Get it right the first time
Choosing the right photo
The portrait can only be as good as the photo it starts from. Two minutes here saves days of back-and-forth later.
What we need
One photo. It does not have to be professional — a phone photo in daylight is usually perfect.
Works well
- Good light, ideally daylight near a window or outdoors
- Your pet facing the camera, both eyes visible
- Taken at your pet’s eye level, not from above
- Sharp and in focus — you can see individual hairs
- The full head and shoulders in frame
- The largest version of the file you have, straight from the camera roll
Causes problems
- Dark rooms, heavy shadow across the face, or strong backlight
- Blurry or motion-blurred shots
- Photos taken from far away then cropped in hard
- Screenshots, or images saved from social media
- Heavy filters, beauty modes or portrait-mode blur on the fur
- Sunglasses, costumes or hands covering part of the face
What our artists can and cannot do
We can
Remove the background, remove a collar or leash, brighten a slightly dark photo, and adjust colour balance.
We can, on request
Combine two pets into one artwork, or add a name and date. Email us before ordering so we can confirm.
We cannot
Invent detail that is not in the photo. If the eyes are blurred or the face is in shadow, no amount of editing recovers it.
How to send it
Upload your photo in the personalisation box on the product page before adding to cart. If you have several photos and are not sure which is best, send them to cs@portrapet.com with your order number and we will tell you which one will print best.
We check every photo by eye before production starts. If yours will not print well, we email you before making anything — we would rather ask than send you a portrait you are unhappy with.
Found the right photo?
Pick a style and upload it — we will take care of the rest.