Frequently Asked Questions

• What size standup I should order?
• How big should my files be?
• Can I scan a photo and send to you?
• My files are RGB colour - is that OK?
• Can I just post my photos to you - I don't have a scanner?
• What are the custom LifeSize Standups made of?
• Can I wash my custom LifeSize Standup?
• When printed, will my images look the same as on my monitor?
• Will you enhance my photos?
• Do I need to delete the background or crop the image?
• Do you provide a proof before printing?
• What file types can I upload?
• Are there any additional charges I should know about?
• What about copyright?
• I can't seem to find what I want, do you do custom work?
• Why do you ask for my contact number?

Q. What size standup I should order?

A. We calculate the costs based on the print area of the standup. A single person may be 6ft (1830mm) tall and because of their stance in the photo may only be 2ft (600mm) wide - a single standard size. The same person in a different stance, with their arms outstretched for instance will take up a lot more area, so even though it's a single person standup, the latter example will be a more expensive option - either a double standard size or extra double size. We are happy to have a look at an image file first before you place your order to make sure it's OK to use and also as a guide to which size to order. If you order a single size and it should really have been a larger size we'll contact you regarding the price difference and whether you still want to go ahead.

Q. How big should my files be?

A. We use the latest technology in resizing images to best suit the print size ordered. However there are limitations when resizing images, for instance, resizing a web size image to print on a large standup or poster without showing some pixilating is virtually impossible. We suggest you upload the largest files you have without resizing them first. This will give us the maximum amount of information available. We'll look at the images supplied and make a judgment as to the quality of the print. If we feel that the print won't be of suitable quality then we will let you know. Always try and upload the original files to us - without resizing, retouching or resaving. If you need to resave the file use the minimum compression/maximum quality setting. Resizing a file to make it smaller for uploading or emailing is not a good idea where the file will end up as a print file. Files from Facebook are already downsized by their system for online viewing and are not suitable for upsizing to a lifesize standup. Unless you are ordering masks and the face fills the image, it's wasting everyones time to upload files that have been downloaded from Facebook. They are just not good enough.
Rule of thumb...if a file is less than 1mb (1000kbs) before upsizing, generally it'll be too small to get good quality output. 

Q. Can I scan a photo and send to you?

A. Of course. Just follow a few simple settings and upload the file the normal way. Colour photos: scan in rgb colour at 600dpi, save as a jpg with minimum compression, maximum quality. Black & white photos: scan in greyscale at 600dpi, save as a jpg with minimum compression, maximum quality (do not use black and white or bitmap settings - it won't be any good). The scanners incorporated into the All in One printers now are generally not that good for hi quality scans, they are more suited to document scanning. It's much better to go to Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Teds Cameras or similar and get them to scan and save to a usb key for you.

Q. My files are RGB colour - is that OK?

A. We use totally colour managed work flows and prefer images to be in RGB. Generally unless converted, all images start out in RGB with colour spaces of either sRGB or AdobeRGB, either way, leave them as they are. The printer rip software converts them just prior to printing.

Q. Can I just post my photos to you - I don't have a scanner?

A. Sorry, we don't do any scanning any more. See Q3 above.

Q. What are the Lifesize Standups made of?

A. Our custom standups are made from high grade, white fluted cardboard - printed on one side. We do have other options, i.e. corflute if you need something stronger or weatherproof.

Q. Can I wash my LifeSize Standup?

A. Being made from cardboard, the standups are not washable. However, where there is ink you can wipe with a slightly damp cloth to get surface marks off (the ink is actually water proof, but not the cardboard).

Q. When printed, will my images look the same as on my monitor?

A. All our printers use fully colour managed systems to print from digital files. If your monitor is not calibrated properly, it's unlikely to be able to produce an accurate representation of the colours in your image when printed, particularly in a process colour environment as is the general printing trade. While some colours you see look great on your monitor, eg bright blues, greens or oranges, they won't print quite as bright on paper, cardboard or other materials. 

Q. Will you enhance my photos?

A. Generally we will, unless we feel that it won't be necessary. If you really want the image to be enhanced, it would be preferable for you to put this in the notes section.

Q. Do I need to delete the background or crop the image?

A. You don't need to remove the background around your subject, we'll do that for you - in fact we prefer it as we know what works for us. Please bear in mind that the standups are cut out using a solid line so that the laser beams can pick it up. This means that if your subject has 'fly away hair', or has black hair on a black background, we have to make the best judgement as possible as to where we make the cut. The perfect scenario is to have the subject on a light background, but this is mostly impossible from normal family photos.

Q. Do you provide a proof before printing?

A. We do on request, or where we feel that the enhancements we have made require a final look over and approval. If a proof is needed before going to print we'll send you a proof by email for you to approve. We'll happily make minor changes and adjustments for you, within reason at no charge. Please note, this will slow the whole process down.

Q. What file types can I upload?

A. We accept different types of files on various parts of our websites, depending on the product. The upload feature will indicate the file types allowed for the product. Please note: as an example images are generally in jpg format. If you have a jpg file, send us that, do not import the jpg into a Word or Publisher document and send us one of those. We would have to extract the image back out of the document as a jpg and be hopeful that it is the same as when you imported it - something we are not very confident in. Always send the file in native format if possible. If you have produced artwork, our standard requirement is "Press Ready PDF". 

Q. Are there any additional charges I should know about?

A. The shopping cart will show the final price of the item you are purchasing. Selecting certain additional attributes may attract extra costs, this is clearly indicated when selecting the attribute. The only time any other additional charges may apply will be for any special work done on image files, or where you have requested some custom sizing and the like. We will let you know of any additional charges prior to commencing any printing. We may also want to charge for additional delivery costs for Express or same day deliveries - but we'll let you know first and get your approval.

Q. What about copyright?

A. We don't want to get involved in any court battles over copyright. If you have an image and you know you don't own the copyright or don't have permission to reproduce the image, please don't send it to us to reproduce. Most celeb photos available these days are taken by professional photographers that like to get paid for their work. We have access to international libraries where we can obtain permission to print the images available. If you are looking for a particular celebrity use our contact form to give us the details or feel free to give us a call.

Q. I can't seem to find what I want, do you do custom work?

A. Yes we do. The amount of projects and ideas that can be applied to this technology is huge so we couldn't possibly cover everything on the web site. You can use our contact form to send us a message and we'll make contact back with you in a very short time - we don't keep our customer waiting for ages, it's normally within a few hours at the most.

Q. Why do you ask for my contact number?

A. Simple - in case we need to contact you or our courier needs to contact you. In a manufacturing environment, things can go wrong, machines can break down, sometimes delays happen, we prefer to ring you with any problems. It's still easier to discuss things on the phone rather than by email or text. We've had situations where a delivery person can't find a property - they will call you and ask the question - if they can't they will just take the parcel back to the warehouse and wait for you to contact them.

For Delivery Turnaround Times, please click here