Yes. Mozaico designs and hand-cuts custom mosaics from a client's own photograph, drawing or logo, in natural stone, quartz, glass, gold leaf or mother of pearl. The image is redrawn for tesserae rather than printed, so detail, colour and size are settled with the material. Standard production takes 4 to 8 weeks.

Custom work from a client's own image is a core part of what the workshop does, alongside a catalogue of around 8,200 designs that can each be changed in size, colour and material. The more useful question is not whether it can be done but what survives the translation from image to stone. That depends on the image, the scale and the material, and this guide covers all three.

For a quicker overview of the routes from picture to mosaic, including the do-it-yourself ones, see Mozaico's earlier piece on turning a photo into a mosaic. This article is about commissioning the work from a workshop.

What kinds of image can become a mosaic?

Almost any image can be a starting point, but bold, clear images translate best. Photographs, drawings, logos, lettering, maps, crests and portraits have all been made into mosaics. What matters is how much of the image's meaning survives when it is rebuilt from cut pieces.

Mozaico keeps dedicated collections for the most common requests, such as human figures and portraits, corporate mosaic logos and house numbers. They are a useful way to see how a similar subject has already been handled before you send your own.

How is a photograph turned into a design for hand-cut tesserae?

The image is redrawn, not converted. A mosaic is built from discrete pieces, each a single colour, so a photograph's continuous gradients have to be reinterpreted as areas of tone and a limited set of colours. A designer decides where one piece of stone ends and the next begins, and that decision shapes how the finished surface reads.

Three things govern the redrawing:

• Simplification. Shadows, highlights and midtones are grouped into a manageable number of tonal steps, so the eye blends them at normal viewing distance.
• Piece direction. The lines along which tesserae run can follow the form of a face, a wave or a feather, which gives the surface movement that a grid cannot.
• Palette. The colours available in stone, glass or quartz set the limit. A photograph's exact shade of blue may not exist in marble.

Once the design is agreed, the pieces are cut by hand and set. That is why a custom mosaic reads as a made object and not a reproduction. Two mosaics of the same image will never be identical, because each piece is cut individually.

How much detail can a mosaic hold?

Detail is limited by the size of the pieces and the size of the mosaic. Smaller tesserae render finer features, but they take more cutting and setting, which is one reason price rises with the complexity of the design. A large panel can hold more of a photograph than a small one cut from the same file.

Some practical consequences:

• Faces are the hardest subject. Eyes and mouths need small pieces and careful placement. A portrait at a small size will be a stylised likeness, not a photographic one.
• Text needs room. Lettering has to be large enough, relative to the pieces, to stay legible from where it will be read. A floor inscription read from standing height needs more scale than a wall plaque read at arm's length.
• Viewing distance changes everything. A mosaic that looks coarse at 30 centimetres can resolve into a convincing image from several metres away.
• Photographic realism is not the goal. If you want an exact photographic copy, a mosaic is the wrong medium. If you want the subject rendered in stone with the character of hand-cutting, it is the right one.

There is also a cheaper route worth considering. If your idea is close to an existing design, customising a catalogue piece in size, colour or material can be more efficient than drawing something new. Mozaico's design team can advise which route suits your image.

Which material suits a custom image?

The material determines the palette, the finish and where the piece can go. The right choice depends on the room, the image and how much colour accuracy you need. Some general differences apply, though specific stones and glasses vary.

Where a mosaic will sit matters as much as the image. A floor, a shower, a pool and a fireplace each place different demands on the material, and a claim about slip, sealing, frost or heat applies only to a specific stone and installation. Raise the location early so the material is chosen for it. Glass mosaics are shown in their own collection if colour range is your priority.

What should you prepare before you commission one?

Bring the best version of the image you have, plus the facts about the space. The design team will tell you whether the file is usable, so send the original rather than a screenshot or a copy that has been through messaging apps.

A useful brief includes:

• The original image or drawing, at the largest size you hold.
• Target dimensions, or the wall or floor area available.
• The location: floor or wall, indoor or outdoor, wet or dry.
• Colour references, such as a paint chip, a fabric or the surrounding stone.
• Permission to use the artwork. If the image is a photograph by someone else, an artist's work or a protected brand mark, confirm you hold the right to reproduce it.
• Any must-keep features, such as a face, a date or a signature, so they are protected when detail is simplified.

Before production begins, the redrawn design should be agreed, because changes are far cheaper on paper than in cut stone. A $60 sample lets you check texture, colour and thickness before ordering. For a pet or family portrait specifically, Mozaico's guide to commissioning a pet portrait in mosaic covers what to photograph. The workshop's AI-assisted design tool is also described separately.

What does a custom mosaic cost, and how long does it take?

Mozaico publishes no price list and no price per square metre. The price depends on the design and the size of the mosaic, so a quotation comes from the design services page once the image and dimensions are known. Any figure quoted elsewhere without that information is a guess.

The timings are firmer:

• Standard production: 4 to 8 weeks.
• Rush production: 2 to 3 weeks, at an additional cost.
• Shipping and installation: additional, and they depend on the destination.

Mozaico offers a lifetime warranty. Complexity pushes cost up through the number of pieces, the finer cutting and the mix of materials, whereas a bold logo in two or three colours is a very different job from a full-colour portrait at the same size.

Is a custom mosaic the same as a printed photo panel?

No. Mozaico does not make printed or digitally reproduced panels, ceramic or porcelain tile, vinyl or laser-cut stone. Every piece in a custom mosaic is stone, glass, quartz, gold leaf or mother of pearl, cut by hand and set by hand. A print transfers an image onto a surface, whereas a mosaic rebuilds the image from the surface itself, and the difference shows up in depth, edge, light and age.

Ready to start?

Send the image, the dimensions and the location through Mozaico's design services page, and the team will advise on design, material and quotation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I send a low-resolution phone photo?

You can send it, and the design team will tell you whether it is usable. A mosaic does not need the sharpness of a print because the image is redrawn, but a blurred photo can lose the features you care about. Send the largest original you have, not a screenshot or messaging copy.

Will the mosaic look exactly like my photograph?

No. A mosaic is built from individual cut pieces, so continuous tones become stepped areas of colour and fine detail is simplified. The result is a hand-made interpretation of your image. At larger sizes and viewing distances it can read as quite close, but photographic exactness is not possible in stone or glass.

Can I change the colours of an existing design?

Yes. Any design in the Mozaico catalogue can be customised in size, colour and material. That is often a more efficient route than commissioning something entirely new, if your idea is close to a design that already exists.

How long does a custom mosaic take to make?

Standard production takes 4 to 8 weeks. A rush order can be produced in 2 to 3 weeks for an additional cost. These are production times only; shipping and installation are extra and depend on where the mosaic is going.

Is there a warranty on a custom mosaic?

Mozaico offers a lifetime warranty. Ask the design team for the written terms at the quotation stage, particularly if the mosaic is going somewhere demanding, such as a floor, a pool or a wet area.

Can I see a sample before ordering?

Yes. A sample costs $60 and lets you check the texture, the colours and the thickness of the mosaic before you commit. It is worth doing when colour matching matters or when the piece will sit beside existing stone.