Custom Pet Portraits: Buying Guide to Sizes, Prices & Ordering

What is a custom pet portrait?

A custom pet portrait is artwork built around your pet rather than a stock image of the breed: the shape of the face, the markings, the eye color and the way the fur falls all come from your photo. It is then finished as a canvas, an art print, a framed piece or a high-res digital file.

Think of it as a personalized pet portrait with three layers you control. First the art style, then the format and size, and finally the personal touches: your pet's name, an optional second line, the lettering, the background and the frame. Get those three right and the portrait looks like it was made for one specific animal, because it was.

How do you order a custom pet portrait from a photo?

Many shops ask you to pay first and wait a day or two for a proof. Ordering a custom pet portrait from a photo here works the other way around: the art appears while you're still choosing, and nothing is charged until you check out. The customizer has three steps.

Which style should you choose?

Style is the biggest creative choice, so here's the short version. For the full tour of every look, read our guide to pet portraits and their styles.

• Modern watercolor (custom pet portrait): soft, clean and easy to place in any room, with your pet's name printed on it. A favorite choice for memorials and minimalist homes.
• Character (character pet portrait): your pet as The King, The Queen, a Renaissance Noble, The Admiral, The General, an Astronaut, a Superhero or a gentle angel. Funny, grand and a classic for living rooms.
• Christmas (Christmas pet portrait): Santa Paws, a Christmas sweater, reindeer antlers or a snowy watercolor. Seasonal, and a great gift from November on.
• Vintage, pop art and cartoon: bold, graphic looks with lots of personality. See the style gallery to compare them side by side.

What sizes and formats are there, and what do they cost?

Every portrait family shares the same sizes and prices, so you can choose the style you love and then the format that fits your wall and budget. Prices below are for one pet; each extra pet adds $15.

• 8″ × 10″: shelves, desks, nightstands and gallery walls.
• 12″ × 16″: a popular gift size for bedrooms, hallways and above a dresser.
• 16″ × 20″: the sweet spot for most living rooms and offices.
• 18″ × 24″: fills the wall above a standard sofa or headboard on its own.
• 24″ × 36″: statement scale for open-plan rooms and tall walls.

Canvas or print, framed or not?

Canvas is hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, so it looks like a painting and hangs straight out of the box. Add a floating frame in black, walnut or white and the canvas sits inside with a small shadow gap, which gives it a finished, gallery feel.

An art print is on 189 gsm enhanced matte paper and is the most affordable way to go big. Add a solid wood frame in black, natural oak or white with a shatterproof acrylic front and it arrives ready to hang, too.

A simple decision rule: if the room is warm and traditional, choose canvas; if it's modern and crisp, choose a framed print. If you're unsure, a framed canvas suits almost anywhere.

Want the file as well? On any print or canvas you can add the high-res digital file for $9.99 in the cart, which is handy for sharing on social media or printing a small copy for a grandparent.

Backgrounds, including the rainbow option

The modern watercolor, line art and cartoon styles are painted as a cut-out, so you choose what sits behind your pet: White, Cream, Blush, Sage, Charcoal or Rainbow. The background always stays behind the portrait; it never covers your pet's face or the name.

Match the background to the room, not just the pet. Cream and sage feel calm in bedrooms, white looks crisp in a modern space, and charcoal makes light-coated pets glow. The rainbow background is a gentle choice for a memorial portrait, a nod to the Rainbow Bridge. Character and Christmas portraits come with their own painted scenery instead.

How does the name lettering work?

Your pet's name (up to 18 characters) is printed on the portrait, with an optional second line of up to 28 characters underneath. Popular second lines are a gotcha day, "Est. 2019", a nickname or, for a memorial, the years.

There are three free lettering styles: Classic (clean capitals), Elegant (refined and airy) and Handwritten (a personal, script feel). For the name color, leave it on Auto and we pick the best contrast for your background, or choose black, white, gold, red or green yourself. Gold on charcoal and black on cream are both lovely.

Can you put multiple pets in one portrait?

Yes. Choose 2, 3 or 4 pets on the first step and upload one photo of each; they don't need to be photographed together. Every extra pet is $15, so a two-pet 16″ × 20″ canvas is $164.99.

Pick photos with similar angles and lighting so the pets look like they belong in one scene. If one pet is a puppy and the other a senior, that's fine; the art is built from each photo separately.

What makes a good photo for a pet portrait?

The photo decides more about the result than anything else, because every detail comes from it. Our guide on how to take pet pictures goes deeper, but these rules cover most of it:

• Use soft daylight from a window; skip the flash, which flattens fur and makes eyes glow.
• Shoot at your pet's eye level, not from above.
• Keep both ears and the whole head in the frame, with a little space around it.
• Make sure the eyes are sharp, and avoid filters and portrait-mode blur on the face.
• Got the perfect photo but the pet is tiny in it? Use the crop tool before uploading.

How long do custom pet portraits take to arrive?

The preview takes seconds. Once you order, prints and canvases are made in the USA in 2–4 business days and delivered in about 3–5 business days after that, so plan on one to two weeks door to door. Digital downloads are emailed within one business day.

Shipping is a flat $6.99 in the US and free on orders over $75, which covers most canvases. In a hurry? A digital download is emailed within one business day. You can read more on our shipping page.

Ordering a custom pet portrait as a gift

Enter their address at checkout and the order ships straight to them; packing slips never show prices. For a personal touch, add a greeting card with their pet's portrait in the cart. If you can't get a photo without spoiling the surprise, choose Send photo later and the recipient can share one.

Timing is the part people get wrong. Allow two weeks for birthdays and anniversaries, choose a digital download if you're inside that window, and for Christmas order by December 10 for delivery before the holiday in the continental US. A digital download works as a last-minute gift any day. Buying for the whole family? Bundles save 15% on two items, 20% on three and 25% on five or more, and a matching pet ornament is a sweet add-on.

For more ideas by recipient, see our guides to custom dog portraits, custom cat portraits and gifts for pet lovers.

What to check in your preview before you buy

Take thirty seconds on the review step. It's the cheapest moment to fix anything.

• The face: do the markings, eye color and ear shape look like your pet? If not, try a sharper photo and redo it.
• The name: spelling, capitals and the second line, letter by letter.
• Contrast: is the name easy to read on the background you chose?
• Size and frame: the summary lists both; tap Change if either is wrong.
• Number of pets: everyone included, nobody missing.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most regrets with custom pet portraits come from a handful of avoidable mistakes:

• Going too small. A portrait that looks big on your phone can disappear on a wall; above a sofa, 18″ × 24″ or larger usually looks right.
• Using a dark or blurry photo. If you can't see the whiskers, the art can't either.
• Rushing the name. A typo is printed exactly as typed.
• Ordering a gift too late. Production plus shipping is about one to two weeks.
• Mixing very different photos in a multi-pet portrait, such as one indoor shot at night and one bright outdoor shot.

What if you don't love it?

You see the actual artwork before paying and can redo it as often as you like, so surprises are rare. If something still isn't right, every order is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee; details are on our returns page. And 10% of every order goes, in full, to animal rescue.

Frequently asked questions