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 paint beautifully: 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 that struggle: 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. About group photos: every extra person means fewer regions for each face. One or two people work at any size. For three or more, choose 50 x 60 cm at 48 colours. About pets: 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. You do not have to guess. 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.