Custom Paint by Numbers From a Photo: How to Choose the Right Kit

Last updated: 23 October 2026 · Written by Marcus Richardson, founder of Paint A Moment

Are custom paint by numbers from a photo worth it?

For most people, yes, as long as you start with a good photo and choose a seller who converts it carefully. The real value is twofold: hours of calm, screen-free focus while you paint, and a finished keepsake you made yourself. Disappointment almost always traces back to a blurry photo or a rushed, low-colour conversion, not to the format itself.

They suit a wide range of people: beginners who want guidance rather than a blank canvas, gift-givers marking a birthday, anniversary or memorial, and pet owners who want a portrait without commissioning an artist. We have prepared thousands of custom kits over the years, and our own custom kit alone carries 1,342 reviews at an average of 4.9 out of 5, so the demand and the satisfaction are real when the kit is made properly.

What to look for in a custom paint by numbers service

Not all custom kits are made to the same standard. Before you order, check the seller against these criteria. This is the single most useful thing you can do to avoid a let-down.

How to choose the best photo (this makes or breaks it)

The finished painting can only be as good as the photo you send. A sharp, well-lit photo gives the artist clean lines and clear colour to work from; a dark or blurry one forces guesswork.

• Good light: natural daylight is ideal. Avoid harsh shadows and heavy filters.
• Sharp focus: the main subject should be crisp, not soft or motion-blurred.
• Get close: fill the frame with the subject. A face or pet should be large in the photo, not a small part of a busy scene.
• One clear subject: simple backgrounds convert better than cluttered ones.
• High resolution: a larger, higher-quality file always converts better than a small screenshot.

We cover this in more depth in our guide on how to turn a photo into a paint by numbers kit.

You can also test a photo before you spend anything. Our free paint by numbers generator converts it to a numbered template in your browser, so you can see how much of the detail survives being reduced to a flat palette.

Colours and difficulty: what to expect

More colours give you more realistic detail and softer blends, but they also make the painting more demanding because the sections are smaller. Fewer colours are easier and give a bolder, more graphic look. If you already know you want maximum detail and do not need a custom photo, our advanced paint by number kits are pre-designed at the highest colour counts and section complexity. If you are buying for a beginner, a slightly lower colour count and a larger canvas is the kinder choice.

If this is someone's first time painting, start with our complete beginner's guide to paint by numbers first, and browsing our easy kits to see what a beginner-friendly design looks like.

Turnaround, shipping and framing

Because every custom kit is printed and prepared to order, expect a short made-to-order lead time on top of normal shipping. Ours is 3 to 5 working days before dispatch, then tracked delivery of 5 to 7 working days to the UK and the US, 7 to 10 to Europe and 10 to 14 to the rest of the world, free wherever you are. Add the two numbers together when you are working backwards from a birthday, because a brand that quotes a fast dispatch can still be the slower one to your door.

When it comes to display, you will usually be offered the canvas rolled, a DIY frame kit you assemble, or a pre-stretched canvas that is ready to hang once painted. The middle of our own three formats is the one people misread most, so here is what each box actually holds. No Frame is the rolled canvas, cheapest to post, and you frame it yourself later. DIY Frame arrives as four wooden frame pieces, thumb tacks to attach the canvas once it is painted, and hangers, so you assemble it at the end rather than painting on a frame. Pre-Framed arrives already stretched, and you paint it in place.

What should a custom paint by numbers kit cost?

Across the UK brands we compared in September 2026, a rolled custom canvas at the smallest size mostly runs between about £25 and £40, frames add £5 to £20, and the largest canvases reach £70 to £90. Almost nobody publishes the full grid, which makes comparing two brands harder than it should be. Here is ours in full, read from the live product on 23 October 2026, so you have at least one complete set of numbers to measure the others against. Every price is the 24-colour version.

Colours sit on top of those figures and the uplift does not change with size or format: £7 for 36 colours, £12 for 48. A 40x50cm rolled canvas at 48 colours, which is what we would suggest for a single face or pet, comes to £50.99. The top of the range is £93.99 for a 60x80cm DIY-framed canvas at 48 colours.

Two combinations do not exist, and it is better to know now than at the checkout. 60x80cm is not made pre-framed, so the biggest canvas is rolled or DIY-framed only. 20x30cm has no 48-colour option, because at that size the numbered sections become too small to get a brush into. Everything else is made, which comes to 57 combinations of size, format and colour count.

How to judge reviews on a custom kit

The checklist above asks for genuine, recent reviews, which is the easiest item on it to dress up. A review score a brand hosts on its own site is useful but it is not independent, and that includes ours, so take both of our numbers rather than one.

On our own site the custom kit shows 4.9 out of 5 from 1,342 reviews, most of which came with us from MegaPaws, the pet paint by numbers shop we ran on Etsy before Paint A Moment. If you would rather weigh a score nobody at our end controls, we also sell as PaintAMomentShop on Etsy, where the rating is held and shown by Etsy: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,426 reviews across 9,710 sales, and the shop has traded there since 2020. Those figures were read from the Etsy shop on 23 October 2026. Apply the same test to any brand you are considering. If the only score is one they host, and the custom kit has no reviews of its own separate from the brand, read it as a softer signal than it looks.

An honest pre-order checklist

• Have I picked a sharp, well-lit, close-up photo?
• Does the seller match the colour count and size to the subject?
• Is the production and shipping time clearly stated?
• Is there a guarantee if something is wrong?
• Are there genuine, recent reviews with buyer photos?
• Have I chosen the right frame option for how it will be displayed?

How we approach it at Paint A Moment

We built this guide around the criteria above because they are the ones that decide whether a custom kit works out. Our custom kits are prepared to order with colour-matched paints, in seven sizes and three frame options, with free tracked worldwide shipping. We will send you the converted design to look at before it is printed if you ask for one, which is the check we would want as a buyer. A personalised kit cannot be refunded, because it is made from your photograph and cannot be resold, and we replace it only where there is a genuine defect or quality problem, with photos, inside 30 days. Our ready-made designs carry a wider 30-day happiness guarantee. The custom kit carries 1,342 reviews at 4.9 out of 5. If you want to see it, here is our custom paint by numbers kit.

Looking for a gift rather than a personal project? Our paint by numbers gift ideas guide walks through occasions and who each kit suits, and our animals collection is a good starting point if a pet is the subject.

Frequently asked questions

Are custom paint by numbers hard for beginners?

No. A custom kit gives you a numbered canvas and matched paints, so you are following a clear guide rather than painting freehand. For a first-timer, choose a larger canvas and a lower colour count: 40x50cm at 24 or 36 colours is far kinder than 20x30cm at 36.

How long does a custom paint by numbers take?

Two timeframes matter. Production is 3 to 5 working days before dispatch at Paint A Moment, then tracked delivery of 5 to 7 working days to the UK and the US, 7 to 10 to Europe and 10 to 14 elsewhere. Painting it is the longer half. Our own difficulty grading puts 5 to 10 hours on a beginner design, 15 to 25 on an intermediate one and 25 to 40 or more on an advanced one, measured on a 40x50cm canvas, and a higher colour count pushes a custom kit up those bands. Our guide to how long paint by numbers takes breaks that down.

How much does a custom paint by numbers kit cost?

Ours runs from £21.99 for a rolled 20x30cm canvas at 24 colours to £93.99 for a 60x80cm DIY-framed canvas at 48 colours. The DIY frame adds £8 to £12 depending on size, pre-framing adds £17 to £22, and extra colours add £7 for 36 or £12 for 48. Across the UK brands we checked, the smallest rolled canvas sits between about £25 and £40.

Can I see the design before it is printed?

With us, yes, if you ask. Send the request with your order and we will email the converted design so you can check the crop, the eyes and the background before anything goes to print. It is not automatic, so you do need to ask for it, and not every brand offers it at all.

Can you make a custom kit of pets, people or groups?

Yes. Pets, single portraits, couples, families and favourite places all work. Clear, close-up photos of each subject give the best result. For two or more faces, go up to 50x60cm or larger, or the features end up too small to paint.

Can a personalised kit be returned?

Not for a change of mind. A kit made from your own photograph cannot be resold, so there is no refund on one. If it arrives with a genuine defect or quality problem, send us photos within 30 days and we will replace it. Our ready-made designs are different and carry a 30-day happiness guarantee.

Painting a dog, cat or horse? See our dedicated guide to custom pet paint by numbers for photo tips by coat type and the detail level to choose.