Recommendations

There are four recommendations to keep in mind when choosing your image for best results. These are: 

✅ Image resolution/quality.

✅ Distance from the image subject

✅ Canvas size

✅ Good lighting.

 

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your photo follows the guidelines. We will process the image received, so you must read carefully the items below and select your picture accordingly.

 

1 - Image resolution/quality

The quality of your photo will greatly affect your custom painting result. The image resolution depends on how many dpi (dots per inch) it has. What is DPI, and why is it important? If an image has 300 dots per inch (dpi), that means that there is a lot of detail or information within that 1 square inch, while an image that has only 72 dpi has very little detail.

Browsers typically use 72 dpi (the bare minimum, so images are lighter and can load faster), and while your image might look okay on your screen, we're talking painting kits here. Always go for the highest dpi & size possible. The larger the file, the more detail we will be able to capture. Most mobile phones have 72 dpi, which is the lowest and most common, so if you don't have a raw camera file with higher dpi, try to get the maximum size (and 4000x4000 pixels image will always be better than a 700x700 pixels image). 

The two images below will look almost identical at first glance:

However, we can clearly see the lack of detail in the low-resolution image vs. the higher resolution photo when zooming in. The latter will produce a much higher quality custom painting. 

 

 

This quick zoom test is a great tool to know how good your photo is. You can also check the image properties on your mobile or desktop. The higher dpi and the more pixels, the better. If you don't know how to check your image resolution, here's a quick guide to do so on Windows and Mac.

This one is especially relevant for portraits (or any picture with people in it!). Make sure that the faces are closer to the camera! The further away, the fewer details we can capture. As a rule of thumb, the subject/s of the photo should take at least 70% of the image canvas. Face selfies will work best!

 

 

For example, while the daisy below would do great with the smallest canvas size (12x16"), the city center shot would lose much detail. It will do much better in a 16x20" or larger canvas.

Light and shadows can impact your custom kit outcome. You need to make sure that your photo has:

 

Please note that submitting a picture that fails to follow these recommendations might cause delays in your order and a result below your expectations. If you have any questions, feel free to email us your picture in advance at support@canvasbynumbers.com so we can have a look. Happy painting!