DigitalCustom’s prepaid restoration/repair mailers are similar to popular prepaid film processing mailers. The mailers are fully paid for one image, and are secured, insured, reinforced and traceable. The mailers are pre-labeled to DigitalCustom’s worldwide service facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. Customers purchase mailers from photo, framing or scrapbooking stores, and deposit their damaged photos or certificates into the mailer. The customer may bring the mailer to a Federal Express drop box – or simply call FedEx for home pickup. Within 3-5 weeks, the customer receives back high-quality photo restoration, repair and/or digital handcoloring work on a CD that includes the original and restored image, and a print up to 8”x10.” Additional high-quality prints may be ordered at any time, and the customer’s order can be tracked online.

The mailer allows non-digital or transitional photo retail stores to offer the world’s finest photo restoration immediately. Rather than sell the mailers over the counter, a store may elect to buy the mailer at a wholesale price and use the mailer to submit customer orders to DigitalCustom. No technology is required, and the store may markup the work, sell additional prints, frames and other display items that commonly are purchased by customers who have a photo restored.

DigitalCustom’s President and CEO, Jeff Makoff said: “Photo restoration and digital handcoloring are widely-needed services. Our secure prepaid mailer fills a gap in current availability. Whether the mailer is sold to customers at retail, or used by photo stores ‘behind the counter,’ the result is high customer satisfaction. The key to the success of this product will be the outstanding price-quality point and the fact that transport is provided by a trusted courier service (FedEx).”

The mailer is marketed under DigitalCustom’s consumer brand “Image-Edit & Art.” The Image-Edit & Art service received the “First Class” accolade from Wired Magazine in May 2002.

About DIMA Award
The Innovative Digital Product Award of PMA 2003 is determined by the judges who search for new technologies and/or applications that are either unique or the first of its kind. The products are of high quality, and show themselves to be an influence on the future of digital imaging. Whether the product is hardware or software, amateur or professional, photographic or prepress, or any other segment, is irrelevant – the judges are simply asked to cover the PMA Trade Show floor with an eye on the innovative.

About DigitalCustom
DigitalCustom Group offers custom digital photo editing, photo repair and restoration and “photo-to-fine art” services to a wide variety of businesses and retailers in the U.S., Asia, Europe and Latin America. Under an agreement with Italy’s Fratelli Alinari (www.alinari.com), DigitalCustom has reference access to one of the world’s largest collections of historical images. DigitalCustom’s corporate offices are in San Francisco, California and its worldwide customer service facility is in Cincinnati, Ohio. More information about DigitalCustom Group is available on its Web site at www.digitalcustom.com.