The Walk Through - How It Works

Creating your own photo accessory, needs a little effort on your part but we try to make it as easy as possible.

In A Nutshell
YOU - Step 1. You decide on the picture you would like and which item you would like made.
YOU - Step 2. You fill in our order form online, or on paper and post. You can order online and then post the original photo too.
US - Step 3. We review your instructions and photo, bringing to your attention any concerns. You may like to discuss a particular treatment.
US - Step 4. Our expert team of art workers, printers, makers and finishers start work on your picture and then produce your item. We call you when it's ready to arrange delivery.

THE PROCESS

Buying a personalised photo handbag or photo book at first thought probably sounds simple. Some people believe there is a quantity of ready made bags and books that just get overprinted with photos. Not so. These are the steps that allow us to produce the very best results.

SERVICE
We offer a personal service. We encourage phone inquiries to discuss aspects of your bag. We try and be as helpful as possible - so you are able to consult with us on the right bag, size and finish and photo treatment for you. We contact you again at the finishing point to arrange delivery. We are pleased to say we receive plenty of testimonials and phone calls of thanks - some comments can be viewed here.

YOUR PHOTO
This is most important bit..........

We are photo driven. Photos can be old or new original photos, slides or digital files. We can scan original paper photos (large or small) rendering an excellent digital file to work from. Digital camera photos are simple to work with – easy to download from your camera and easy to upload to our website – and it’s no surprise the standard shape of a digital camera photo is the same shape as the print areas on our core products - but we can make any shape photo fit. Naturally we are very careful with your original photos if that's your format and they are always returned.

ARTWORKING YOUR IMAGE
This is the first area where we have to skillfully prepare the photo for best results before it gets printed. Once you have sent your image, our first consideration is the look and feel - Is it going to make a great item? If not we relay news that the choice of photo may be bettered and request a new selection to aim for a better looking finished product.

Even if the look and feel of the photo is good, how is the quality? This is more to do with the condition, or file resolution but more on that later. We make a careful assessment as to whether the photo will print successfully to provide stunning results. And if we feel we need a better quality scan or better resolution image we call to discuss and obtain a new version. Then, if the quality, look and feel are terrific does the image need any retouching?

Retouching is often considered to be a specialist area, and we provide as part of the service a significant retouching service free of charge that helps to improve the image to achieve great results. This includes red eye reduction, date stamp removal, dust and scratch reduction, and blemish removal.

PRINTING YOUR IMAGE
Another key aspect is the print from your photo we artworked. Again it is very easy to take for granted. After all people print photos regularly colour printers in our homes and work. But here, we are printing onto fabric - and not any old fabric - a specialist textile that has to hold the print and colour for years and fit in with the fashionable quality and design of the bag itself. We select the material that is the best for printing on and that holds all the key qualities for perfect durable print and then ask does it fit in with our design and fashion styling. We use a technique that impregnates the ink deep in to the fabric with terrific durability and reproduction quality. We know this finished printed fabric to be outstandingly tough, yet doesn’t fray, smudge or crease.

PRODUCTION
Once your photo has been prepared and successfully printed, we start workshop production. All the items are made by hand by trained professionals with years of experience.

Every single item starts of life as raw material, flat fabric, leather hide, and a pattern in our workshop, or plain uncovered book blocks.

To make one bag from a standing start takes two hours after the print has been prepared. This is a good deal of time and indicates the care and value you get. It is not often one gets a bespoke handmade item these days so we think that is an experience for you to relish.

All our products are made here in London. We make them here because we want to be able to see and monitor the production and turn them around as quickly as possible. Most products are made in 5-14 days but often we’re faster.

HI TECH and TRADITIONAL SKILLS
We are one of the few businesses that enthusiastically breathes life into traditional UK industry craft skills; bag making; bookbinding and framing. Historically the UK used to be the world leader in these types of manufacturing 150 years ago. Today most of that production capacity is in the Far East but we harness the best of Hi Tech online, mail-order, digital printing with the traditional hand made skills here.

GET STARTED
A : Choose that perfect photo
B : Choose the item
C : Place your order. You may either place your order online with your digital file or you can order online and post the photo, or print out an order form from our web page and mail it. If you need someone to assist you in the ordering process, just contact us.

PhotoBooks
The Contrado deluxe photo book, hand bound with a unique personalised cover, fantastic presentation at a brilliant price.
>> photo books