Three Formats, Three Different Jobs
Once you've previewed your pet's portrait and fallen for it, there's one decision left: what form should it take? Loyal Studio keeps this deliberately simple — a 4K digital download ($29), a 16×20" fine-art poster ($45), or a 16×20" gallery-wrapped canvas ($85), with an optional frame (+$20) for the poster.
Simple doesn't mean interchangeable, though. Each format does a genuinely different job, and choosing well depends on what you actually plan to do with the portrait. Here's the honest breakdown.
The Digital Download — Maximum Flexibility
The digital option gets you a watermark-free 4K file, delivered instantly after purchase.
Choose digital when:
A 4K file is large enough to print cleanly at 16×20" and beyond at a quality local print shop. It's also the cheapest way into a physical print if you're happy to organise the printing yourself.
The honest downside: the printing is now your job. Print quality varies enormously between shops, and paper stock matters more than most people expect. If you've never had art printed before, the poster or canvas options remove that risk entirely.
The 16×20" Fine-Art Poster — The Sweet Spot
The poster is printed on museum-quality paper at 16×20" — a proper statement size, noticeably larger than the A4-ish prints most people imagine when they hear "poster."
Choose the poster when:
A sizing sanity check: 16×20" is roughly the size of a large movie poster's little sibling — big enough to anchor a wall above a sofa or sideboard on its own, without needing to be part of a gallery wall. Measure your wall space with painter's tape before ordering any art, from anyone. It takes two minutes and prevents nearly every sizing regret.
The honest downside: unframed paper needs protecting. If you skip the frame add-on, get it framed promptly — paper prints propped against a wall have a way of staying unframed for months.
The 16×20" Gallery Canvas — The Heirloom Option
The canvas is gallery-wrapped, meaning the print continues around the edges of a wooden stretcher frame. It arrives ready to hang — no frame needed, no glass, no reflections.
Choose the canvas when:
The honest downside: it's the most expensive option, and unlike a digital file it's one physical object in one size. If you suspect you'll want the image in multiple forms, digital-plus-printing or poster may serve you better.
Quick Comparison
| Digital ($29) | Poster ($45) | Canvas ($85) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Instant | ~8 business days | ~10 business days |
| Size | Any (4K file) | 16×20" | 16×20" |
| Ready to hang | No | With +$20 frame | Yes |
| Best for | Flexibility, sharing | Statement wall art | Heirloom pieces |
What Most People Actually Do
For a first portrait, the poster with the frame add-on is the most common choice — a real piece of wall art, ready to hang, at a middle price. Memorial portraits and major gifts skew heavily to canvas. And plenty of people start digital, live with the image as a wallpaper for a week, and come back for the print once it's grown on them.
There's no wrong answer — the likeness is identical across all three. It's only a question of what job you need the portrait to do.