How Tucia works
The life of a Tucia order, from the moment you add photos to the day the order closes, and who does what along the way.
Tucia is a photo editing service done by professional human editors, not an app. You upload photos and describe what you want; an editor works on them; you review the result and ask for changes until you are happy. This page walks through that cycle once, so every other page in this guide makes sense.
The three steps of placing an order
Every new order goes through the same three steps in the Client Portal, shown as a step bar at the top of the page:
Photos & instructions
Select New order in the top bar and a workspace opens. Add the photos you want edited, move any example images into the free Reference images group, and tell the editor what to do: write Project instructions for the whole order, or open a photo to leave a note or mark the exact area that should change. Everything saves automatically. The order exists as a draft from the first click, and nothing is charged yet.
Review
Check the price, the estimated delivery time and the size your edited photos will come out at. Every photo we edit is 1 credit; reference images are free. If you have a question about the price, ask it here before you pay.
Pay
Your credit balance is used first. If it does not cover the order, pay the rest with PayPal or a card. Once the order is placed it shows Being edited and an editor starts.
You can leave at any step and come back later. Unfinished orders wait for you under Drafts in the top bar.
What happens after you pay
| The order shows | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Being edited | An editor is working on the first version. | Message the editor. Cancel within 15 minutes of paying (credits return to your balance). |
| Ready for your review | A version has been delivered. | Compare before and after, download, ask for a revision, or Approve & close. |
| Being revised | You asked for changes and the editor is on them. | Add notes to the latest photos, message the editor. |
| Waiting on your reply | The editor needs something from you before continuing. | Read the message and reply. Your reply resumes the order. |
| Closed | You approved the result, or 14 days passed since delivery with no revision requested. | Download. Ask for one more revision within 14 days of closing. |
On the order list, the tabs Editing, Revising, Paused, Reviewing and Closed group orders by these statuses.
The full rules for each status are in Order statuses explained.
Who does what
- You add photos, describe what you want, review the result and approve it. Every photo we edit costs 1 credit; see Credits and pricing.
- Your editor is a person, not an algorithm. Editors read your instructions and your photo notes, and they message you when something is unclear.
- Tucia support helps with anything the portal cannot do on its own, at tucia.com/contact.