Christmas Personalised Gift: Order Dates and Ideas
The trouble with a Christmas personalised gift is that somebody has to make it. A portrait drawn from your photo, or a print with your own words on it, can't be pulled off a warehouse shelf on the 22nd. In practice that matters less than people expect, because most custom work now arrives as a digital file rather than a parcel.
This guide is about the last fortnight before Christmas: what can still be made in time, and what to send so the order goes smoothly.
If the gift is a digital file, you can leave it surprisingly late. Most line-art and watercolour portraits are delivered within one to two days, and printing and framing take another day or two on top. Posted prints are a different matter. Check your postal service's last posting dates before you count on one.
Why a digital Christmas personalised gift is the safe late order
A posted gift has to wait in two queues. One is the artist's, and in December the other is the post, and you can't hurry either of them.
A digital file skips the post entirely. When the artwork is finished it goes straight to your inbox, and all that's left is printing it at home or at a local print shop, often on the same day.
How long a custom portrait actually takes
The drawing is rarely the slow part. Most delays come from the messages before it starts, usually about a photo that's too dark or a name missing from the notes. Sort those out when you order and a portrait ordered on a Monday can be on your screen by Wednesday.
Leave room for one round of changes. Small edits, like moving a name or softening a background colour, are quick to make. They still need a reply from you and then one from the artist, and in December that back-and-forth is where a day can quietly go.
When a posted print still makes sense
Sometimes the person lives abroad, or you won't see them before Christmas, and a print arriving at their door feels more finished than a file in an email. If that's the plan, order in November.
The other option is to email the file to someone who lives near them and ask them to get it printed locally.
What a digital order needs from you
Almost all the time you can save on a custom order is saved before any drawing starts. It helps to have these ready when you order:
- One clear photo per person or pet, taken in daylight, with the face sharp when you zoom in.
- A photo where the subject is looking roughly towards the camera, not squinting into the sun.
- Names spelled exactly as you want them, including capitals and any accents.
- Any date, place or song lyric, copied and pasted rather than typed from memory.
- The print size you plan to use, such as A4 or 8x10 inches, so the file is set up for it.
- A note on colour if it matters, for example matching a sitting room that is mostly greens.
- Your email address, checked twice, since that is where the file will arrive.
- Your deadline, stated plainly in the order notes.
Phone photos are fine. Screenshots from social media are the problem, because they've usually been compressed until fur and hair turn to mush. If you can, dig out the original in your camera roll and send that instead.
When you've chosen your photo, have a look at the line-art and watercolour portrait styles at OpenHeartLines, the Etsy shop behind the portraits on this journal, and pick whichever suits the person you're buying for. Pet line art starts from $20 and arrives as a file in one to two days. Put the date you need it by in the order notes.
Personalised Christmas gift ideas that print well at home
Line art is the easiest thing to print at home, since it's mostly clean black lines on white paper. A dense watercolour with big dark areas can come out streaky on a cheaper printer. So for a late order, these are the ideas I'd lean towards.
A pet portrait for the person who talks about the dog
If you want the biggest reaction for the least effort on your part, it's usually this one. All you need is one good photo. Single-line pet portraits print cleanly at almost any size and look right in a plain white frame on a desk or a shelf.
If the pet died this year, the gift needs a bit more care. We've written separately about choosing a pet memorial gift, which may help.
A custom map of a place that matters
A map of the street where a couple met, or the town someone grew up in, doesn't need a photo at all. You send the location and the words you'd like underneath. That makes it one of the quickest custom prints to order in December.
A Christmas gift for her: lyrics or a letter
For a partner or your mum, a print of song lyrics or a few lines from an old letter is often the piece that stays on the wall longest. Choosing the words takes the time. I'd keep it to eight lines or fewer, because a whole verse squeezed onto A4 is hard to read from across a room. How much text looks right is partly a matter of taste, though.
A family portrait from separate photos
Families who are never in one place can still be drawn together. The artist can combine people from different photos, but it adds a little time, so mention it in the original order rather than in a follow-up message. Photos with similar lighting help the finished piece read as one scene.
Printing and framing a custom Christmas print in the last week
Decide where you'll print the file before it lands in your inbox. At home, use the heaviest matte paper your printer will take and set the quality as high as it goes. Run one test copy on plain paper first to check the size. Our guide to printing digital art at home goes into paper weights and printer settings in more detail.
For anything bigger than A4, or a watercolour with deep colour, a local print shop will do a better job. Many will print while you wait if you email the file ahead. I'd ask them for matte paper. Gloss picks up every reflection from the ceiling lights.
Buy the frame before the file arrives. A4 and 8x10 inch frames are easy to find in December. Odd sizes are not, and that's where late orders most often come unstuck.
Ordering a last minute personalised gift without panicking
Most of the stress in the last week comes from decisions put off until after ordering. Make them first, and the week itself is mostly waiting for an email.
Seven or eight days out, choose the photo and the words, then place the order with your deadline in the notes. That leaves time for a revision and for printing, with a day spare.
Four or five days out, watch your inbox for proofs or questions, and check the spam folder as well. A quick reply here makes more difference than anything else you do that week.
Two or three days out, print and frame. If the printer plays up, there's still time to take the file to a shop.
If you'd like something made for this Christmas, you can order a custom portrait from the shop whenever you're ready. Put your deadline in the order notes so it's the first thing the artist sees.
Frequently asked questions
How late can I order a personalised Christmas gift?
For a digital file, about a week before Christmas is comfortable. Most portraits are delivered within one to two days, which leaves time for one round of changes and for printing at home or in a shop. You can order later, but you lose that buffer if a photo needs replacing or the printer runs out of ink.
What kind of photo works best for a custom portrait?
The best photo is clear and well lit, with the face sharp when you zoom in. Daylight from a window is ideal. Avoid screenshots from social media and photos where the subject is tiny in the frame. If you only have a few to choose from, send two or three and let the artist say which will draw best.
Can I print a digital portrait myself?
Yes. Line art prints well on most home inkjet printers using heavy matte paper at the highest quality setting. Watercolour pieces with deep colour, or anything larger than A4, usually look better from a local print shop. Either way, print a plain-paper test first to check the size before you use good paper.
Is a digital file a good enough gift on its own?
It can be, if you present it well. Once it's printed and framed, nobody will know or care that it arrived by email. If time has run out, a small printed copy tucked into a card, with a note that the framed version is on its way, goes down better than an empty-handed apology.
