Please fix our Christmas presents before Mr. Lucinda gets *really* horked off at me

December 1, 2006 2:52 PM

How to get creases out of photos?

We got family portraits done at Sears, and when I got them home I noticed that the corner of the envelope got bent, so now all the pictures have a small crease in the corner. It's not that big, maybe a 1/4" in on each side and then another one, not as strong, about 1/2" on each side.

What would be the best way to remove, or at least flatten out, the creases?

posted by Lucinda to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

I've had some success with ironing photos and posters. Yes, ironing. Start with a very low temperature, obviously, but you can generally keep the iron in one area for a few moments (I feel safe up to 15 seconds or so) and just use very firm pressure. If it's not doing anything, increase the temperature gradually until it does. It doesn't completely eliminate the creases, but it greatly diminishes their appearance and flattens the paper, in my experience. As always, YMMV.
posted by po at 3:21 PM on December 1, 2006

Frame them.
posted by rhizome at 3:51 PM on December 1, 2006

You might want to see if you can talk Sears into doing new prints for you at a reduced price (or free) in exchange for the damaged prints. I'm sure that the cost you pay for prints has a good margin above the actual costs of printing & handling. If they care at all about customer satisfaction, they'll take care of you, especially since it sounds like they didn't package them well for the busy shopper.
posted by Good Brain at 3:57 PM on December 1, 2006

Response by poster: I went back to Sears and the woman there was very cool - she took back all the prints and will have them redone for us at no charge, ready in two weeks. One sheet (with two pictures on it) I needed to keep, since my brother-in-law is picking it up tomorrow from us to give to his wife's parents, so she cut off the one uncreased picture and gave it to me.

A Christmas miracle, indeed.
posted by Lucinda at 6:17 PM on December 1, 2006

Scan. Photoshop. Reprint.
posted by nineRED at 1:39 PM on December 2, 2006

Don't put the iron on the emulsion side of the pics or you could ruin both an iron and the photo.

The best way to fix the problem is get a pre-cut mat at a slightly smaller size to mask the creased portion. It could be that whatever mat you are using will already mask out the offending area.
posted by JJ86 at 7:43 AM on December 4, 2006