Which Photos Work Best

Two minutes here saves three weeks of disappointment. A paint-by-numbers canvas works by breaking your photo into flat regions of colour, so anything the camera did not capture clearly cannot be painted back in.

Photos that work well

the subject fills most of the frame; the light is soft and even, ideally from a window or open shade; faces are large, lit from the front, and not in shadow; the background is simple; the photo is at least 1200 pixels on its long edge, which any phone from the last ten years produces.

Photos to avoid

the subject is small or far away; strong backlight, so the face is dark against a bright sky; harsh midday sun that puts hard shadow across half a face; very low light or heavy phone night mode, which turns skin into mush; screenshots, or photos of photos; more than three people on a 40 x 50 cm canvas.

Group photos

every extra person means fewer regions for each face. One or two people work at any size. Available sizes are 30 x 40 cm and 40 x 50 cm. For group photos, choose 40 x 50 cm with 48 colours and make sure the faces are large and clearly visible. We review your photo and provide a digital proof before printing.

Pet photos

pets are the most forgiving subject we print. Fur is texture rather than exact structure, so it survives the conversion far better than a human face. If you are unsure, start with the dog.

We check your photo

Upload the photo anyway. We check every image by hand and send you a proof showing exactly how it will look as a numbered canvas. If it is not right, we redo it, as many times as needed, and nothing is printed until you say so.