Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to supply photographs in digital format?

  In a perfect world, yes – but we can offer a transfer service if some of your precious memories are prints. Contact us for details.

• How many images will I need?

  The more images you can provide, the better the finished mosaic will be. As an example, a one-metre-square mosaic broken into cells measuring 25mm each will contain about 1,800 cells. If you can furnish us with more than that, the software has more choices to find the perfect match for each cell.
  
  If you can’t provide that many, there are tricks we can perform to increase your catalogue (see below). Bear in mind too that if all your pictures are of green fields and we're trying to create a mosaic of a pink face, something has to give!
  
  We'll be more than happy to look at your chosen base image and catalogue of photographs and advise the best way forward - there are some cunning things we can do to enhance the results.

• What's with the faces? What about Fido?

  Our brains are very attuned to finding faces amongst abstract shapes, and that's part of the secret of the appeal of these mosaics. If the mosaic is of something else - your car, your dog, your house, your horse, your company logo (we've done them all) - the detail needs to be sharper, which means it's better to have more pictures with more variety of colour and shape. Drop us a line to discuss your project - we're always happy to push the boundaries.

• How do I get my images to you?

  If you have a DropBox or OneDrive subscription, and enough space, you can share a folder with us. Many of our clients copy their images to DVD, SD card, or memory stick, and get them to us via the mail. Do remember to make a complete backup of all your precious images! We'll return your items to you if you want them back.

• How long does the whole process take?

  From the time we get your catalogue the normal process will be between 3-4 weeks for you to take delivery of your finished mosaic. Printing to photographic paper rather than canvas will take a few days off this time, while more specialised substrates might take longer.
  
  We'll contact you to review the finished mosaic before it goes off for printing. It's important you check it carefully - it's very easy to get a picture in there that's somehow inappropriate.

• Could you send me a bitmap image, so that I can have it printed close to home and save any shipping costs?

  Broadly, yes. If we print and ship a framed artwork to you, that will probably cost you more than if you use a printer near your home. It doesn't always follow, and bear in mind that your local printer might not be the obsessive perfectionist that ours is, but it's worth checking. Once you have the bitmap you could, of course, print as many as you like, and there's a copyright issue to consider there, but we will definitely discuss this option and you'll find us very accommodating.

• You mention "creating" additional images. What do you mean?

  Using digital techniques we can crop, divide and even recolour your original images. Another very successful option is to use face detection, which works particularly well for weddings and family gatherings where there are multiple faces in each shot and everyone's part of the celebration. The software adds in an extra zoomed crop for each individual face and that helps add more flesh colours into the mix.

• Do you only print to canvas or glossy paper?

  Not at all! You can have your image made into a poster, a rolled canvas, a professionally stretched and ready to hang canvas, a cushion, a rollerblind, a sheet of aluminium, a blanket, a floating acrylic sheet, and even as ceramic tiles for your bathroom....... In fact the options are endless. The finish on aluminium printing is fabulous, and acrylics always look fantastic too. We work with cutting edge digital printers in the UK so if you have an unusual request just ask - we love a challenge. If you followed The Big Picture project you'll know we created a mosaic on 288 large MDF boards. Giant banners for wall hangings? The world's biggest jigsaw? We've done it...!

• Mosaics - how much?

  There are two steps to the process - the first is us building the mosaic image, and the second is the printing element. Typically the bigger the final image, the more it will cost to print, and the more complex your requirement is, the more work's involved for us, and again the cost will rise.
  
  Not helpful? Okay... in the most common case, where we're building a mosaic from digital pictures you supply and printing onto canvas, a typical cost for a metre-square stretched canvas is UK£350, currently about US$590 or €440.

• Any famous customers?

  Perhaps not surprisingly, some of our customers would prefer to retain their privacy. One's a very famous rock and roller, another's a household-name newspaper baron, another's in the super-league of professional footballers, but that's all we're allowed to say!
  
  That said, most of our customers are people wanting to give family members or friends a very special gift, to celebrate a special occasion - a birthday, a wedding, retirement, and so on. A mosaic is a fabulous present - unique and very personal!