Liz Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 While we don't do a lot of Brits passports they do pop up from time to time. In Oz, we have a plastic template courtesy of the passport office that we can apply to the photo and check the top of head to chin and that it sits in the correct 35x45 dimension. Those measurements have been locked into my Noritsu 3300 and we pretty well get correct results each time. However, I have no idea where the head/shoulders should sit in the Brit passport. All I have is the outer dimension. Some countries require more shoulders, etc. The PMA site doesn't give much in the way of specifics either. As a regular to this site I notice the complaints about grey background, yet my info and the info the customers present says white, or neutral background, plus nothing about backprint (eg Kodak paper). So after all that........do you use a template to check your passports? If so, are they available for purchase. I tried to ring the UK Embassy here and they wanted to charge me per minute to find out this info. Given the GREAT button pushing, extension game, before you finally speak to someone..... I thought I'd get some background info from you guys before I shell out my hard earned bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLA Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 We only use a template also provided by the UK passport service. It does say that additional supplies can be obtained through the UK passport office. I have found that the position of the eyes which must be in the grey area of this template very important, near the edge and they have rejected it. Other than that we have guide lines on our camera which show where the mouth/chin should be. We don't go too strictly by the guide as facial shapes vary so much. Re the background..anything I was sending off in the few weeks before purchasing my grey background was rejected. I had an off white background (very off!) and the rejections became very regular very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Hi Liz, we use a realy nice (and cheap) bit of software from OnTheGoSystems,INC. which does all passports and exports them to the destination of your choice. It is so accurate we have stopped checking with our grid as it is a pointless exercise. I'd be quite happy to post you our grid.... Backgrounds are a pain, and it seems to depend on the checker, not the guidelines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 this may be a better link... www.onthegosoft.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLA Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 That's very interesting. How much do you charge for a US set ? Do you also ask them to come back to collect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.T Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Here you go Liz- everything you need http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/36.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I don't bother with extra charges unless they want extra, so £10 it is, but I think they only get 4 images rather than 6 (on a 6x4). Most people are happy to wait for 5 mins or so (that includes the 3min. 50sec. dev. time), but if I am in the middle of something yes they are happy to have a wander around the town. Nice link Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Thank you.....champion people. Tony that was a brilliant link and I found out not to use gloss paper (ooops! Oz wants gloss) and that the Kodak backprint paper looks good to go. I have downloaded the UK template and shall have a good squiz at it to-morrow. Photographis, I'm not quite sure of the system you may be using. We just shoot the pic and load it up into the lab. I doubt if my Noritsu would look at any other software loaded onto it. We currently have a pull down white roller blind for our Oz passports, so maybe I need a grey one, do you think? Alja, I'm really curious about how you get the camera to take photos to the dimensions you require. Might run a photo shop but a hopeless photographer. Any further thoughts? Had to do a Phillipines Passport to-day on a Royal Blue Background. Gee, can't we make the world a little smaller and all do the same? Gloss, 35x45, white background, backprint fine. Sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nash Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 LIZ The MITSUBISHI passport printer and camera automatically prints the correct size ppp`s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Liz, I have my Lab networked to my computer suite, so any incoming work goes through the suite (mainly for virus scan) to the lab. The passports are created off the lab then sent to the 'hot' folder. As we are 'in the sticks' we don't see many 'exotic' passports, feel left out Nash is right, there are several passport camera systems out there, mitsi being one, Sony another. In the old days they had changeable guides, now I believe it is all done by the camera software. Irrespective of make, they are all expensive, unless you are doing an awfull lot of passports. We use an 8mp camera, couple of lights, backdrop and mentioned software, about half the cost of a dedicated camera system (and you still need the lights!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.T Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 liz- just use photoshop to change background colours. Modern Passport photos are a minefield are they not? So far I've had to do White, Grey, Blue, Red backgrounds. I've got a wizard idea!! Let's do Camo backgrounds and then we won't even need to photograph the subject ;D well, I don't know where he's gone- he was here a minute ago.......... ;D But he looked pretty cool to me :-/ Never mind- do what they ask and charge loads!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Be aware that using photoshop can cause problems now some countries are refusing digitaly enhanced images. The checking software is (apparently) becoming more sophisticated as we speak, so I guesse those with removable lenses (therefore dust on sensor) will also need to be carefull. just another landmine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QUICKPICS112 Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 THE GOOD THING THAT PASSPORT PHOTOS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO DO IS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE KIT TO DO A PROPER JOB. OUR LOCAL PO NOW SENDS ALL THIER REJECT TO US TO DO. CUSTOMERS MOAN THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY SENT £4 IN ASDA. BUT TELL THEM TO GET THIER MONEY BACK AT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE COUNTER. TWO OF MY COMPETITORS ARE NOW CHARGING £10+ FOR THIS SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF REJECTIONS. HOWEVER CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON, AS UK PASSPORT OFFICE WANT TO GO FULLY DIGITAL AND ARE PLANNING TO EXCEPT HOME PRODUCED IMAGES BY EMAIL. ANNOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN FROM THE GOVERNMENT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QUICKPICS112 Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 PS; JUST ME AND WOOLWORTHS AT ONE STAGE, BUT WITH WOOLWORTHS DEMISE PHOTOME INSTALLED A BOOTH WITHIN WEEKS, AT BOOTS, WILKINSONS AND ANOTHER LOCAL SUPERMARKET. THANKYOU PHOTO ME, SO WHEN MY PHOTO ME LAB WANTS REPLACING GUESS WHO AN'T GETTING THE ORDER!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colopt Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 No digital manipulation allowed here, supposedly they have software to check this. My question is if they can develop software to check if an image has been manipulated, why can't they develop software that would enable them to be more tolerant of variations in passport photos, like backgrounds, facial expressions, size of head in image, etc. etc... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damooose Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 I tested this supposed software feature just recently with my own passport renewal I manipulated my own image at least 10 to 15 times , crop and save crop again and save lighten background and so on Guess what had my new passport in my hand in 10 days I know everthing is possible in the digital age but how any software can scan a piece of paper and tell if its been manipulated is beyond me.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Good point Colopt, good point. Damooose, not knowing where you are, I am unable to comment except to say that not all countries are stating 'no digital enhancement' and using the detection software, including as far as I am aware, the UK. If however you are from one of the countries that are...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colopt Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 I think damoose is in Melbourne (same as me) that right damoose? You have confirmed what I had suspected, just not possible to determine manipulation of a print, (unless it's obvious) especially when the print measures 35x45mm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographis Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 lmao! in that case, why are they bothering? Mind you, we often print passport size for d.i.y. customers, I had one offered earlier that looked like it had slugs crawling around the background (very poorly photoshop'd), a bit extreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damooose Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Yep thats right colopt Im in melbourne Oz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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