Dot painting questions, answered

Dot painting is a creative kit where you fill small printed circles on a canvas with a dot marker, one dot at a time. Up close you see individual dots; from a normal distance they blend into a finished image. There is no drawing and no colour mixing.

What is dot painting?Read the beginner's guide

No. Paint by numbers uses several paints brushed into numbered areas, while dot painting uses one marker to fill printed circles with dots. Dot painting is cleaner and needs no brushes or drying between colours.

No. Diamond painting places small resin gems onto a sticky canvas, while dot painting fills printed circles with marker ink. There is nothing to glue and nothing loose to handle.

No. Every circle is printed for you, so dot painting is about filling, not drawing. No art experience is needed.

A Paint By Dots kit includes a pre printed canvas, dot markers, and a printed preview of the finished image. The instructions are online, and a QR code is supplied so you can open them on your phone. The exact contents for your chosen kit are shown on the product page.

Read the beginner's guide

Use the thicker tip for larger circles and the finer tip for small detail circles. Matching the tip to the circle keeps every dot clean and even.

This depends on the option you choose. Canvases can be supplied rolled, or as a gallery framed canvas, where we stretch the canvas over a wooden frame so it is ready to hang straight away. The format is shown on each product page.

You upload a photo, we review it by hand, and we convert it into a dot painting canvas for you to complete. You make the finished piece yourself, one dot at a time.

Yes. Every custom photo is checked by hand before production to make sure it will work well as a dot painting.

Clear, well lit photos with a strong, simple subject work best. Good contrast between the subject and background helps the finished image read clearly.

Best photos for a custom dot painting

Avoid very dark, blurry or low resolution photos, and busy scenes with many small faces or fine detail, as these are harder to translate into dots.

Best photos for a custom dot painting

A custom dot painting is a handmade interpretation of your photo, not an exact print. It keeps the feeling and recognisable shapes of the image while having the soft, handmade texture of dots.

We have sizes ranging from 30 x 40 cm up to 80 x 150 cm, depending on the design. The sizes available for each design are shown on the product page.

For a custom photo, a larger size usually suits portraits and detailed images because it gives the dots more room to form clear features. The product page notes which sizes suit detailed photos best.

Yes. Once the canvas is fully dry you can frame it, lean it on a shelf, or hang it as wall art. It is designed to be displayed.

Where a kit offers colour options, you choose your colour at checkout. The available colours are shown on the product page.

Ink usually dries quickly, though larger filled areas can take a little longer. Let each area dry before resting your hand on it to avoid smudging.

Suitability and any age guidance are shown on the product page and packaging. Younger children should always be supervised.

Start with one corner or a small area of the canvas. Beginning in a small section helps you settle into a comfortable rhythm before you move across the rest.

Read the beginner's guide

Press the tip on scrap paper a few times to get the ink flowing again before returning to the canvas.

Small marks blend into the finished image. To tidy a fresh mark, wipe it quickly with a damp cotton bud before it dries, let the area dry, then carry on.

Read the beginner's guide

Yes. You can complete a canvas over several sessions. Many people enjoy spreading the work across several calm evenings.

We ship to most of the world. Available destinations are shown at checkout. If you have any issues, just email us and we will help.

The estimated delivery time is shown under each product and at checkout for your destination.

No. Custom photo kits do not take longer than our other designs. The estimated delivery time shown under each product applies to custom photo orders too.

There are no import fees within the EU or the UK. For other destinations, please check your local rules yourself, as any customs or import fees are set by your country and not by us.

Yes. You can return a dot painting kit in line with our returns policy. The only thing that cannot be returned is a custom dot painting we make from your own photo, because it is made personally for you. If anything is wrong with a custom order, just email us and we will help.

Contact the studio with a photo of the damage as soon as possible, and we will arrange a suitable resolution.

Yes, and we would love to see it. Finishing a dot painting is something to be proud of, so share a photo and tag Paint By Dots on Instagram or TikTok. We feature pieces from the community, and every month one shared creation is chosen for our giveaway. Your artwork might be the next one we celebrate.

Yes. Each month we feature finished pieces from the community and run a giveaway. To take part, share your dot painting and tag Paint By Dots on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. Full details are posted on our social channels.