Sending images
People ask us how they can submit their own photographs to be included on the Manchester Regiment Image Archive website. We are always delighted to hear of any suitable images that we can include and the following guidelines are intended to answer some of the more common questions we get asked. You can either send digital copies or original photographs. However, we accept no liability for items sent in the post and strongly recommend that you arrange to bring them in personally for scanning (by appointment).
Q. Can I send any photographs I have to you?
A. First of all, we ask that all images loaned to us are either out of copyright or that we have your written permission to digitise and use them. Possession of an image does not necessarily mean you own copyright to the image and copyright laws are lengthy and strict. Therefore we only accept images where the owner can grant us the right to use copies of them. You will need to download a reproduction agreement form [click here], print it off, fill it in and post it to us at Tameside Local Studies, Central Library, Old Street, Ashton under Lyne, OL6 7SG. This form gives you the ability to say how we can use your images - either just to show on the website or to be able to sell them as well (income from the sales of images goes back into conservation of more images).
Q. Do you want more modern photographs?
A. We don't have many images from the 1930s to 1980s so we are particularly interested to hear about any from that era. However we welcome any images, even a few modern day ones which serve as a good contrast to show how an area has changed.
Q. How should I scan my photographs?
A. In order to be able to get a good quality copy we need to have a good quality scan of each image and prefer to receive high-resolution images. We ask that the resolution is at least 300dpi and the scan is preferably sized at around A4 (roughly 30cm x 21cm or 10" x 8") irrespective of the size of the original. They can be saved as Jpegs but do not put too much compression in to them. Generally speaking, a Jpeg with a file size of around 1.5MB to 2MB would be quite acceptable. Remember that this is the size of the actual file (with some compression) and not the size of the picture which will be somewhat bigger at around 9-15MB. You can also send TIFF files or, of course, arrange to bring the originals in for us to scan
To recap - when scanning images it is generally best to set the resolution to 300dpi and set the output size to something like 10"x8", then save it as a Jpeg with minimal compression.
Q. Sending the Images
A. Our preferred method is to receive images on CD/DVD together with the signed Reproduction Agreement form.
Q. Extra Information
A. Obviously a photograph needs some information to go with it so we would appreciate it if you could include a text file, spreadsheet, letter or an e-mail so that we can add this information to the database. Information that we need includes:
Location
Date of Image
Photographer
Additional Notes
Please contact Larysa Bolton at Tameside Local Studies to discuss the above in greater detail or to arrange a convenient time for you to visit Tameside Local Studies.