Some people call them pictures made of words, others call them all-word photos, but whatever you want to call it, a calligram design is a picture created using typeface. I simply like to call it a favorite of the many photo gift options available on the market.
A Unique, One of a Kind Photo Gift
What makes this type of gift so unique is that it works two ways. From a distance, it looks like a picture but get a bit closer and you'll see it's actually just a bunch of words. Although there are various types of items onto which you can have a calligram printed, traditional fine art or canvas prints offer the best overall results and viewing experience.
How it Works
To create a calligram design, we start with words. A bunch of them. The cool part is that these words are personalized - provided by you. But don't let that worry you. Whether you've got a few sentences, or hundreds of words, the process works the same.
Once the words are compiled, we require a picture or photo. The great part about this type of photo gift, is that the photo doesn't necessarily need to be ultra-high resolution or high quality. The design process allows for a lot of wiggle room for variance in image file quality. Smart phone photos work just as well as professional photographs.
Then we simply cover the photo in thousands and thousands of words. This means your wording will often be repeated up to a few hundred times (depending upon the print size you order and the amount of text provided to us). You'll notice that any "white" areas will be void of text and that the words take on the tones, levels and shades of the original photo or picture.
Yes, It's Readable Text!
One of the most common questions I've gotten in regards to these designs is whether it can be read without a magnifying glass, and if so, from what distance?
Magnifying glasses fortunately, are not normally required. You'll be relived to know that most calligrams can be read within a distance of 4-12 inches and some at even further distances.
The smaller the print size, the smaller the size of the text, so count on ordering something like a 16x20 if you want something easily readable from a distance of 8 inches or more. To give you an idea of scale, zoom into the above photo until 1 inch on your ruler or measuring app matches 1 inch on the measurement scale.
Quick Design Process, Quick Turnaround
Calligram designs can often be ready to proof within 24 hours of the order. Because of the nature of these photo gifts, revisions are seldom necessary. As long as you provide your wording and photo before adding the calligram print to your cart, your calligram photo gift can arrive in as little as 7 working days*.
Check out our calligram designs here and order yours today!
* Framed prints may take slightly longer to produce than Ready to Hang Canvas or Unframed Prints.