No matter what your special occasion is, Remember When Ottawa has created a meaningful and totally unique gift for it: Christmas, birthdays, bridal showers and weddings, baby showers, anniversaries, memorials, pets, sweet sixteen's, graduations, retirements, military careers, special trips, theatre, sports and more! You name it, we've helped you celebrate your special day!

Below, you will find a list of our most frequently asked questions. Rest assured if you don't see a question answered here, we've been asked it and have an answer for it. Please call or e-mail us if you don't see something, we'd be more than happy to help.

Can I discuss my collage with someone directly?
Pick up the phone and call us at 613-599-1652, we are more than happy to help you every step of the way or e-mail us at: info@rememberwhen.ca and will respond as promptly as we can.

My photos are all different sizes, does that matter?
No. Our artists will size each of your shots to achieve the best possible balance and symmetry for your layout.

Since most of your collages appear to be created in black and white, can I send and use colour photos?
Absolutely. We will take any photo that you provide and will convert them to black and white for you. Each era has it's style: today we often see digital photos, the seventies produced Polaroid's and the turn of the century is almost exclusively black and white. Your 50th anniversary or 70th birthday gift will most certainly include photos from all of these time periods. Not to worry, we'll make them all look great!

Can I have my collage created in colour?
You can but we really feel our work is best highlighted in black and white. It is softer to look at, has a more "vintage" feel and is much less busy to look at. As a general rule, we don't work in colour because most photos suffer from some sort of degradation and tonal irregularity. We will certainly print in colour if required, we only offer up our experience as a guide. Weddings, for example, look incredible in black and white because of the close ties to these traditional colours. The groom is most often dressed in black and the bride in white so it makes visual "sense" when viewing the final presentation. More often than not however, objects like cars and motorcycles are done in colour to highlight the paint and chrome. Click here to view samples in colour.

Can I choose the theme of my artwork?
A RememberWhen photo collage is the perfect gift for any occasion. Create one for a 25th anniversary gift for your parents, a 90th birthday gift for a grandparent, your child's graduation, sweet sixteen, engagement or wedding portrait, a memorial of a loved one, a cherished pet . . . the possibilities are endless! Click here to go to our View Samples By Occasion page.

Can I choose a title for my collage?
A title really makes your gift more intimate as it directly relates to, and highlights, the subject matter. Short and sweet is generally more poetic than something that is longer and drawn out. Often, significant moments like Golden anniversaries or 50th birthdays use a title like "50 years of Love and Memories". Weddings might choose "From this day forward" and a Christmas gift might be titled "Life's Blessings" The choice is totally yours and there is no additional charge for the title. Click here to go to our Suggested Titles page.

What kind of pictures should I use?
Choose any clear and focused photo: colour, black and white, yellowed, digital, small or large; do not choose computer printouts or photocopies if possible. Make your selections spontaneous, fun and full of life. Nothing looks better than real joy, excitement and love. Choose a central image, preferably a clear 4"x6" or 5"x7

How many photo should I use?
As many as you would like!! Click on the "View Samples By Occasion" button to see what historically worked for most of our customers. Some prefer fewer and larger images; others prefer more interaction between the subjects to showcase more history. Generally speaking, fewer photos, like 9, work well with single subjects or events such as Christmas, graduations, weddings, sweet sixteen's, pets or memorials. More photos, such as 23, are generally used for anniversaries, family histories, significant birthdays or large groups because the history that is showcased is usually over a longer period of time.

Can I approve my collage before you print it ?
A gift that is this unique and different needs to be seen by you first. Upon completion of your heirloom, we will send you an approval mockup by e-mail, before we print the final file, to ensure your complete satisfaction. If you don't have e-mail, you can trust us to make sure it's perfect on your behalf and will even offer a total replacement guarantee if you are dissatisfied in any way.

How can I send you my photos?
Any way you wish! Feel free to mail or courier your photos to us directly, e-mail them to us as an attachment, or use our handy upload utility located on the top left of this page. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly and we can help you make the best decision possible.

How do I pick up my completed collage?
We'll call you as soon as your order is ready. You can pickup your final artwork and original photos directly, or you can give us an address and we'll have it delivered (extra postage and handling charges apply).

Do I get my photos back?
Rest assured, your pictures are safely returned to you and are not altered or damaged in any way.

How long does it take?
Generally speaking, each montage takes approximately 7-14 days to be completed, rush orders are available in as little as 24 hours. All of our manufacturing is done in-house, so if you have a special need, we can and will accommodate your special needs.

Do I have any control of what my montage looks like?
Primarily, we encourage you to choose the central shot. We spend a great deal of time determining the best possible layout to achieve the highest levels of balance and symmetry. Layout is NOT based on relationship or a timeline as trying to do so creates an unbalanced final presentation. The layout is determined by each single photo's characteristics. Often, pictures are "cut-off" on the sides creating a hard line that needs to be softly covered so as not to be visible. Some photos are dark and others are over-exposed. Many are group shots, some are single shots. You never know how each piece will integrate with the others until you are creating the actual image.

Can I make changes to my mockup when I see the approval piece?
We want to make sure you are completely satisfied before we print your final artwork and, as such, spend a great deal of time finding the best integration layout possible. If you would like to change the position of a photo there is a $10 re-integration fee per photo that applies. Re-integration of a photo is free of charge if we have made any error. Swapping a photo from side to side is allowed if the photos have the same weight such as a head shot for a head shot or a group shot for a group shot. You cannot swap a head shot for a group shot as this will alter the symmetry and balance.

What are your payment terms?
Payment is due in full when you pick up your completed artwork and are completely satisfied. No deposit is required as we really believe in your satisfaction first. Actual cash (sorry, no debit) or cheque are the available.

What resolution should I scan my photos?
Scan all photos at 300 dpi for best results.

Can I order additional copies at a later date?
Of course! Your artwork is archived and copies can be purchased at any time. Click here to view full prices and how to order.

Do you ship outside of Canada?
We ship around the world to any location. Please contact us for an accurate quote.

How do I increase the web page's text size to make it more readable?

In Microsoft Internet Explorer®, click on View > Text Size and then select what you want. In Mozilla Firefox®, hold the Ctrl key down and press the + sign key to increase the text size. Alternatively, you can tap on the - key to make the text smaller.

How do I print out a web page?

Our web pages should print out nicely with the default settings. If they don't, you can modify your settings very easily. In Microsoft Internet Explorer® version 6 and earlier, click on File > Page Setup and then reset all four page margins to 0.25 inches or 1 centimeter. Press the OK button. Now when you press the print button it come out fine. Alternatively, you can go back to Page Setup and select landscape mode if it is still not printing well. Microsoft IE version 7 defaults to "shrink to fit". In Mozilla Firefox®, select File > Page Setup and check the box marked Shrink to Fit Page Width. This is good for most pages but not suitable for pages that are long (content that goes on well below the initial view). Firefox® has other options in the Page Setup window to help you establish the best print out possible.

Do you allow other web sites to to link to your site?

Yes - but they must be socially responsible sites that do not engage in the degradation of people or cause disrepute to Rememberwhen.ca. Copy the HTML code below the logo into your web page code to install the authorized Rememberwhen.ca logo-link. We reserve the right to change the logo graphic without notification. An example of this occurs when we modify the graphic to announce special offers.

<a href="www.rememberwhen.ca"><img src="http://www.rememberwhen.ca/images/rememberwhen.jpg" width="150" height="75" border="0" alt="Visit Rememberwhen.ca - they create exquisitely framed custom photo collages starting at $29.99"></a>

Do you create collages and posters for professional entertainers?

Yes, we do produce world-class posters for professional entertainers. Clients include the Ottawa 67s hockey team, Orange County Choppers and more. Click here to see samples of the custom work we do.