Help Center and Customer FAQ
Help Center and Customer FAQ tool
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Support overview and custom keepsake guide
Welcome to the Shop Pet Direct Help Center. We are dedicated to helping pet parents, memorial gift givers, and animal lovers create lasting tributes for their beloved companions. Below you will find technical advice for selecting photos, details on our live preview and resolution check, dimensions for our keepsakes, and care guidelines to ensure your keepsakes endure for years.
For specific store policies, you can also review our shipping policy and our returns policy.
Photo upload tips for sharp prints
Print quality depends directly on the quality of your source photograph. To achieve vibrant colors and sharp details on canvas wall art, blankets, pillows, and ceramic mugs, follow these recommendations when choosing a photo:
- Natural daylight: Take photos in well-lit rooms near a window or outdoors in indirect sunlight. Avoid dim indoor rooms or harsh direct camera flash, which creates washed-out highlights and unnatural reflections in pet eyes.
- Eye-level angles: Capture your pet at their eye level rather than looking down from above. Eye-level portraits create a more intimate and expressive portrait.
- Sharp focus and resolution: Use original image files directly from your phone camera roll or digital camera. Avoid uploading screenshots or images downloaded from social media apps, which compress resolution and produce grainy prints when enlarged.
- Clear framing: Ensure your pet’s face, ears, and chest are within the frame. Avoid severe crops where ears or paws are cut off at the edge of the image.
Digital preview and automatic quality checks
Every custom product is previewed directly in your browser before you order:
- Automatic resolution validation: When you select a photo (JPEG, PNG, WebP, or HEIC up to 25 MB), our upload tool checks its pixel dimensions immediately and rejects images that are too small to print cleanly.
- Live digital preview: Our customizer crops and prepares your image in the selected style, adds your optional pet name if entered, and shows you a preview before you add the item to your cart.
- Direct print-on-demand fulfillment: Once checkout succeeds, the print-ready file generated from your approved preview is sent automatically to our print partner, Printful, for production.
Keepsake dimensions and material specifications
We craft keepsakes using durable materials designed for daily living:
- Gallery-wrapped canvas: Available in 8x10, 12x12, 12x16, 16x20, and 18x24 inches. Built with a 1.25-inch thick fade-resistant poly-cotton blend canvas hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars with mounting brackets included.
- Custom pet photo sherpa blankets: Available in 37x57, 50x60, and 60x80 inches, made from 100% polyester with a smooth sublimated print front and plush sherpa fleece backing.
- Custom pet pillows: Available in 16x16, 18x18, and 22x22 inches with a 100% polyester machine-washable case, hidden zipper, and shape-retaining polyester insert.
- Ceramic ornaments and sympathy cards: Glossy 2.76-inch circle ceramic ornaments with gold-toned hanging string, and 4x6 inch coated paperboard pet sympathy greeting cards with envelope.
- Ceramic keepsake mugs: Available in 11 oz, 15 oz, and 20 oz capacities in white glossy ceramic with a vivid print that is dishwasher and microwave safe.
Keepsake care instructions
Proper maintenance ensures your custom pet memorial items retain their vibrant appearance:
- Canvas prints: Dust gently using a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Do not apply liquid cleaners, water, or abrasive sponges. Keep out of direct, continuous sunlight to prevent pigment fading.
- Sherpa blankets: Machine wash separately in cold water on a delicate cycle using mild detergent. Tumble dry on low heat or air dry. Do not bleach or iron.
- Pet pillows: Remove the pillow cover and machine wash inside out in cold water on gentle. Tumble dry on low or hang dry; spot clean the inner insert only.
- Ceramic mugs: Dishwasher and microwave safe. For maximum print longevity, hand washing with mild dish soap is recommended.
Production and delivery schedules
All items are printed on demand to eliminate waste and guarantee individualized attention:
- Standard production: Canvas prints, mugs, sympathy cards, and ceramic ornaments typically take 2 to 5 business days to produce.
- Blankets and pillows: Custom sublimated sherpa blankets and all-over print pillows take up to 7 business days to manufacture.
- Carrier shipping: Packages ship via tracked domestic carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx) taking 3 to 8 business days across the contiguous United States.
- Free shipping: Standard domestic shipping is free on all orders of $60 or more.
If you have additional questions or need assistance with an active order, please visit our contact page or email our team at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
What kind of pet photograph works best for custom keepsakes?
The best pet photos are taken at eye level in bright, natural daylight without harsh flash shadows. High-resolution photos taken on modern smartphones or digital cameras work well. Make sure your pet is in focus and that their ears, face, and chest are clearly visible. Avoid dark, blurry, or heavily filtered screenshots, as low-resolution images can appear pixelated when enlarged onto canvas.
How does the digital preview and resolution check work?
When customizing your item, our online tool automatically checks that your uploaded photo meets the minimum pixel dimensions for crisp printing. It then generates a live digital preview showing your cropped pet portrait, selected style, and optional pet name so you can verify everything before adding the item to your cart.
How long does production and shipping take for custom pet gifts?
Custom canvases, ceramic mugs, ornaments, and greeting cards generally require two to five business days for production. Custom sublimated sherpa blankets and all-over print pillows take up to seven business days. Following production, domestic carrier transit typically takes three to eight business days in the contiguous United States. We send carrier tracking information by email as soon as your package ships.
What is the return policy if my personalized keepsake arrives damaged?
Because each product is custom made with your pet photo and optional name, we cannot accept returns for change of mind. However, if your item arrives damaged, misprinted, or defective, contact our customer support team within thirty days of delivery with your order number and clear photos. We will immediately issue a free replacement reprint or provide a full refund through Stripe.
Can I change or cancel my custom order after submitting it?
Orders are sent to Printful and confirmed for production automatically as soon as payment succeeds. If you need to change or cancel, email us right away with your order number. We can change or cancel only until Printful starts making it, which can be within a few hours; after that we can't stop it.
How are my uploaded pet photographs handled and protected?
We treat customer pet photographs with strict confidentiality. Uploaded photos are used exclusively to produce and fulfill your order. Every photo you upload, and the preview and print file made from it, is deleted automatically 30 days after upload; Printful keeps the print file with your order so it can remake a damaged item. We never share, sell, or use customer pet photos in advertising without written permission.
Do you offer free shipping on custom pet keepsake orders?
Yes. Orders of $60 or more ship free by standard shipping; the $60 counts your items before tax, and the discount is applied automatically. Orders under $60 pay a flat $4.99 for shipping.