Q: What photos can I use?
A: Any photo you like! There are a few guidelines we'd like to offer, though.

STEP 1 - PICK YOUR PHOTO
You can use any photo you'd like - but remember that the better the photo, the better the finished Picture-Weave product. We have a few suggestions, listed below:

• SIZE: Any photo will work. We prefer photos larger than 5x7. For digital photographs, please make sure that they were taken by a 1 mega pixel or better camera.
• CONTRAST: A high contrast photo works the best. A black dog on a black couch in a dark room will not yield the best results. Conversely, a white dog in the snow will not work well, either. If your main subject is brightly lit and the background is somewhat dark, the results will be brilliant! Please avoid dark shadows on the face or subject.
• FOCUS: Make sure your subject is sharp. The better the focus, the better the final piece will be.
• COLOR: We can use black and white or color.
• COMPOSITION: Keep it simple. Make sure that your subject occupies 60-80% of the photo. This is not an absolute necessity, but it will make for a better finished piece.

• Creative cropping of your photo will result in a better composition, and ultimately, a better finished piece. If you would like us to crop your photo to best show the subject matter, please indicate so when you place your order.
•  
• High contrast - a nice, high contrast photo will always work best. If there is a good delineation between lights and darks, good detail in the subject and a balance in contrast, your blanket or wall hanging will turn out beautifully.
•  
• Large Subject Matter - if your subject matter (a person, a pet, a building, etc) takes up the majority of the photo, you will be able to see more detail and the colors will be more vibrant and true-to-life. If the subject is too small, you might consider cropping the photo so that the subject takes up roughly 60-80% of the image.
  

• Color - try to choose a photograph with realistic coloring. If the face in the photograph is bright pink, chances are that your Portrait-Weave product will not look as realistic as you hope. Try to pick a photo with good skin tones, nice colors and one that is not too faded or old. Remember, while we will do some minor color correction and tone enhancements, what you send is what you will receive. The better and more realistic your photo is, the happier you will be with the finished product.
• Old Photos - while we can certainly make your Portrait-Weave product from any photo, older photographs are not always the best choice. They can be faded or the color can change over time. For best results, pick the clearest, most color-rich older photograph you have.
• Focus - please make sure that the photo you send is in focus. We can do minimal sharpening, but a crisp photo will always work best
• Black & White Photos - we can create your Portrait-Weaver product from a black and white photo. No problem!

Q: What about Digital Photography?
A: No problem! You can send your camera files to us directly. We recommend that you use at least a 2 mega pixel camera or higher. If you send as a JPEG, please make sure to use minimal compression. If you over-compress, the image will be blurry and pixilated. It is better to send a larger file as opposed to a smaller file. Please follow the above suggestions, as it will help yield the best finished piece.

Q: How many people/pets/buildings can I have in my photo?
A: You can have as many as you'd like, but remember that the smaller the detail, the less likely it is to show up in a woven piece. A blanket with a couple of large faces will yield higher detail in those faces compared to a photo with 10 people in it.

Q: How long will it take?
A: 4-6 weeks. Often, much faster. A lot of that depends on the time of year and the number of orders we have.

Q: Are these products printed?
A: No! These products are jacquard woven, 100% cotton. Never printed.

Q: Will the images and colors fade?
A: No! The images are woven of 100% cotton, so they will never fade - even after repeated washings.

Q: Are these products washable?
A: Absolutely. Our products are machine washable. We recommend cold water and tumble drying on the lowest setting.