Please contact us by emailing us using the form below. Before you do, please review all the information on this page. It is very likely that the answer to your question is contained on this page. Thank you. We look forward to working with you.
Ordering
Re-Order a Previous Design: Once we create a design for you, we save it forever on our servers. You've already paid for it, so all you have to do is pay the price of the print and frame or product you would like it on. You can easily re-order the design we previously created for you by clicking on the "Straight Reproduction" link under the design column and choosing the print and framing option or product you would like to place it on. On the questions page, you can describe the design we did for you that you want to re-order and you can tell the graphic artist anything else you would like him or her to know. Checking out is easy. Since you ordered before, all you have to do is click on the link that asks if you've ordered before and all your billing and shipping will be automatically filled in for you. It's easy, fast, and very affordable to re-order a design we previously created for you!
Production Time: Depending on where you live, you can have your order at your doorstep within two days! Click on the “Click here for tax and shipping” link on the price totals bar while you are shopping through our products to see how much it will cost to have your order to you within a certain amount of days.
Ordering Problems: No order is complete until you see the final receipt page at the end of the ordering process. If you are unable to complete your order for any reason, please try to place it again in an one hour or call us at 1-800-453-9333 between 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, or 1 pm to 4 pm, Saturday, PST.
Proof Procedure: Within three business days or even sooner, you will receive an e-mail requesting that you view the design proof we will create for you. Simply visit photowow.com and click on the “view proof” link you will find on the top portion of the home page. There you will find the proof one of our talented graphic artists has created for you. You will have the option to request changes or approve it. Any changes you request usually are completed within one working day, but may take two depending on our work schedule. In rare cases, you may receive your proof or requested changes a few days after the times stated here. In such case, please be patient, the best artist that we have assigned to create your design may be out of the production studio temporarily.
Proof Delays: Sometimes there may be a day or two delay beyond your scheduled proof date. This should not delay the shipment date of your order. Once we receive the approval of your proof, we can print, frame and ship your order within a few days. Before contacting us, please click on the "View Proof" link in the top gray menu bar to see if your proof is waiting for you to view.
Variations: Many times we are asked why we show variations and what to take from them. We show variations to show different looks and different colors. All our pieces are totally custom created for you. So, if you click on a variation, we will see what you clicked and emulate the look and colors. On the customer input and comments page you will see after your shopping cart, we will ask you different questions based on the design you order. The first question for many designs asks if you want it to look like the variation or if you want other colors. And remember, we also send you a proof of the design within three days for your approval or modifications. So, if you click on a variation that you like when you order, there is not a commitment to your design looking exactly like it if you don't want it to.
Matching Pieces: If you are planning on having any art piece that we will create for you hang next to another that you will either order at the same time or have ordered in the past, please be sure to specify that on the input and comments page you will see during the checkout process so we can be sure to make your pieces the exact same size, and give them a complimentary look.
Pricing
Pricing: To price our products, just click on the "Shop" link on the top gray bar and then click through the menus on the shopping page. As you make changes you will see the prices change in the price bar on the bottom of this page.
Form of Payment: We accept Visa and MasterCard on this web site or you may send a check or money order for the full amount of your order with your photos. All credit card information entered at checkout is encrypted to secure the information and guard against theft and unauthorized use. If you do not feel comfortable entering your credit card information on-line, we will send you an e-mail once we receive your photos or images requesting that you e-mail us back with your credit card information or call us at 1-800-453-9333 Ext. 205 to provide it. We will not begin work until we receive payment (Also see "Credit Card Charges" above).
Credit Card Charges: Upon checkout, you will have the option of providing credit card information via our secure encrypted network. If you are not comfortable placing your credit card information on-line, please choose check or money order as your form of payment at checkout and call us (1-800-453-9333) to provide us with your credit card information over the phone. Upon receipt of your information, your credit card will be initially charged a deposit equal to the design fee or $10, whichever is greater. The balance will be charged once we ship the final product to you.
Deposit and Balance Amounts: When you place your order, you will be charged a deposit equal to the design fee portion of your order or $10, whichever is larger. The balance will be charged once we ship the final product to you. If you would like to pay by check or money order, we cannot begin working on your order until we receive the check or money order for the full amount of your order. See our “Cancellation Policy” above for more information regarding this.
Additional Design Fees: Additional design fees will apply if you would like to change photos after we have completed the design work. Usually, this amount will be half of the base design fee. For example, if you order a "Four-Panel Pop" design with four photos, the base design fee is $90 for the first photo and $30 per additional photo. If you would like to change photos after we have completed the design work, it will cost $45 per additional photo. If you decide on a new design after we have begun work on your original design, we must charge the design fee for that new design.
Gift Certificate Redemption: If you have received a photowow.com gift certificate, you may redeem it by first placing an order for anything you would like on photowow.com and then mailing the certificate to Attn: Linda Thi, photowow, 8536 Dorothy Street, Rosemead, CA 91770. During the checkout process, choose and place in credit card information if your order exceeds the amount of the gift certificate. If your order is less than the amount of the certificate, please place in that you are paying by “Check or Money Order” so you can proceed through the checkout process. If that is the case, we will deduct the amount of the certificate from the total amount of your order and provide you with any credit still owed to you in the form of a new gift certificate. If you choose not to upload your digital image(s) after you checkout, you may send us the photo print(s) you would like us to use with the certificate. Please see “Photo Prints” for more information on sending the photo print(s). Before sending the certificate, it is important that you keep a note of any order or confirmation numbers handwritten on the inside or back of the certificate.
Policies
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel any portion of your order before we begin working on it. For example, once we begin working on the design, we must charge the design fee. Depending on the delivery time you choose, we will make one to as many modifications as you request to make the design appeal to you. We guarantee that what you see on your screen will be very similar to the masterpiece that will arrive at your door. Please see our “Guarantee” above for more information. After you approve the design, you may cancel the remaining portion of your order if we have not begun printing it or transferring it onto the product you ordered. But please call us quickly at 1-800-453-9333. Many times, the design will be printed within ten minutes of your approval of it. We must adhere to this policy because every piece we create is custom made for you and we cannot place it back in inventory and resell it if you cancel it. Thank you for your understanding. In the last ten years, we are happy to say that we’ve experienced an over 98% satisfaction rate. We look forward to working with you in what we are sure you will find to be a very fun and rewarding experience!
Design Satisfaction: We will create the most beautiful design to the best our ability in accordance with the design you choose, any instructions you request, and the photos or images you provide. We want you to be thrilled quickly, so we can deliver your order to you before scheduled and so you will order that design on more of our products in the future. We save all the designs we create for you in our image vault forever. So you can always re-order your design on any of our prints and products at anytime in the future. And, if you do, there is no additional design fee! See “Re-Order a Previously Created Design” below for more information.
Privacy: Regarding images provided: We don't show your images or the designs we create from them without asking your permission. Regarding the billing and shipping information you provide at checkout: We never share any of the information you provide with any third parties. We are the only ones that see it. Regarding your credit card information: When you provide your credit card information on-line it is securely encrypted. We cannot even see the first twelve digits of your credit card.
Packaging and Damaged Boxes: We package all our products with exceptional care. Depending on your product, we protect it using plastic, boards, corner protectors and/or bubble wrap. If you order a print on semi-gloss paper with a frame, we frame the piece with plexi-glass instead of regular glass that may break in transit. For almost all our products, we use FedEx Home and Ground shipping if you choose "Normal" shipping during the ordering process and FedEx Air if you choose "Fast", "Faster", or "Fastest" shipping. If any product is damaged when you receive it, please e-mail or call us. We will request that you repack it similar to the way you received it. We will then have FedEx pick it up from you within a few days, and we will quickly replace it. There will be no additional charges associated and we will appreciate your cooperation. Transit damage occurs in less than 1% of our shipments.
Guarantee: We are so sure that you are going to love your photowow artwork that we will provide a full refund to you if you receive your artwork and it is different than what you approved for us to print or you are not pleased with the quality of the print or frame. Within 10 days of your receipt of the artwork, just place the artwork back in its original box and call us at the toll free number above. We will have Fed Ex pick it up from you within one week and deliver it back to us. Upon our receipt of the artwork, we will credit you back for the full amount you paid for the artwork. This guarantee only applies to artwork consisting of a canvas or semi-gloss print that is framed with one of our framing options. How can we afford to do this? In the last ten years, we have had less than a 1% dissatisfaction rate. We feel confident that you will be very satisfied!
Photo Contests
Contest Dates: Each contest will end on Tuesday 1:00 pm pacific time. All photos submitted before Tuesday 1:00 pm pacific time, will be entered into that weeks contest beginning on Wednesday 3:00 pm pacific time. All photos submitted after Tuesday 1:00 pm pacific time, will appear in the following week's contest.
Entry Fees: There is no charge or fee associated with entering our photo contests.
File Specifications: The files you submit should be between 50K and 500K in size and saved as a ".jpg" file. The file name should have no more than seven alphanumeric letters and should not contain spaces, dashes, slashes, punctuation marks, ampersands or other symbols.
Message Boards: We encourage contestants in the photo contests to inform all friends, family and others about the contest in any means possible. The only benefit we receive from the time and money we put into the contest is exposure to our web site. We hope everyone acts fairly and ethically. We have no way of policing what people say on message boards. We can only police how votes are placed.
Number of Entries: Contestants may submit one photo per subject once every six months. Color 1 World d/b/a photowow.com maintains the right not to include any photo it finds inappropriate.
Photo Restrictions: The photo of the baby must be or have been taken when the baby is or was eighteen months of age or younger. Baby photos must contain one subject. We review the many photos that are entered into the contest each week before the contest begins. Because of the large quantity of submissions, we use our best judgment to determine that everyone complies with these rules. There are times that we may miss a submission. It is our discretion whether to allow a contestant to remain in the contest after it begins or to withdraw it.
Voting Problems: If you are having problems voting, it may be that our site is experiencing temporary problems, or it may be your computer. To check your computer, we recommend that you reboot it, refresh your browser, clear your cookies and temporary Internet files, and download current updates and patches from www.microsoft.com. Then, try to vote again.
Voting Rules: Each contestant and visitor to the site may only vote once per photo. In order to keep the voting process as fair as possible, a formula has been derived which excludes a random number of low votes. This is to avoid contestants and their friends from voting low on other entrants in order to increase their entrant's odds of winning. At random times, we verify the origination of votes and disqualify any we believe were made inappropriately.
Winners: The photo in the number one spot in either contest at 1:00 pm PST on each Tuesday, will be the winner for that week's contest. Contest winners will be contacted within one week of the end of the contest to review the details of their prize.
Your Photos or Images
Best Photos: The clearer the photo, the clearer your final art piece. Please review the "Photo Tips" you will see in the preview window on the right side of the shopping page every time you choose a design on the left side of that page for suggestions on the best photos to provide us.
Professional Photos: We can use professional photos if you own the rights to them. That would mean that you purchased the rights from your photographer. If you did not, then we would need to receive permission from your photographer to use them for the limited purpose of turning them into the photowow design you like. He or she can email us at service@photowow.com saying that with his or her contact information. Please note that we don't need professional photos to do what we do. You can have fun snapping away with a digital camera. As long as your photos are according to the photo tips you will see for each design in the preview window (See "Best Photos" above), your art piece will come out great.
Providing Your Digital Images: You will have the chance to upload your digital image(s) after you complete the checkout process. All images should be very clear and the size of the digital file should be a minimum of 500K and saved in a “.jpg” format. The image file name should have no more than seven alphanumeric characters that do not include spaces, commas, ampersands, slashes, dashes or other symbols. Please make sure that you can view the images on your computer without a problem before you upload them. If you have problems uploading your digital images, you may email them to us at service@photowow.com. In such case, please be sure to include the first and last name that you place your order under in the body of the email.
Providing Your Photo Prints: Each design has "Photo Tips" which include suggestions for the best photo for that design. If you have a few photos that you would like us to choose from, please send them with a note asking us to choose the best. Your photos are scanned into the computer. They are not harmed and will be sent back to you with your final piece in the same condition that we received them. We cannot accept photos taken professionally without the photographer's permission.
Please send your photos to: Attn: Linda Thi, photowow, 109 Chantilly, Irvine, CA 92620.
With your photos, please include either a note with the name, address and telephone number you will enter at checkout or a copy of the e-mail confirmation you will receive within a few hours of placing your order. If instead of sending us your photos, you would like to scan them yourself, please see "Scanning Your Photos" below.
Providing Slides: We prefer that you not provided us with slides. If you can take them to a local photo store for them to either convert them into a digital file or create a print that you can send us, it would be best. If that is too difficult, you may send them to us. We will send them back to you in the same condition that we receive them.
Scanning Your Photos: If you want to scan your photos on your home scanner to email to us, on your scanner, press the preview button and set a box around the image you would like to scan. It is best to scan one photo at a time. Try to set the dpi setting to 300. Make sure to save each scanned image as a .jpg file. Then, email it or them to us at service@photowow.com with your name and order number in the subject line. If there is more than one image, please email them in separate emails. If you don’t want to scan them yourself, you can take them to a local Kinkos or photo store and ask them to scan them at 300 dpi and save them in .jpg formats. They can burn them onto a cd for you to take home and then email to us. Or, you can send us the cd to Attn: Linda Thi, photowow, 109 Chantilly, Irvine, CA 92620.
Rep Programs
Franchise Opportunities: Presently, we do not have a franchise program. We don't believe this business lends itself to franchise opportunities. We do, however, offer a variety of Rep Programs.
Rep Opportunities: We would love you to be involved in our fun photo-to-art business. We will soon have opportunities for stay-at-home parents, existing business owners, professional photographers, interior designers and entrepreneurs. To receive information on our programs, please e-mail us at service@photowow.com.
Jobs & Partnerships
Job Opportunities: Presently, there are no job opportunities available. There may be some in the future for those living in the Los Angeles area. You may e-mail us your resume and we will keep it on file.
Product Partnerships: We manufacture all the products you see on this web site. We presently have no product partnership opportunities available. If you have a unique product you think we may be interested in, please e-mail us with the details below. If you are interested in representing our products, please see "Rep Programs" above.
Retail Stores
Our Production Facility: Presently, we have one retail location in the heart of West Los Angeles. We have been there for eight years. The address is 11950 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. That is on the southwest corner of Brockton and Wilshire. Brockton is between Barrington and Bundy just west of the 405. We are open between 10 and 6 Mon-Fri and 1 and 5 on Sat. We provide parking in back for our customers. If you're in the area, please come by and visit.
Designs & Products
Suggestions: If you are uncertain as to which photo, photos or images you would like to use for your piece, please email it or them to us at service@photowow.com and we would be pleased to provide you with our opinion and suggestions.
Customizing Your Design: To fully customize your design, please choose a “Variation” from that menu while you are creating your masterpiece in the shopping application. The artist will see what you chose and try to match the look, layout and/or colors of it when designing your piece. During the checkout process, you will have an opportunity to answer specific questions pertaining to the design you chose, and provide us with any requests for the designer to see before he or she begins working on your design. If you have a design in mind that you don’t see or you would like a combination of our designs, please see “Custom Design” below.
Custom Design: We can create almost anything you can imagine. To tell us what you envision, please choose the "Custom Design" by scrolling down to the bottom of the "Designs" column on the shopping page. After you choose the "Custom Design", please click on the print and framing option you would like for your art piece. On a page you will see after your shopping cart, it will request that you tell us what you would like us to create. The minimum design fee will be $10. You will receive an accurate quote after we see your images and what you would like to do. If you are not pleased with the quote, the minimum $10 design fee will be immediately credited back to your account.
Restoring Your Photos: We do clean up and restore damaged photos. The best thing to do would be to send it or them to us and ask us to call you with a quote to repair it. If the photos are valuable, you can scan them yourself and email them to us (See "Scanning Your Photos" above.) or we advise that you send them through an insured carrier such as FedEx or UPS. The design fee is usually between $10 to $70 depending on the amount of damage. We can then also review with you the best way to have us reproduce your new digitally recreated image.
Combining Photos in One Design: Depending on the photos, we can usually combine people, places or things from other photos into one. Sometimes, it is difficult to make it look very realistic like it's all part of the same photo, because each one photo that each image comes from may have different shadows, blurriness, or graininess to it. If you would like us to combine and then order the "Four-Panel Pop", "One-Panel Pop", "Soft Pop", "Texture" and some of our other less realistic looking designs, it works better because the artistry and abstractness of those designs compensates for any flaws in the images. If you don't want to do any of these designs, but would just like us to reproduce all the images into one, please choose the "Superimposition" design style. You can see all these design styles by clicking through the "Designs" column on the "Shop" page. There may be an extra design fee for the work you'd like us to do. The fees will be between $30 and $60 with the more expensive price based on how realistic you would like your final piece to look. We will provide you with that fee, if there will be one, once we see your photos and review what you would like us to do.
Canvas v. Semi-Gloss: The majority of our customers order their prints on canvas. Canvas prints look like a painting and are usually framed without glass. We provide enough protection on our canvases to last a lifetime. Our semi-gloss paper prints look much more like a poster. They should be framed behind glass for a better appearance and protection.
Print Sizes: All our pieces are totally custom created for our customers. That includes making any size you would like as long as one dimension is smaller than 68" and the other is smaller than 46". When you order, chose the size that comes closest to what you would like. During the checkout process, you will see a page in which we will ask you questions based on the design you choose and you can also tell the designer that will be working on your piece anything you like. Please specify the exact size there and we will adjust the price up or down once we see it in our system. We will then contact you to inform you of the new price.
Sign-In Boards: We create sign-in boards for any event or occasion. To easily order a sign-in board, please click on the "Shop" link, choose the design you would like in the "Design" column and then scroll down the "Prints and Products" column to find "Sign in Boards". You will then see different options in the "Options" column. On the way to checking out, after your shopping cart, you will see a page with questions and a place for comments. You may answer any questions you like and provide any comments for the graphic artist to note when working on your piece.
Stretcher Bars: Stretcher bars are wood bars that we make into a frame and stretch your canvas around. It is the look as if an artist just completed the art piece on his or her artist's easel. Most people just hang the piece like that. But there is also the option of taking it to a framer and having a framer place a frame around it. The 1" stretcher bars have about 1" of depth on the sides, and the 2" stretcher bars have about 2" of depth on the sides. This is the amount of room it would come off your wall. We recommend the 2" bars if you are going to hang your piece on your wall just stretched because the piece looks much more substantial than the 1" bars. You also have the choice of us just leaving the white of the canvas on the sides (Stretcher Bar - White), or having us take a color from the background of your piece to put on the sides (Stretcher Bars -Color). Most of the time, our customers order the color option. To see visual examples of these, please click on the "Shop" link above. Then, click on any of these choices under the "Framing Options" column. The preview window will display two examples of each.
Outdoor Suitability: Our art pieces printed on canvas are suitable to hang in a shady area outside. We fully protect them against moisture, and they contain a lot of UV protection that will hold up for at least ten years if the pieces are not exposed to direct sunlight.
Shipping
Shipping Times: Our standard timing is that within three working days of receiving your order and your images, we will email you a proof of the design we created for you. You can either request changes or approve it. Then, usually, within two to four working days of your approval of your proof, you will receive your final piece at your doorstep. If you would like your art piece or product even faster, there are expedited shipping options that you will see by clicking on the "Click here for tax and shipping" link on the bottom right of the Shop page. You will see there that you can choose an option to have it in as fast as three days. If you need it by a specific date that is in between our normal and expedited shipping options, please click on the normal option and then tell the designer that date on the "Your input page" you will see after the shopping cart. We will do all we can to have it there. If that requires an additional shipping fee, we will inform you when it gets closer to the due date. Usually, that is not necessary.
Packaging, Shipping and Handling: We package all our products with exceptional care protecting every part with plastic, boards, corner protectors and bubble wrap. If you order a print on semi-gloss paper with a frame, we frame the piece with plexi-glass instead of regular glass that may break in transit. For almost all our products, we use FedEx Ground shipping if you choose "Standard" shipping during the checkout process, and FedEx Air if you choose a faster delivery option. If any product is damaged when you receive it, please e-mail or call us. We will request that you repack it similar to the way you received it. We will then have FedEx pick it up from you within a few days, and we will repair or replace it once we receive it. There will be no additional charges associated and we will appreciate your cooperation. Transit damage occurs in less than 1% of our shipments.
APO Shipping Addresses: We ship to APO addresses. We send these packages through the U.S. Postal Service. On our billing and shipping page, you will be able to enter the address in properly. We will contact you if there are any problems, or you can email us with any concerns.
International Shipping: We ship to most countries around the world and to APO addresses. To see all the countries we ship to and how much it costs to ship your order to each, please click on the "Click here for tax and shipping" link in the shopping section. When you set your country there, you can click through our products to see how the shipping price will change based on what you would like to order. We use FedEx for all our international shipments. They are fast, reliable and can be expensive. If you would like to know about less expensive international shipping options, please email us.
If you did not find the answers to your questions, or if you have comments, please e-mail us. Please do not e-mail or call us regarding the photo contest. It is a fun free contest. We do the best we can to administer it so that it is as fair as possible for everyone involved. Thank you for your understanding.
