon our current Proof Schedule. To provide you with the quickest turnaround time possible, if changes/corrections are needed, please be as thorough as possible in your first proof response, as each response may extend the order by a full business day. Please be sure to check your SPAM folder your emails.

Proofs must be of the same design. If you wish to see an original proof of a second design, we do charge a $15 set-up fee for the second set-up, unless you wish to print the minimum order of that design as well. Simply request this in the special instructions during checkout, and confirm your acceptance of the additional charge - there is a limit of two design set-ups per order/customer/event.

The Online Preview System facilitates previewing unlimited designs with your own photos and text, with reasonable accuracy. With the exception of some text and image refinement, there will NOT be significant differences on the final proof. If you should wish to switch designs after using the preview system to place an order, please note a $20 cancellation fee does apply.

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Yes, all orders come with 70 lb., square-flapped, white envelopes. We automatically include one additional envelope for every 25 cards ordered.

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Yes you can order envelopes in advance for Birth Announcements. Please visit the following link for more information. Envelope Pre-Order Info

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Absolutely.... In fact, if you wish to convert your color photo to Black and White or Sepia tone, we prefer to do it for you. We use a special process, and will work with your image(s) to create a quality, high-contast image. There is NO charge for this service.

For orders placed with our Online Preview Tool, please note, that any color conversions you perform while in the tool will NOT match the final outcome. The online editing tool is simply for basic preview purposes. Instead, and assuming you submit quality images, we work with all images individually to acheive a pleasing result.

Ourside of the Preview Tool, if you would like to see your images in both color and black and white or sepia, this would be considered a "revision." Please choose the option you think you would prefer first, then request the color change during the proof process - tell us in your second response that the proof is "okay as is," or that you prefer to change it back to the original color. Regardless, is is important that you make any text revisions after seeing the first proof.

Please note, that we CANNOT show more than one proof at a time. So, if you would like to compare them side by side, simply RIGHT CLICK on the proof image to save the original on your hard drive for your later review. These images are low resolution, and are not suitable for printing.

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Outside of the Preview Tool - yes, you may see as many proofs of different designs as you wish. However, please keep in mind that all our cards are done by experts - not automatically by computer. Therefore, we do charge $15 for each additional proof set-up in order to cover our time. This amount will billed to your credit card in a separate transaction. If for some reason you should need to cancel your order after we have designed your card, the additional proof set-up fee is not refundable.

If you wish to see a proof of more than one card, simply request the additional set-up in the special instructions during checkout, noting that you accept the additional charge. Remember to include the Style Name of the additional design(s) you wish to see.

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Our minimum re-order is 30. We keep your finished card on file 60 days from when the order was placed.

If you wish to place a re-order, please log into your account and click the "order details" icon for the appropriate order number. On the following page, click the "Re-Order" tab, fill out and submit the form.

Please note, that the "re-order tab" is only available for 60 days.

We will reprint and ship within two business days


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For orders placed using the Online Preview Tool - your images will be automatically submitted with your order - you do NOT need to submit them again.

For orders outside of the Preview Tool - you will have the opportunity to upload your images immediately after checkout. If you are not prepared to upload your files at checkout (for instance if you are at work, and your images are on your home computer, or if another person has your images) you may also return to the upload page at a later time by logging in to your account.

Please read more about getting your images to us, in our photo requirements.

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Good question! When you place an order at PhotoAffections.com, the sensitive data you transmit is encrypted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. This technology creates a secure connection between you and our server; as a result, your information will not be captured by those who may wish to spy on you.

Furthermore, Photo Affections.com uses our own 256-bit SSL Certificate provided to us by Verisign. This is important to note, because some companies use a "shared SSL certificate" which is shared by other users, and hosted on a different server. When you make a purchase with us, you will notice that the URL always begins with our domain name; you never leave our site.

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Since we are a custom photo lab, we have a great deal of experience with PROPER photo finishing, printing, and most important - COLOR!. There is an enormous difference between our everyday quality, when compared to other merchants, particularly when it comes to digital camera images. The saying "you get what you pay for" is certainly true in photographic printing.

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With every order, if needed we first adjust your original image to the best of our ability. We work to improve the color, contrast and clarity of each image. Additionally, with all orders of $125 or more, at your request and where possible, we will also correct minor scratches, and minor skin blemishes such as moles, acne or small scars. Depending upon the location, we can also remove date stamps in most cases - but this is not guaranteed. You may request these edits in the special instructions during checkout.

Please note, that extensive editing, (i.e., removing / moving people, removing large objects, eleminating or changing backgrounds) is beyond the scope of our services.

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Once we get your final proof approval, your photo cards will be printed and shipped within 1 or 2 business days. If UPS ground is selected at checkout, shipping takes between one and five business days depending on your location. Please refer to our UPS Zone Chart to estimate how long your order may be in transit. You will find more detailed information regarding our production and shipping schedule here. USPS Priority Mail takes 2-3 days nationwide.

During the months of November and December, we may extend our "due times" by one or two days. In this event, a notice will be displayed on our website if our work load justifies the extension.

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Well... sort of -

For 2009, our "suggested deadline" for ordering Christmas cards for timely production and delivery will be Thursday, December 10th. As mentioned above, during the holiday season, we may need to extend our turnaround times by a couple of days.

You are welcome to place orders for Christmas cards after this date. However, due to proof times and shipment times, and possible general delivery issues during the holidays, we are unable to guarantee you will receive your order in time for Christmas mailing if you order too late. Keep in mind - UPS does not guarantee ground services during most of December. Threfore, we would suggest considering the use of 2nd Day Air as we get closer to Christmas. Again, we welcome your order at any time in December, but please note the calendar. We appreciate your cooperation!

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Sorry.... we must adhere to our minimum orders.

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This varies; each greeting card or announcement can accommodate different amounts of text according to the design. When you are considering a card, look at the sample text used in that particular card. As you will see in several designs, we can place text on top of your image, but this may also be limited depending on your picture. For instance, if there is a lot of sky or water, inserting text would not be a problem in these areas.

While it's best not to get carried away with the text, the worse that could happen, is that there is simply to much to fit. In this case, we will design the card using our judgment. You may then request changes to the text and/or it's placement when viewing your proof.

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For orders placed using the Online Preview Tool, you will be able to freely crop, zoom and rotate your images in a completely "live" environment. These edits will be saved as part of your order.

For orders ourside of the Preview Tool, if you would like to use a picture, but would like to crop or zoom into a particular part of the image, or change any other aspect of it, just let us know in the special instructions field at checkout.

Regardless of the order method, please note that ALL digital images MUST be at the highest resolution possible for cropping to render acceptable results.

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We always include extra envelopes with your order. Typically, you will receive one extra envelope for every 25 cards ordered.

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Our photo cards are not ink-jet or dye sublimation and WILL NOT FADE. Unlike some merchants and online vendors, our photo cards are truly of photographic quality; they are in fact, REAL photographs printed in a matte finish. Our cards are printed on the EXACT same paper that we use when developing film or printing digital camera pictures. We use Fuji Crystal Archive paper for all our photofinshing.


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No, the 5x7 cards are standard postage.

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Most of our greeting / announcement designs come as you see them, with your pictures and text added. However, you may add any text you wish, such as Bible verses, poems, vacation locations, and of course names. Our text placement is only limited by space; however, we can also place text in the actual photo itself, in addition to the traditional space at the end of the card.

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At this time, we are unable to accept greeting card orders by phone.

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Your credit card is "authorized" at the time of ordering. Your credit card will be then be charged upon your proof approval. Plese keep in mind, that if you use a Debit Card, your bank will automatically withold these funds from your available balance when your order is placed.

Should there be a reason to cancel your order before we start work on your proof, we will not charge your card. If we have started work on your proof, we will charge $20 for the initial proof, and $5 per revision, for the work we have done up until that point.

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We respect and uphold the rights of image authors. We can accept professional images for creating your order. However, we MUST receive written permission from the photographer on their own letterhead or stationery, and must contain their signature. The photographer can fax us this information directly at 512-263-9404. Please inform the photographer, that any sort of electronic release form is not sufficient.

Keep in mind that the unauthorized and/or improper use of professional images is against the law, and can result in both civil action and criminal prosecution.

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