Autograph Questions and Discussion

[colin the hutt]

right ive got a question about postage i live in the uk and have mailed to the us in the past but that was a while ago im starting to mail stuff again and was wondering if there was anyone in the us who mails to the uk and how much it woukld cost to send a 10x8 boared envelope with 10x8 and trading cards etc to the uk so i know how much to put on the return envelope many thanks by the way hello everybody im new

 

[star_wars_fan]

I generally send a 9x12 return envelope with a backing board inside of a 10x13 envelope along with a letter and an 8x10 photo. The postage there costs me between $3 and $5 U.S. and I usually included $3 or $4 U.S. cash inside to help pay the cost of return postage. I haven't ever used International Reply Coupons b/c I've just heard that they are a pain. I received a note one time that my $3 did cover the postage. Hope this helps.

 

[colin the hutt]

yeh it does thanks ive been sending a a 10.5X8.5 return envelope boarded with 10 x 8 and ive been sticking 10 39 cent stamps on so hopefully its enough

 

[dahoov2]

A few answers. On power DVD you can reset the size manually so it won't be squashed. Go into your opition and fool around with the sizes...

On the subject of yellowing of autographs, you will not have to worry about it if you do it right. I have vast experience on this subject and have had all the bad things happen and now know what to do.

1) Never use the cheap frames without mattes and make sure that the mattes are acid free, as well as the backing; the reason for matting is because you need air to flow between the photo and the glass, which will stop cracking. Also, if you're item touches the glass, if you have a migh mositure day, the photo could stick to the glass.

2) Every year (maybe twice a year), it might be good to remove the photo and check it as well as let it breathe for a few hours.

3) Never put things on the wall where strong light or any sunlight hits it. I have several Jerome Blake graphs ruined that way.

4) Your ink, unless really cheap along with cheap paper and handled too much, should be ok (even if pretty cheap) if you store it in acid free sheets in a dark place. It should last as long as you are alive. I have an orlando Bloom signed card and a George Lucas Screening Invite fade because I kept them out in INDIRECT sunlight.

5) Never store in a basement or attic due to hard temperature changes. If you have to, you should put them in plastic tupperware like containers (good ones with strong seals) and use silica packets inside. One or two should suffice depending how large the storage box it. One for shoe box size is fine. But if big trunk, use a few.

6) Hanging items on an outside wall that is not well insulated will cause problems. For example, the temperatures can change a lot which causes frames and glass to contract and expand. If it contracts, your photo, if touching the edge will contract too. Also, the frame could loosen and the glass could crack, causing harm to your item. However, this is rare as most people have well insulated homes or live in moderate areas. But say you live in a weird climate area; best to put your prized items on an inner wall.

It's all about moisture, hard light, over handling and acid free storage/display.

I hope this helps someone!

 

[star_wars_fan]

Dahoov, thanks for the great feedback. I have strong concerns about my frames now. I've gone the Michael's "cheaper" route with frames b/c it was just too cost prohibitive to get 30 frames. However, they don't say anything about being acid-free and I can be sure they aren't UV protected. How much do you guys typically spend on an 8x10 frame that gets you feeling good about them lasting? The vast majority of my autos are in acid-free sheets in binders in a dark closet, but some of my favorites are in these cheap frames on the well. Argh! Any thoughts?

 

[dahoov2]

You know what you might be able to do? In the backs of them, get some tissue paper (most of it is acid free) and just cut out some and put it between the photo and the back.

I did what you did. I bought 100 plus black frames (almost borderless) because at one time I had them ALL on my son's bedroom walls. They looked great... but over time, I experienced different sorts of problems. Likewise with a couple family items. So I did a lot of research. I had paid about 6.00 each. I don't think it's the frame perse. It's more about the backing and the matte which can be replaced easily. You could still go with the cheap frames.

If you don't use the mattes in front, make sure to definately remove them and let them air about twice a year. I'd do it in summer and winter (the extemes). Some photos will stick too much. A prized photo (the ONLY good photo we had) of my brother in law at his wedding was ruined! VERY sad and irreplaceable as he died shortly after.

 

[Jay]

Anyone happen to have a working address for the guy who did Darth Maul's voice?

 

[darthskellington]

Peter Serafinowicz
c/o Troika
3rd Floor
74 Clerkenwell Road
London
EC1M 5QA
United Kingdom

this addy is new as of February 2007 and has 2 pending requests....no successes yet.

As of 2006 he is not with PFD or Talkback Mgt.

The following addy is old and untested at my source:

c/o Calypso Voices
25-26 Poland St.
London W1V 3DB
United Kingdom

Peter is notoriously hard to get.

 

[Bounty CK]

Anyone know Ralph McQuarrie still sign TTM?I sent him on Sept. last year and still waiting.Maybe mine was got lost in the mail.Should I send him again?

 

[Chewie]

Anyone know Ralph McQuarrie still sign TTM?I sent him on Sept. last year and still waiting.Maybe mine was got lost in the mail.Should I send him again?

I'm wondering the same thing. I sent those Concept Art cards enclosed with the new DVD's in October last year and haven't yet heard back.

 

[Bounty CK]

I heard a success report on April this year.Should I still waiting?Or send him again?

 

[Jedi_Joel]

I think that Mr. McQuarrie has stopped signing TTM alltogether because of his Parkinsons being in advanced stages.

 

[RYAN-J]

Yeah his website kindly asks fans not to send mail to his address anymore due to his parkinson's like Joel said.

RYAN-J

 

[Bounty CK]

Anyone know the address of the following:

Dave Barclay
Derek Lyons
Rusty Goffe

Thanks,
CK

 

[Jedi Daniel]

I think I'm going to start doing this, sounds like fun.

 

[the tree]

Heyah guys!, this is my first post so bare with me.

I’m trying to start my collection, but some how I’m failing at the first hurdle.

I know somebody has already asked about this problem in this thread – but the outcome still didn’t help me.

I’m basically trying to get screen shots from the DVD’s.

I’m using Nero Showtime, Mircosoft Media Player, Paint, and Adobe Photoshop.

I tried this first:-

Capture facility in Nero Showtime, save the file to a file location, then open the file in Photoshop. Then changing the aspect ratio back to 1:2 [square to rectangle pixels]

Result – Very blocky pixel shots.

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Then this:-

The good old fashioned print screen!. That gave almost perfect results in terms of quality, but it gave me the problems with the ‘overlay’. Where, what you capture isn’t exactly a picture [the dreaded black screen], and as soon as you import it into paint or Photoshop although its visible, it acts very peculiar, and there is no way its going to be able to be developed into a photograph.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Then lastly I turned to Microsoft Media Player:-

To beat the overlay problem; I turned it off.

Options -> Preferences -> Advanced -> [deselect] Use Overlays

+ moved the ‘Digital Video’ slider to Small. [not really sure what this does, but it seems the way forward]

I then did a print screen capture, and imported into Photoshop - but again the pictures produced we’re really low quality, and very disappointing.


I’m pulling out my hair, please advise?.

 

[the tree]

Ok I’ve now got a copy of PowerDVD.

It seems I’m almost there.

When I use the capture faculty, save it to a file location, open in Photoshop, change the aspect ratio back to 1:2, it goes blocky again.

BUT, in the preferences it seems you can set the captured files aspect ratio?

Should I be changing this to achieve success?, and what subsequently should I be changing it to? :lightnin:

 

[the tree]

Ok, my last hope.

Capture in PowerDVD [Custom settings 1000 x 750]

Open in Photoshop.

Image – Image Size – increase width to 130%, height to 95%

That seems to get the characters to almost the correct scale.

Yet still with some fuzzy edges.


Anybody have any formula as to how they get their’s?



I think I'm slowly going crazy

 

[darthskellington]

Hi, sorry to hear you are having trouble. I've always had issues with screen captures..and jsut do the best I can. I'll PM AmShak and see how he does his.

 

[AmShak]

ok, it looks like you have tried everyway possible to do this and i don't know that my solution is actually different from what you have already tried.

I do not remember the technical explanation behind this but you need to basically "trick" the dvd player. Open some type of video in anything other than the dvd player you will use for the image. I just open something up in windows media player. if it is something that is short, be sure to loop it so that it plays continuously. Next, open your dvd player and movie. Pause it on the frame you want, use "print screen" and paste in photoshop. You "should" have a good image.

*you also might want to increase the resolution as high as posible on your monitor.