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5 Things To Look For When Purchasing A Custom Pet Portrait

Written by: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| Published on July 30, 2021

Custom pet portraits have become all the rage recently and for good reason. They allow us to create a lasting memory of our fur babies and they also make for perfect birthday and Christmas gifts.

But with so many pet portrait artists out there, how do you know which one to choose? We’ve done some digging to help you identify the top five things to look for when choosing the perfect portrait for your fur baby.

What To Look For When Purchasing A Custom Pet Portrait

1.  Do They Offer A Satisfaction Guarantee?

This is one of the most important things to look out for. Most pet portrait companies don’t offer these, but some do. What this typically means is that they will make any revisions you require before printing your pet portrait. This is a huge benefit as it ensures you’re going to be happy with the final design.

2.  Do They Use Quality Material And Printing Techniques?

A critical factor is whether the paper is museum grade or if it comes with a color guarantee. Most top quality pet portrait brands will provide both of these. This ensures the color does not fade over time or the paper does not turn yellow as it ages. Also look out for the printing technique they use to ensure a larger spectrum of tones and highlights. The highest quality printing technique right now tends to be Giclee printing.

3.  What Range Of Pet Portrait Products Do They Offer?

With certain companies, once you purchase your initial pet portrait you can get it printed on other products at a discounted rate. A great brand for this is Designer Pet Portraits who offer a huge range of products. In some instances, you may be able to get your portrait printed on your phone case, personalized dog mug or even your living room cushions. If you’ve already had your fur baby portrait designed it’s much cheaper and easier to add them to another product.

4.  How Much Detail Do They Use?

For the more popular modern pet portraits there is a lot of variation in terms of detail and quality in the pet portrait market. Essentially, the more detail the better. This means the artist has ultimately invested more time on the vector artwork and added in additional shades of colour which gives the pet portrait an almost 3D looking effect. For the renaissance style pet portraits the detail mostly lies in how the artist has retouched the shadow and lighting to make the portrait look as realistic as possible.

5.  How Quickly Do They Deliver?

This is a no-brainer. After you’ve placed your order you want to be able to enjoy your portrait as soon as possible. Keep a look out for the term ‘local production’ which ensures they produce the portrait domestically. This ensures you’re not going to be waiting months before you get your pet portrait in your hands.

Looking for the perfect pet portrait can be a difficult task with so many options in the market today. Be sure that your pet portrait provider ticks all of the above boxes before you purchase and you won’t be disappointed.

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