Photo guide

Getting the best portrait from your photo

The quality of your engraved portrait depends directly on the quality of your photograph. Here is what to look for, and what to avoid.

What makes a good photo

• Face forward, or close to it — we are engraving your pet's face, so the clearer it is, the more accurate the result
• Good natural lighting — daylight is best. Avoid harsh flash, which flattens features, and dim indoor light, which creates noise and shadow.
• Close-up — your pet should fill most of the frame. A small pet in a wide landscape will not give us enough detail to work with.
• In focus — a slightly blurry photo produces a slightly blurry engraving.

Dark and fluffy coats

We work with all coats — jet black dogs, long-haired cats, white Samoyeds, everything in between. The key is lighting: we need to see face structure and features, not just a silhouette.

If your pet has a dark coat, look for a photo taken in bright natural light, ideally outdoors. Side lighting — light coming from an angle rather than directly above — often reveals fur texture that front-on flash hides.

Not sure about your photo?

Send it anyway. After you order, we review every photo before starting work. If we need something different, we will tell you exactly what to look for, and you can send a replacement before we begin.

You will always see a digital proof before we make anything, so there are never any surprises at delivery.