What does “NA3T” stand for?
NA3T actually stands for the National Archive of Transport Travel & Trade but since this does not exactly roll off the tongue we now use the acronym instead.

If I buy your photos will they have “© NA3T” in the middle?
No. The “© NA3T” stamp appears only on our thumbnails to prevent unauthorised copying. Our photos do carry a discrete copyright text along the bottom edge but this is very small.

Who owns the copyright on your photos?
We own the original negatives or slides and the intellectual property rights (copyright etc.) for almost everything that is listed on this website. The few exceptions are those shown as “© Joe Bloggs/NA3T”.

If an image has not been scanned, how can I tell if it is colour or black and white?
Our catalogue number can be broken down into two or three parts, the letters at the front (The group), the numbers in the middle (The number) and in some cases a hyphen (”-”) followed by a suffix.

If the last letter of the group is a “C”, “c” or “K” then in most cases the image is colour. The exceptions will be found in the Arthur Hustwitt (Memorial) Collection where the photographer’s original numbering system has been retained, thus HuC and HuK are black and white photos.

Why is there a 20p “Processing charge”?
Our archive is run on a not-for-profit basis, which means we do not have a surplus of funds. The “Processing Charge” covers the basic charge made by PayPal on each transaction. In addition, PayPal also charge a percentage of the total. Since a large proportion of the requests we receive are for one-off scan previews at 25p each, PayPal’s charge would not leave very much for us to pay our ISP!

Why, when I go through the PayPal checkout, is there a “Postage” charge when I am buying a digital download?
This is actually the “Processing Charge” in the previous question but PayPal displays it as “Postage”.

Can I use NA3T photos on my own web site?
Yes, but the image that you use must be the 600 pixel wide one supplied for that purpose, it must be displayed without alteration (The NA3T logo and text must remain in place) and the image must carry a “Buy this photo” option with a link to our detail page for that particular image.

For more information and “How to do it” advice please contact us

Can I use NA3T photos on my commercial web site, article or product?
In some instances we will allow free use of our images but you will need to obtain a licence from us first. Unless you already have an agreement in place with us our rates will depend on the image size on the page, the size of the print run (in all languages), the target territory and the “value” of the image you wish to use. For more information please contact us with details of your proposed use.

You need to be aware that commercial use without obtaining the necessary licence may render the publisher/user liable for twice the full NA3T rates plus recovery costs and any third party damages. IF IN DOUBT – ASK!
We strongly recommend publishers take whatever steps they consider appropriate to ensure that valid licenses exist for all images they intend to use.

If I request a scan, how long will I have to wait?
If your request is received whilst we are on-line Mondays to Fridays, we would hope to have it completed within 24 working hours but this does depend on the number of scan requests in the queue as well as other tasks in the office. Scan requests received outside working hours will be processed as soon as possible.

What do the numbers mean under “Quality” in the search results?
These numbers relate to photos that are made in the darkroom using traditional enlargers. The lower the number the better the quality. However, digital technology gives far greater control over image quality and some images that were almost unprintable [Quality = 4 or 5] will now produce quite reasonable results.

If I get my black & white digital photos printed at a high street shop they have a brown or green tint. Why is this?
Many, but not all, high street shops have their machines set up to print colour images. They are quite good at this but black & white images do seem to cause some shops problems. We suggest that you shop around for the best quality or alternatively buy our ready printed photos where the quality is guaranteed.