Can you make a pet portrait from an old or blurry photo?

Usually, yes. A portrait doesn't need a perfect photo. It needs one where we can make out your pet's face: their eyes, their markings and the shape of their ears. Plenty of old, soft or slightly blurry photos have that. If yours doesn't, we'll tell you before we start rather than send you something that doesn't look like them. Here's how a custom pet portrait from a photo works with older photos, and how to give it the best chance.

This comes up most often when a pet has died. If that's why you're here, we're sorry. We make memorial portraits often, and we take care with them.

Key takeaways

• A soft or grainy photo usually works if their face and eyes are visible.
• A printed photo is fine. Photograph it flat in daylight and send that.
• If you have several photos, choose the one with the clearest face, not the best memory.
• If we can't do them justice, we'll say so before we start.

What makes an old photo work

Our portraits redraw your pet in a clean, upright pose, so we don't need their whole body, a good background or a flattering angle. We do need to see:

• Their eyes, ideally both, open and facing roughly towards the camera.
• Their markings, clearly enough to know where the patches and colours sit.
• Their ears, and whether they stand up, flop or fold.

A slightly blurry photo where the face is visible often works better than a sharp one where they're looking away.

When a photo may not be enough

• Their face is mostly turned away or hidden.
• The photo is so dark or faded that their markings can't be made out.
• They're a tiny figure in the background of a larger scene.
• Heavy motion blur across the face.

Even then, send it. If it's close, a second photo that shows the markings or the other side of their face can fill the gaps. Reply to the email with your portrait and attach any others you have.

How to copy a printed photo

If your only photo is a print, you don't need a scanner. A phone does the job well if you set it up right:

1. Take the photo out of its frame or album sleeve, since glass and plastic add glare.
2. Lay it flat on a table near a window, in daylight but out of direct sun.
3. Hold your phone directly above it, parallel to the photo, so it isn't skewed.
4. Turn the flash off and fill the screen with the photo.
5. Check there's no shadow from your phone or hand across it, then take a few.

If you do have a scanner, scanning at a high resolution works well too.

Old phone photos and social media

• Find the original. A photo saved from Facebook or Instagram, or sent through a messaging app, is compressed. Look in your phone's photo library, an old phone, or a cloud backup for the original file.
• Skip screenshots. They lose detail. Send the photo itself.
• Check old video. A paused frame from a video can sometimes show their face better than any photo.

What happens after you order

We look at your photo before we start. If we have doubts, we'll get in touch and ask whether you have another. Once we've made the portrait, it comes to you for approval before anything is printed. You get one free round of changes, and if it still isn't right, a full refund as long as it hasn't gone to print.

With memorial portraits, small details matter more than usual. If the greying around their muzzle, a torn ear or the exact colour of their eyes isn't right, tell us. That's what the change round is for.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make a portrait of a pet who has passed away?

Yes, and we do this often. Send whatever photo you have and we'll work with it.

Can you combine details from two photos?

Yes. Send the one with the clearest face as the main photo, and a second one that shows anything it's missing, like markings on the other side.

Can I give a memorial portrait as a gift?

Yes, and it's often one of the most meaningful gifts someone receives. The portrait comes to you first, so you can check it before it goes anywhere.

Sources: Piri & Co FAQs; Piri & Co refund policy.