--- title: "FAQ: Custom Pet Portraits from Your Photo | Retro Reverence" description: "How our custom pet portraits work: choosing your photo, our design process, delivery times, revisions, and print-ready file sizes." lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is this just AI-generated?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The scene is our original design, and your portrait is built with our own studio software: AI assists the compositing step, but a designer matches your pet's markings from your photos, retouches by hand in Photoshop, and approves every portrait before delivery. Want a tweak after delivery? Just message us." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why does checkout happen on Etsy?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Retro Reverence is the same small studio behind our 4.9-star, 17,800+ sale shop on Etsy, running for 9 years. We use Etsy's checkout because it's a platform buyers already trust, with secure payment processing and buyer protection built in. You're ordering directly from the artist either way — Etsy is just how we handle the transaction for now." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will it actually look like my pet?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We capture your pet's essence: true coloring, eye color, and the essential markings a friend would recognize them by, interpreted in our vintage style. It's an artistic rendering, not a photographic replica. If anything looks off, message us — tweaks are included." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if I want changes to my portrait?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Just message us with what you'd like adjusted. Up to two rounds of tweaks are included free, and each round takes about 24-48 hours." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "My dog is tiny / my dog is huge, will this work?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Beautifully — every size finds table level. Bigger dogs rest a chin right on the table; smaller ones report from the edge, paws up. That's the design adapting to your dog." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What photos work best?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "See \"Choosing Your Photo\" above and the visual guide in the listing images. When in doubt, send a few — we'll pick the winner." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you do two pets in one portrait?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "This design seats one guest of honor best. Every portrait in our shop stars a single pet. Two pets? Two portraits hung side by side make a wonderful pair." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How fast will I get it?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Your finished portrait arrives within 3 business days of receiving your uploaded snapshots, often sooner. Need it faster? Add our Rush upgrade to your cart for delivery in 1 business day after receiving your uploaded snapshots." } } ] } --- [![Retro Reverence brand mark: the studio name in vintage serif lettering above a decorative flourish](/__l5e/assets-v1/19b7250e-3685-4e61-903a-e90e6b45c2fa/retro-reverence-logo.jpg)Retro Reverence ](/) [Home](/)[Cat Portraits](/cat-portraits)[Dog Portraits](/dog-portraits)[Holiday Gifts](/holiday-pet-portraits)[About](/about)[Blog](/blog)[FAQ](/faq)[Shop on Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroReverenceArt) Questions & Answers # Custom Pet Portraits, Explained Everything about choosing your photo, how each portrait is made, and what arrives in your inbox — for cats and dogs alike. ## Choosing Your Photo Your photo tells us how your pet LOOKS: coloring, eye color, and essential markings. The pose and scene come from the artwork. A great photo makes a great portrait, so please check these six things: 1. 01 ### Face the camera Both eyes, the full muzzle, and both ears visible. (A three-quarter body turn is fine, as long as the face itself is toward the lens, not turned away.) 2. 02 ### Sharp Zoom in on the face — if you can't see individual fur strands, retake it. No motion blur. 3. 03 ### Bright, natural light Daylight or window light. No dim rooms, lamp glow, or flash — we need your pet's true colors. 4. 04 ### Close, but not cropped Near enough to see facial detail, with the whole head, ears, and chest still in frame. 5. 05 ### Their natural look No costumes, outfits, or accessories. (Collar on or off in the artwork? Tell us at checkout.) 6. 06 ### The original file Full-size, straight from your phone. No screenshots, filters, or photos texted between phones (texting shrinks them). Unsure between a few? Send them all and we'll pick the winner. ## How It Works 1. 1 ### Place your order Add to cart and check out. You'll share your pet's details next. 2. 2 ### Send your snapshots After you order, we'll send you a private link to upload your best photos at full size. Keep your Etsy order number handy. 3. 3 ### Perfected by hand Your pet is placed into our original artwork, then a real designer matches markings and colors to your photos and retouches by hand. Your finished portrait is ready within 3 business days of receiving your uploaded snapshots. 4. 4 ### Download & enjoy Download your print-ready file and print it anywhere. Want a tweak? Simply message us with your request. Prefer it printed? You can take the digital file to any local or online print shop, or check our print partner options on Etsy. ## About Our Process Every scene in our shop is an original design, digitally illustrated in a vintage, painterly style. Placing your pet into it isn't a one-click trick: our own custom-built studio software uses AI-assisted compositing to fit your pet into the artwork, and then a real designer takes over — checking your pet's markings and colors against your photos, retouching in Photoshop where needed, and approving every portrait personally before it reaches you. The technology speeds up the process; the judgment, corrections, and finishing are human. ## FAQ Is this just AI-generated? Why does checkout happen on Etsy? Will it actually look like my pet? What if I want changes to my portrait? My dog is tiny / my dog is huge, will this work? What photos work best? Can you do two pets in one portrait? How fast will I get it? ## What You Get A made-to-order, high-resolution digital file of your finished portrait, print-ready at 8x10, 12x15, 16x20, and 24x30 inches — right up to the largest size we offer as art prints. The file also fits the standard European 40x50 cm frame with no cropping. Printing at 11x14? Your print shop simply trims a hair to fit. Nothing for you to do. This is not an instant download: every portrait is made individually from your photo. ![](/assets/crest-De7PXCRD.png) ## Start your pet's portrait $34 · made to order · high-resolution digital download · reviewed and approved by a real designer before it reaches you. [Shop Cat Portraits](/cat-portraits)[Shop Dog Portraits](/dog-portraits) ![](/assets/crest-De7PXCRD.png) Retro Reverence Original fine art with a modern design and a vintage aesthetic. Handcrafted in the USA. 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