Our desire at Mid-South is to be extremely easy with which to do business, and to make our services as complete and as easy to understand as possible. To that end, we are providing the following questions and answers to better explain our services.
Q. What is necessary to become a client of Mid-South?
A. We need a new customer setup form, state sales tax forms, a customer profile for our customer database, and a credit application (if you want an open account). You may download all of these forms from our Downloads section (MSCLFormsPkg.). Mid-South is a professional lab and does not serve the general public. We do not require a minimum annual volume, however, we can provide you better service and more quickly understand your preferences if we process the bulk of your work.
Q. What Black & White services do you offer?
A. We regularly produce three Black & White products: B&W RC prints, digital prints on color paper and fine arts prints on our Giclée printer.
RC prints are true B&W prints with a typical RC coating on back. Digital prints on color paper are quite neutral and are ideal for digital files. Fine art prints are available on water color paper and Ilford Gallerie Pearl. Fine art prints are archival.
Fiber base printing is available by contacting Debbie Fullington, Renasissance..In Black & White. Click here for a link to her website.
Q.
What are your color management policies?
A. Unless instructed differently, we
color manage every image by eye. Our technicians check and
adjust the following: color, density, saturation, contrast and
sharpness. This applies to all levels of regular
service. You may request that we not adjust.
Q. What are your methods of payment?
A. You may pay by Credit Card, COD, Prepay or establish a 30-day open account. Open account status requires a credit application and credit check. Credit limits are established. We are happy to offer this service to all professional accounts who qualify. If invoices are not paid within 30 days, accounts are placed on a COD status until accounts are current. Also, if credit limits are exceeded, orders are shipped COD until accounts are brought below the established credit limit.
Q. Do you offer a volume rebate?
A. Yes, we offer our Partnership Rewards to clients who spend $5,000.00 or more per year with Mid-South. Rebates range from 1% to 6%, depending upon annual purchases. See current price list for details. If you are on open account, all monthly statements must be paid on time. Rebates earned are given as a credit to your account in February.
Q. How do you charge for shipping?
A. Incoming and outgoing packages are billed at $5.95 each. If packages contain prints larger than 16x20, we bill actual shipping charges. We provide prepaid FedEx Express Saver airbills for incoming shipments and then bill $5.95 when they are used. Please note that we bill on shipments not orders. This means that several orders may be shipped in a single package with only one shipping charge. There is no packaging fee unless special packaging or shipping is requested. Our standard methods of shipping are FedEx and Airborne ground. If overnight services are requested, they are billed at actual costs. Due to our shipping volume, our rates with both carriers are well below the carrier's published rates. We pass the savings along to you.
Q. Do you still provide traditional printing from negatives?
A. No. All prints are
produced on our digital RA-4 printers. If you provide
negatives, we will scan and then produce digitally.
Q. What method do you use to mount to canvas?
A. We strip the RC backing off the prints that we produce and apply heat sensitive adhesive to the print. The print is then applied to canvas and bonded in a pneumatic press that applies both pressure and heat. We offer two weaves of canvas: regular 12oz. and a finer 10oz. Canvas is then mounted to Masonite hardboard or stretched on frames. We also offer gallery wrap canvas mounting.
Q. Do you offer Giclée printing?
A. We have state-of-the-art Giclée printing equipment which uses archival Epson UltraChrome K3 inks. We print on the following materials: fine art smooth (watercolor), fine art textured (watercolor), Gallerie Pearl, glossy, and canvas. Our combination of paper and ink have been tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research and have a projected life without fading of between 75 and 125 years, depending upon the paper surface. The conditions under which prints are displayed can shorten the life of these prints just as it can photographic prints but normal display conditions away from direct sunlight and framed with glass should produce results similar to test results.
Q. What digital ordering software do you provide?
A. We provide WorkStream DS for you to load onto your PC and create orders and export seamlessly to us. In that the software resides on your PC, orders can be created quickly. You may load an entire folder of images and actually create the order on screen, crop each of the sizes just the way you want and add special notes or instructions. You only add the image once, even if it needs several sizes. Standard sizes, packages and templates can be ordered. When you are through with the order, you may burn to a CD or export the order via FTP (which is built in) directly to the lab. The software compresses the order for minimum transmission time. There is no charge for the software.
Q. Will you help me with digital issues and problems?
A. Yes. We are geared to give you personal service and attention. We are a medium size lab and can spend the time with you that you need to become proficient and comfortable with digital imaging. We can help you with the critical steps of color management and issues like working color space and profiles. We can even assist you with custom profiles for your digital camera. We have been involved with digital printing for over ten years (even before laser and LED printers) and have developed a good understanding of digital imaging.
Q. Do you offer online proofing and ordering for customers of photographers?
A. We offer three models of online proofing and ordering:
viewing only, fulfillment and non-fulfillment. In our fulfillment service, you create a homepage for your studio on our server and upload your images. Your customers go online and place their orders and use a credit card for payment. We process the order and ship directly to your customer, freeing you of all order details. This is becoming a most popular option with photographers.
In our non-fulfillment version, the orders that your customers place are sent to you for processing. You batch them and send them to us for processing. The orders are returned to you for delivery to your customer and for payment from your customer.
For viewing only, we offer
ProVues online proofing. We host this service on our own
servers and suggest Shozam software to create your
galleries. This software allows higher resolution, larger
images.
Minimal fees for account setup, image posting and order transactions (in the case of fulfillment) apply.
Q. What methods can I use to transfer digital files via the Internet?
A. You may transfer files to us by several methods. We have the InternetDropBox which works just like a regular drop box. You upload your images to us via your Internet browser, then place your order online via the DropBox. You will receive an E-mail confirmation of the order. We also provide a FTP transfer program,
Beehive Sendfile Secure, that loads onto your Mac or PC and allows you to drag and drop files onto an icon, complete an order form and send. (No other FTP client is necessary)
Perhaps the most efficient way is with WorkStream. This software allows you to create the order, crop the images and export to us seamlessly via the built-in FTP client. Broadband Internet service is suggested for all image file transfers. Otherwise, we suggest saving your images to a CD.
Q. Do you have a minimum order charges?
A. Yes, on most services our minimum order is $10.00, exclusive of shipping charges. The charge is based upon the total order, not just printing.
Q. Can I talk with a live person when I call?
A. Absolutely! We do not use automated telephone services. Your telephone calls will always be answered by a real person. We do not feel that we can give you the service that you deserve when you get lost in endless automation. We try our best to answer every question when you call, but if we have to do a bit of research to get the answer, we make every attempt to call you back within two hours. And, if you need to talk with a printer or an artist, we will call them to the phone. It is all about communications and understanding your needs. We don't think any lab beats us when it comes to client service.
Q. How large can you make a digital print?
A. We can make digital color prints
72" x any length. Our Giclée prints can be 44" x any length. Our B&W RC prints are limited to 20x24. We can mount any size that we can
print, however, prints larger than 50" wide require special
oversize substrates.
Q. Do you offer the "painterly" look?
A. We offer several styles of print enhancements. We offer the "Rembrandt look", which consists primarily of accentuating key areas of the photograph and placing highlights within highlights. We do this on both traditional and digital prints, often by adding an oil glaze to the print. We also offer a more "painterly" look on digital prints where we brush stroke the entire image to simulate the look of an oil painting. Both processes are time-consuming but beautiful. We suggest an estimate before ordering.
Q. Do you have an order entry charge?
A. No. The only possible extra charge for order processing is the minimum order charge for orders under $10.00.
Q. Will all of my prints be made on the same paper and will they match?
A Yes. We use Kodak Portra Endura paper for all photographic prints. We use this paper for traditional printing as well as ALL sizes of digital prints. All of our digital prints are done on the same machine, so all sizes of prints from the same image match perfectly.
Q. Do you process
film?
A. No, due to greatly
reduced demand, we no longer process any film formats. We
can however arrange to have film processed at another facility and
produce prints from scans. Because we are outsourcing film
processing, higher charges apply. Please call for quote.
Q. Do you print on Metallic paper?
A. Yes. Kodak's Professional Endura Metallic paper features a unique metallic/pearlescent look, giving images a brilliance unlike any other print medium. Detail is sharp, colors are saturated, blacks are rich, flesh tones look natural, and an ultra-bright background help images really pop. The paper is very durable and tear-resistant. Available in smooth glossy surface only.
Q. Can I check the status of my orders online?
A. Yes. From the Mid-South website, click the "Order Status"
option under the Online Services tab at the top of the page. That takes you to a page where you enter your Customer ID and Password for security. You can then see all of your current and recent orders and the status of each. If the order has shipped, the tracking number appears and you can click it to track your shipment.
Online order status is updated at the top of each hour. Contact the lab to select a password.
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