diff --git a/client/src/app.tsx b/client/src/app.tsx
index 74278775..e4f7ef0c 100644
--- a/client/src/app.tsx
+++ b/client/src/app.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
   gqlSetWebPushSubscriptionForUser,
 } from "../gql";
 import { Item, MyUser, User } from "shared/graphql/graphql";
-import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "./types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
+import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
 import { HiddenIFrameForServiceWorker } from "./pushNotificationPreferences";
 import { GlobalStateProvider } from "./globalState";
 import { Floaty } from "./floaty";
diff --git a/client/src/push-notifications/serviceWorker.ts b/client/src/push-notifications/serviceWorker.ts
index 7758f89f..062c000a 100644
--- a/client/src/push-notifications/serviceWorker.ts
+++ b/client/src/push-notifications/serviceWorker.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "../types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
+import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
 import {
   EXPAND_PINBOARD_QUERY_PARAM,
   OPEN_PINBOARD_QUERY_PARAM,
   PINBOARD_ITEM_ID_QUERY_PARAM,
-} from "../../../shared/constants";
-import { extractNameFromEmail } from "../../../shared/util";
+} from "shared/constants";
+import { extractNameFromEmail } from "shared/util";
 
 const toolsDomain = self.location.hostname.replace("pinboard.", "");
 
diff --git a/client/src/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts b/client/src/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 8829feca..00000000
--- a/client/src/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-import { Item } from "../../../shared/graphql/graphql";
-
-export type ItemWithParsedPayload = Item & {
-  payload: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined;
-};
diff --git a/database-bridge-lambda/src/imagingRequestCallout.ts b/database-bridge-lambda/src/imagingRequestCallout.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e5b1ddb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database-bridge-lambda/src/imagingRequestCallout.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import fetch from "node-fetch";
+import { getEnvironmentVariableOrThrow } from "shared/environmentVariables";
+import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
+
+export const performImagingRequest = async (item: ItemWithParsedPayload) => {
+  const gridId = (item.payload?.embeddableUrl as string)?.split("/").pop();
+  if (!gridId) {
+    throw new Error(`Couldn't extract grid ID from payload: ${item.payload}`);
+  }
+  const imagingRequestBody = {
+    workflowId: item.pinboardId,
+    pinboardItemId: item.id,
+    lastUser: item.userEmail,
+    notes: item.message, //TODO check for 256 max (probably limit in UI too)
+    requestType: item.payload?.requestType, // TODO tighten this up
+    gridId,
+    // composerId: TODO lookup somehow
+    // pubDate TODO scheduled launch vs some date field in workflow - what's worse wrong date or no date?
+    // section TODO lookup somehow
+    // story group name TODO (synced from InCopy most likely, if available)
+  };
+  console.log("Performing imaging request", imagingRequestBody);
+
+  process.env.NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED = "0"; // self-signed cert on imaging server, which fails SSL check, so ignore
+  const response = await fetch(
+    `https://${getEnvironmentVariableOrThrow(
+      "octopusImagingApiVpcEndpoint"
+    )}/v1/rgbimageorder`,
+    {
+      // note this travels via vpc endpoint, via VPN to specific machine(s) on office network, no need to auth at this point
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      },
+      body: JSON.stringify(imagingRequestBody),
+    }
+  );
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Imaging request failed: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`
+    );
+  }
+};
diff --git a/database-bridge-lambda/src/sql/Item.ts b/database-bridge-lambda/src/sql/Item.ts
index efe977a7..89b66278 100644
--- a/database-bridge-lambda/src/sql/Item.ts
+++ b/database-bridge-lambda/src/sql/Item.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ import {
   EditItemInput,
   Item,
   PinboardIdWithClaimCounts,
-} from "../../../shared/graphql/graphql";
-import { Sql } from "../../../shared/database/types";
-import { Range } from "../../../shared/types/grafanaType";
+} from "shared/graphql/graphql";
+import { Sql } from "shared/database/types";
+import { Range } from "shared/types/grafanaType";
+import { performImagingRequest } from "../imagingRequestCallout";
+import { IMAGING_REQUEST_ITEM_TYPE } from "shared/octopusImaging";
+import { ItemWithParsedPayload } from "shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload";
 
 const fragmentIndividualMentionsToMentionHandles = (
   sql: Sql,
@@ -59,10 +62,20 @@ export const createItem = async (
   args: { input: CreateItemInput },
   userEmail: string
 ) =>
-  sql`
+  sql.begin(async (sql) => {
+    const insertResult = (await sql`
         INSERT INTO "Item" ${sql({ userEmail, ...args.input })}
             RETURNING ${fragmentItemFields(sql, userEmail)}
-    `.then((rows) => rows[0]);
+    `.then((rows) => rows[0])) as ItemWithParsedPayload;
+    if (
+      insertResult.type === IMAGING_REQUEST_ITEM_TYPE &&
+      insertResult.payload
+    ) {
+      // if this throws, the SQL transaction should be rolled back
+      await performImagingRequest(insertResult);
+    }
+    return insertResult;
+  });
 
 export const editItem = async (
   sql: Sql,
diff --git a/shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts b/shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c39b1d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/types/ItemWithParsedPayload.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { Item } from "../graphql/graphql";
+
+export type ItemWithParsedPayload = Omit<Item, "payload"> & {
+  payload: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined;
+};