Photo Restoration
Watch how Graphic Imaging restores damaged photos and makes them new again. In this video, the client had little hope that her photo could be fixed. Graphic Imaging was able to do a full photo restoration and colorization. The project was scanned using the Contex HD Ultra, reprinted on canvas and then gallery wrapped.
Nestled on Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas, Graphic Imaging Services’ clientele represents a wide spectrum of businesses and consumers who trust it to digitally capture their valuable assets. From blueprints and maps to canvas art and oil paintings, the projects are as varied as its client base. With a Contex HD Ultra, Graphic Imaging is able to capture its clients’ varied assets with ease, and customers appreciate the high-quality and quick turnaround.
“We get all types of media,” Graphic Imaging’s CEO Lisa Desautels explained. “Sometimes we have old historic panoramic photos that the clients want to restore. We use the Contex HD Ultra. A client may come in with a painting on a 40x44-inch canvas, asking for a digital version. We use the Contex HD Ultra. “Or a customer has drawings of his buildings on 24x30-inch media,” she continued. “We scan it on the Contex HD Ultra. There really isn’t much we don’t scan on it.”
The Contex HD Ultra is a high-productivity wide format scanner with best-in-class image quality. Versatility, notable scanning speed and productivity enhancements make it a top choice among leading reprographic and scanning service providers like Graphic Imaging Services. The four-person team also leverages a suite of imaging and workflow software -- “everything from Adobe Photoshop to Microsoft Paint,” Desautels said.
Since some of the most critical workflow processes happen at image capture, Desautels explained the impetus for the purchase, “We actually purchased this scanner for a project,” Desautels recalled. “The previous model we had was not scanning quickly enough, so it paid for itself in the first three months. We had the speed and image quality to make our project successful.”
Immediately, the scanner had a positive influence on workflow.
“We liked the speed and quality the Contex HD Ultra provided. It is one of the fastest and most reliable scanners in the industry and still provides a high-quality image.”
Not only does the solution scan quickly, the media loads fast, too, and document sensors built into the feeder measure and adjust for the size of the substrate “on the fly.”
The Contex HD Ultra leverages the patented Automated Thickness Adjustment Control (ATAC), which enables users like Graphic Imaging to easily accommodate thicker media, up to 15 mm.
In addition to the custom designed Fujifilm lenses and full 48-bit color workflow – the technology behind those high-quality images Graphic Imaging produces – this scanner is versatile.
Desautels recalled a recent project for a local Native American tribe. The scanner played a critical role. “They have an historic map that they often reference. They brought it to us, and we scanned it. Then, we printed it on a board with a dry erase coating, so that they’re able to mark up the digitally reproduced image. And now we have a preserved, detailed copy of the map as it is now. It’s a little tattered, so it’s even more important that we capture a high-quality image of it,” she said.
When combined with a digital output device – from HP, Canon or Epson – the Contex HD Ultra can be leveraged as an MFP solution via USB or the network. Though it’s not configured in this way at Graphic Imaging, Desautels said, “Knowing that we can scan and easily print to any plotter sure makes it appealing.”
Imaging operators may appreciate a few of options: Either a 36- or 42-inch configuration; an ergonomic height-adjustable stand; and Nextimage scanning software.
While other scanning technologies may have become obsolete five years out, the Contex HD Ultra remains capable and relevant at Graphic Imaging.