Easy guide for choosing the right photo for your puzzle
1. Resolution
Make sure the picture is of high quality /resolution - DPI/. Generally, the higher DPI is better for bigger puzzles. For example: If you plan to order a 500 pcs photo puzzle, try to zoom the picture in your browser to about twice the size of your monitor/display. You will be able to see the aprx. print result. If the picture is blurry, most probably the print will be blurry as well. If not sure, please send the picture to "photocheck@venuspuzzle.com" for evaluation.
2. Use digital images
Pictures taken by digital cameras or smartphones are mostly suitable, but the screenshot quality is not suitable. If you wish to have a puzzle made from a slide photograph, a high-resolution scanner will be necessary. We do not suggest using scanned photographs.
3. Focus and background
Avoid to use images with extremely large single color areas, like sky, sea...etc. Of course, if part of an image belongs to beautiful bay, or amazing blue sky with small white clouds, all that is fine. However, sometimes we get images of a couple swimming in the sea with the same color sky above them, where 90% of the area is of similar color. Try to imagine assembling 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, where 900 pieces is of a blue, light blue or dark blue color.
4. No frames
Try to not use thin frames on the outside edge of the picture. There is a bleed area on each image which will be cropped when cutting the pieces. The frame may disappear or may not stay even on each side. Frames on images inside the photo collage are OK.
5. Aspect ratio
When ordering at our website shopping cart in Step#2 you will be prompted to crop your picture according to the selected puzzle aspect ratio. For example, if the image is too wide and there is content on each side, it will be hard to crop it without losing anything important.
If still in doubt, do not hesitate and send your photo to photocheck@venuspuzzle.com for evaluation.
How to choose the right photo for your paint-by-numbers?
1. Crop
It is essential to ensure that your images align with the aspect ratio of the selected canvas format. For instance, if you opt for the 35x50 canvas, the image's aspect ratio should be 1:1.42. The aspect ratios for each format are as follows:
35x50 - 1:1.42 (image must be of rectangular shape)
50x70 - 1:1.4 (image must be of rectangular shape)
50x50 -1:1 (image must be in square format)
For the best experience from your painting, your photo turns out as a masterpiece, crop out the unnecessary background for a better result, and keep the main subject in central focus.
We recommend selecting images with close-up shots better than far-away shots.
2. Focus and background
It is important for the image not to be blurry and to stay clear and sharp even after enlargement.
The main subject should be the focal point which makes the painting easier to paint more accurately. The clarity is vitally important as well, the more detail you can see in the image the better will be the painting areas.
Do not include blurry objects in the main focus.
3. Colors & Shading
Opt for colorful and vibrant images. Avoid monochrome or mono-color pictures, as they may not translate well into the paint-by-numbers format and you end up with many similar color pots.
The more colors the image contains the better the result.
Avoid pictures that are too dark or poorly lit, as they might make it difficult to distinguish the paint-by-numbers areas properly. Try to look for images that have good contrast between light and dark areas which makes the final painting more visually appealing.
