One of the biggest questions we get when someone orders a custom photo gift is:

“Why does the artwork take a few days? Isn’t it just a filter?”

Short answer: nope.
A hand-drawn vector portrait is way closer to illustration than to a phone filter. There’s a lot of quiet, zoomed-in work happening behind that “2–4 day proof” on our product pages.

In this post we’ll walk through:

  • how vector artwork is actually created
  • why it isn’t a five-minute job
  • and the big benefit you get at the end: artwork that’s sharp, scalable, and ready for almost any medium—now and years from now.

First, what is vector artwork?

Most photos on your phone are raster images: tiny squares of color (pixels) arranged in a grid. When you zoom in, you eventually see the pixels; when you print too large, things get soft or blurry.

Vector artwork works differently.
Instead of pixels, it uses paths and points (little anchor points with math behind them) to describe shapes and colors. The computer redraws those shapes every time you scale the image.

That means:

  • you can print the same artwork on a small mug and a big poster
  • edges stay crisp and lines stay clean
  • you’re not locked to the original photo resolution

When we say your portrait is “vector,” it really means the drawing is built from these editable shapes—not just a filtered version of your photo.

How a vector portrait is made (behind the scenes)

Every artist has their own workflow, but here’s roughly what happens in our little studio when we turn your photo into a vector portrait.

1. Choosing and preparing the photo

Before we even draw, we look for:

  • clear faces and expressions
  • good lighting
  • details that matter (freckles, glasses, curls, that one dimple)

Sometimes we’ll lightly adjust brightness/contrast so we can see features better. If you send several photos, we might combine them—using the smile from one, the pose from another.

Already, there are decisions happening: what to keep exactly as it is, and what to gently improve so the final portrait feels like “you on your best day.”

2. Building the base shapes

We open the photo in vector software and start blocking in the big shapes:

  • face and neck
  • hair
  • major clothing areas
  • background

This isn’t tracing like a robot. We’re simplifying the real photo into clean, readable silhouettes. Tiny wobbles from the original snapshot get smoothed out. Distracting background bits disappear.

If it’s a family or group portrait, we’re doing this for every person—carefully, so the proportions look right next to each other.

3. Adding color, shadows, midtones and highlights

Next comes color. Skin tones, hair, clothing, little accessories—it’s all separated into layers of shapes.

This is where the portrait starts to feel alive:

  • soft shadows under chins
  • highlights in the eyes
  • folds in the hoodie or T-shirt
  • shiny areas on glasses or jewelry

Every shadow is another shape. Every highlight is another shape. For a “simple” one-person portrait, that can already be hundreds of shapes layered neatly so the artwork stays clean when we scale it up.

4. Zooming way in for details

This is the part that usually takes the longest—and the part you never see.

We zoom in far closer than a normal person ever would:

  • smoothing out stray points so lines look tidy
  • fixing tiny gaps where colors meet
  • refining eyelashes, eyebrows, hairlines
  • making sure smiles and eyes really match the person in your photo

Why bother if you’ll only see it on a mug or T-shirt?
Because the same file might later be printed on a poster, or cropped for social media, or used on multiple different products. If it’s clean at 6400% zoom, it’s going to look amazing everywhere.

5. Preparing the proof

When the drawing is ready, we adapt it to your chosen product:

  • positioning it on the front of a hoodie or T-shirt
  • placing it on a mug, tumbler, puzzle or magnet
  • adding any names, dates or short messages you requested

Then we export a proof so you can see it in context. If you want changes—maybe a color tweak, a small detail adjusted—that means another round of zooming and refining on the vector file itself.

That’s why we say 2–4 days for a proof. There’s real hand work happening the whole time.

Why it takes longer than a filter (and why that’s good)

An app filter can stylize a photo in seconds—but it has to guess. It can’t tell which tiny details matter to you.

A vector artist can.

Here are a few things we think about that filters simply don’t:

  • What to simplify. A busy patterned shirt might need to be toned down so it doesn’t overpower the face.
  • What to emphasize. Your kid’s missing front tooth? The way your dog tilts his head? Those small things make the portrait feel personal.
  • How it will print. We’re designing for ink, fabric and ceramic, not just screens. That means thinking about contrast, placement and how colors behave when printed.

All of those decisions take time. But they’re also what make your portrait feel like you—not just “a photo that went through the same filter as everyone else.”

The big benefit: sharp, scalable art for any medium

Here’s where vector really shines: once your portrait is finished, it’s incredibly flexible.

1. It scales without losing quality

Because the drawing is built from math-based shapes, we can:

  • shrink it for a keychain or magnet
  • print it large on a hoodie or T-shirt
  • go even bigger on a framed print or poster

Edge quality stays the same. No blurring. No pixelation. Just crisp lines and smooth color at any size.

2. It’s easy to adapt to new products

Years from now, you might want:

  • the same portrait on a new mug for a grandparent
  • a matching hoodie to go with the original T-shirt
  • a large wall print for a nursery or office

Because the art is vector, we don’t have to redraw from scratch. We can:

  • change the background color
  • add a date or short message
  • adjust the layout for a different product shape

It’s like having a master file you can keep reusing for new memories.

3. It stays timeless

Trendy filters come and go.
Vector artwork is more like an illustration style—clean, simple, and focused on the person, not the effect.

That makes it a beautiful choice for:

  • gifts (especially Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries)
  • memorial pieces for loved ones or pets
  • family series you want to add to over time

The drawing will still look fresh five, ten, fifteen years from now—long after that one filter everyone used this year is forgotten.

Why a vector portrait is such a powerful gift

When you give someone a custom vector portrait, you’re not just handing them a product. You’re giving them:

  • the moment they laughed in that photo
  • the feeling of that trip, that celebration, that regular day that turned special
  • a piece of art that can live on a mug, a hoodie, a tumbler, a puzzle, a magnet… anywhere they’ll see it often

And because it’s vector, you’re also giving them options:

  • today it’s a mug they use every morning
  • next year it might become a hoodie they wear all winter
  • in a few years it might be reprinted as a framed print in a new home

One drawing. Many ways to keep that memory close.

Final thoughts

So if you’ve ever wondered why your vector portrait isn’t instant, this is why:

It’s not a filter. It’s hours of careful drawing, point by point, shape by shape—so that when you hold the finished gift in your hands, it feels like it was always meant to exist.

Sharp. Scalable. Adaptable.
And most important: deeply personal.

If you’re ready to turn one of your favorite photos into something timeless, you can start with any of our custom photo gifts—T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, tumblers, puzzles, magnets and more. Upload your photo, add your notes, and we’ll take care of the tiny details that make the art feel like home.