Portrait UnionQuestions
How the previews work, what happens to your photographs, and what you own once you have paid.
Portrait Union is an online studio that paints a portrait from one photo of a pet or a person in 12 styles, and restores old photographs in colour. These answers cover the free preview, what happens to your photograph, prices from €4.99, and prints shipped to 35 countries. Prices and sizes checked 15 September 2026.
Making one
Do I need an account?
Portrait Union works without an account: you upload a photograph, you get a private link to your results, and you pay only if you want to keep them. The link is the key — anyone who has it can see the portraits, so treat it like one.
What can I turn into a portrait?
Anything with a face. Dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and other four-legged pets; couples, families, children, and yourself. People and pets can appear together in the same portrait.
What makes a good source photo?
Front-facing, well lit, in focus, with both eyes visible. Use an upright photo with the subjects in the middle: the picture is cropped to the centre in a 4:5 portrait shape before painting, so wide photos lose their edges. Avoid heavy backlighting and deep shadow across the face. A phone photograph is fine — you do not need a camera.
What file can I upload?
A JPG, PNG or WebP up to 15 MB. iPhone HEIC photos need converting first. We work from a copy; the file on your phone is untouched.
How long does it take?
Under a minute. You get one watermarked preview of your photograph, so you judge the likeness before paying anything.
What if I don't like it?
You are not charged, and you can come back tomorrow: each visitor gets one free preview a day, of one photo in one style, because every generation costs us money whether or not it sells. A purchase adds another free preview the same day, so buying one portrait lets you paint a second. Most disappointing results come from the source photo rather than the style, so a clearer, upright picture with the subject in the middle usually fixes it.
How many styles are there?
Twelve: Renaissance Royal, Floral Garden, Lavender Field, Watercolor, Greek God, Samurai Warrior, GTA Style, Astronaut Explorer, Van Gogh Style, Gothic Noble, Hollywood Premiere and Mafia Boss. Each is a separately written prompt, not one filter with twelve names.
Is Portrait Union legit?
Portrait Union is run by one person in Slovenia. Payment goes through Stripe, so card details never reach this site, and nothing is charged until you have seen a free watermarked preview of your own photograph. There is no account, no subscription and no credit balance: every purchase is one-off, and the refund policy is published in full.
Can you restore an old photograph instead?
Yes — that is a separate flow. It repairs damage and brings the photograph back in colour. A restoration returns one preview, with any required crop and its exact download dimensions shown before payment.
Your photographs
How long do you keep my photos?
The preview link closes 48 hours after upload, and the photograph and unpurchased previews are purged within the following day. Anything you have bought stays downloadable; the photograph you uploaded is deleted 30 days after the purchase, because it was never the product. Ask us sooner and we do it sooner — email us and everything goes.
Is it safe to upload my photos?
Your photograph is used only to make your portrait and is never training data — not here, and not for the image-model provider, which is contractually held to the same. The preview link closes 48 hours after upload and the unpurchased files are purged within the following day. A photograph behind a purchase is deleted 30 days later, or sooner if you email us.
Are my uploads used to train an AI?
No. Your photographs are not training data — not here, and not by the generation provider, which is contractually held to the same.
Is my link private?
It is unguessable and it is not listed anywhere: search engines are told not to index preview links, and the sitemap does not mention them. But it is a link, so anyone you send it to can open it.
Paying
What does it cost?
Previews are free. A watermark-free file is €4.99, and prints start at €69.99 with the digital file included. Everything is a single purchase — no packs, no credits, no subscription.
Prices checked 15 September 2026. Every size is on the pricing page.
Which currency am I charged in?
Prices are shown in EUR. Visitors in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and Korea are charged in GBP or USD at the checkout price shown on the preview page.
How do I pay?
Through Stripe, which accepts the usual cards plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and the common European methods. Card details never reach this site. A receipt is emailed automatically, and it carries your download links.
What exactly do I get?
A watermark-free JPEG at 2048 × 2560 pixels for a portrait. The free preview is watermarked and low resolution, with 400 px of detail on the long edge. Your watermark-free restoration is delivered at the resolution the restoration model produces, about 4 megapixels, and is enlarged separately for canvas prints; the exact download dimensions and any restoration crop are shown beside your preview before payment. Only print sizes that keep the combined restoration and print crop within 6.5% of the original upload are offered. Pixel dimensions do not guarantee newly recovered detail.
What do I own afterwards?
The file is yours under a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free licence, commercial use included. Print it, frame it, put it on a mug.
Can I get a refund?
A digital file is delivered the moment you buy it: at checkout you consent to immediate delivery, and the 14-day right of withdrawal lapses when the download begins. A print is made to order from your own photograph, so the statutory right does not apply — but we offer a voluntary return anyway: write to us within 14 days of delivery and we will confirm in writing where to send it. Please do not post anything back before you hear from us — no return address is published on this site, and a parcel sent to an address you guessed at is one we cannot refund. It has to arrive in its original packaging and in resaleable condition, return postage is yours, and we refund the item once it does. A damaged print is replaced free with no return, and one that has not arrived 30 days after dispatch is reprinted or refunded.
Prints
Where do prints come from?
Gelato's production network routes each order to the facility nearest the delivery address — inside the EU, the US, and most other markets — which is why shipping is quick and included.
Where do you ship?
To 35 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Anywhere else, the digital file is still available and you can print it locally.
How long does delivery take?
About 3–5 business days in production, then shipping: about 2–5 days in Europe, 2–4 in the United Kingdom, and 4–9 for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Allow about two weeks in Europe and the UK, and about three weeks in the other countries we ship to if you are ordering for a particular date.
| Zone | Countries | Production | Transit | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (EU/EEA, Switzerland, Norway) | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland | 3–5 business days | 2–5 days | About 2 weeks |
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom | 3–5 business days | 2–4 days | About 2 weeks |
| United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea | Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, United States | 3–5 business days | 4–9 days | About 3 weeks |
Is shipping really included?
Yes, for all 35 countries, framed canvas included. No fuel surcharges and no remote-area fees.
Which sizes and frames are there?
A portrait is painted at 4:5, so it prints on gallery canvas at 20×25, 40×50 or 60×75 cm and framed at 20×25 or 40×50 cm. A restored photograph keeps its own shape, so it also reaches the 2:3 and 3:4 sizes — 20×30, 30×40, 40×60 and 45×60 cm — every one of them turned on its side as well, and 30×30 or 50×50 cm square on canvas, 30×30 cm framed. Frames come in Black, Dark brown or Natural wood. Every print includes the digital file.
What if it arrives damaged?
Photograph it and email us. We send a replacement — you do not need to return the damaged one. If tracking shows no delivery 30 days after dispatch, we reprint or refund, your choice.
Still wondering?
The quickest answer is a free preview of your own photograph.