Retouching - Reproducing - Lithographs & Mass Production
Just as there are many photographers to choose from, there are many ways and places to get your valuable headshots reproduced.
The number you get printed up is determined by how you will distribute your shot...will you do mass mailings? Will you only hand it out at auditions? Will you scan it and use it through your computer to make your own postcards, post on websites, etc?
Labs that do a lot of headshots will also put your name right on the print. You will have a choice of fonts and will need to specify placement of the name, border or no border, etc. The price will vary according depending on which options you choose.
But before you take the photo to the lab, you may want to consider "retouching."
Before you reproduce: RETOUCH
Before you have your headshot printed 1000 (or even 10) times, you will probably want to have your photo(s) retouched to have fine lines removed from around your mouth & eyes, or to have that single stray hair tamed!
Your photographer will probably recommend a retoucher, and Reproductions can also advise you.
If you opt for DIGITAL photography, very often the photographer will do the retouching himself (in Photoshop) for no additional charge. This can be a great way to save not only money but time, as taking the photo to and from the retoucher can be time-consuming.
An excellent by-hand retoucher is:
Phyllis Cortese
(212) 421-4664
Reproducing Your Photos
Photographic Prints (best quality)
Through experience, our editors have learned the hard way that the cheap repro houses are cheap for a reason. Though you might have no problem, enough of us have photo repro horror stories that we have sworn allegiance to the absolute best and only reliable photo repro source in NYC:
Reproductions
Fine Photographic Printing for Actors & Performing Artists
6 W 37th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10018
(212) 967-2568
(800) 647-3776
(212) 629-8304 fax
http://www.reproductions.com/
They are the best, hands down. They are also the most expensive, but not by that much. And when you calculate in the time, aggravation and inferior quality you may get with the cheaper places, Reproductions is the best value in town.
Still, if you want to try the others, we won't stop you! Here's the ones we know of in NYC:
Modern Age Photo Labs
1150 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10030
Phone: (212) 997-1800
Fax: (212) 869-4796
http://www.modernage.com/Headshots.html
Precision Photos
www.precisionphotos.com
Alluring Images
208 W 29th St., Ste. 408
(b/w 7th & 8th Avenues)
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 967-1610
Fax: (212) 967-6654
www.alluringimages.com
Ideal Photos of NYC
(out of business! Alluring Images now has their files)
A reader wrote and suggested the following mail-order repro place. They have full info and a price list available at their Web site.
National Photo Imaging
114 West Illinois Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Telephone 312.644.5211
Toll Free 1.800.211.7978
Fax 312.644.6285
www.nationaltalent.com
Lithographed Prints (lesser quality)
If all you need are inexpensive prints (not photographic quality), you might want to consider lithographs. Many actors use these for submission at auditions. Lithographs are prints of your headshot done on "regular" paper as opposed to photographic paper. The quality is not as good as photo prints, but they are much much cheaper. Lithographs are NOT appropriate for printing in programs or newspapers.
Some companies who do lithographs are:
ABC Pictures
1867 E. Florida St
Springfield MO 65803-4583
417.869.3456
Fax 417.869.9185
(888) 526-5336
www.abcpictures.com
Grand Prints
(818) 763-5743
www.grandprints.com
PHOTOSCAN
Orlando, Florida
(800) 352-6367
www.ggphotoscan.com
![](_themes/yourtype092899/aburule.gif)
More about Headshots:
All About Headshots | Finding a Photographer | Performers' Reviews of Photographers | Reproducing Your Headshots
|