The “Small Print”:
Terms, Policies, Conditions, Shipping, Returns, and Important Notes

All sales are final, except in cases of breakage

You are making an online order with the ease of ordering from a store or a distributor; however your order is custom handmade by a trained and experienced artist and craftsperson. Your artist takes Mail-Order seriously. Your order may have been cut several times before it arrives to you, carefully scrutinizing your photos you have provided, and turned around (completed and mailed out) as soon as possible to your artist’s busy schedule. All care and effort possible has gone into hand-making your custom order, hand-packaging your order, and shipping. There are no refunds or free recuts.

All sales are final unless severe breakage has been experienced by a shipping service. (In cases of breakage, please see “Returns”, below)

How to create great silhouettes

A good silhouette all starts with a good photo

The better your photos, the better your silhouettes. Please read the “What to Send” on the Order page, and follow those instructions. Please note that you are being ask to send several photos if possible.

Here is why you need to send good photos

Your artist does not know what your loved one looks like unless you send the best photos. If your photo is 3/4-view, or blurry, or with mouth open, or smiling, or teeth showing, or “making a face”, or with wet hair, your silhouettes will not look the best for your collection or for gifts. Lauren does not know what your loved one’s “best hair” looks like, or that the momentary scowl is not the normal facial features.

Please send only the best photos that show your person’s features clearly, relaxed-face, exactly profile (sideways).

Your silhouettes are handmade, not “photographic”

Your silhouettes will look like the photos, but this will be handmade. Freehand-scissored silhouettes are not a photographic [exact] replica of your loved one. There will be slight differences between the photo and your silhouette. This is normal for a handmade piece, especially made with scissors, often with extra copies.

Little “folk” portraits

Your interest in silhouette might be because of the charm and the traditional imagery; your silhouettes will be a remarkable likeness - in fact, one origin of an old name of silhouettes was “A Likeness” - but they were never an exact photo-replica of a person.

Charming, fun, and slightly quirky

This is the charm of silhouettes; they are beautiful and interesting and quirky… and remarkable. However, there were never “exact”, and no handmade item will ever be exact to any photograph or person. Only you know the in-person nuances of your loved ones that photos and handmade work cannot capture exactly.

Nature is hard to copy; nothing can ever be exact to your favorite curves of your 3-dimensional loved one. There are no refunds or recuts if your silhouettes are not an ‘exact copy’ of your photograph, or of the person him/herself.

Style

Your silhouette artist has been working almost 15 years in freehand-cut silhouettes. She is self-taught from studying the historical artists from the 18th and 19th centuries. However, silhouette artists vary in style. Her work may not look like another silhouette artist’s work, and is constantly improving and evolving. Please see your artist’s style by seeing the Examples Page and her Instagram page to see her style. There are no refunds or recuts if your silhouettes do not match another artist’s style, whether from past silhouettes, or other artists.

Making some changes:

And if you do not like an element of the photo - like a little bit under the chin - just write a note asking to have that element “cut away”.

A few notes, based on frequent questions:

• Silhouettes are generally made of 1 person, and mounted singly (1 silhouette per cardstock background).
  This is how our historical silhouettes from the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s were mounted. Framed silhouettes were hung near each other, but usually not in the same frame. If you would like silhouettes made of several people in a row, as Disney artists creates, this historic artist does not cut those types of silhouettes.

• Each order (of 2 silhouettes) will have a RIGHT- and a LEFT-facing silhouette.
  If you want all silhouettes facing a certain direction, please make additional orders.

• Details are cut when evident in the photos; such as hairstyle, length of hair, and clothing.
  Silhouettes will be cut as they present in the photos. However silhouettes often lack in-person detail which show age. Some silhouettes appear to be older than the sitter (for instance: babies can look like toddlers), some silhouettes appear to be younger than the sitter (for instance: older women can look in their 20’s or 30’s). This is all part of the fun and mystery of silhouettes!

• Silhouettes are not exact replicas of a person or a photograph.
  Silhouettes are made freehand with only scissors -without drawing first. That means that the scissors are trying to mimic nature’s curves and straights, often with these curves and straight in rapid succession. These turns of the scissors are very difficult. There is no silhouette that can never be an exact replica of a photo, unless it was made photographically from a machine. Silhouettes By Hand uses only the hand and eye.

• Instagram or website examples show only those sitters and silhouettes.
  Silhouettes vary with the facial features of the sitter. This is normal, since every person’s features are different. Some people have rounder faces, fluffier hair, “cuter” noses, or more interesting hairstyles. Try not to compare your silhouettes to silhouettes that you have seen online or elsewhere. Your silhouettes will be based on the photos you send.

Taxes

Silhouettes By Hand collects 6% Maryland State Tax tax on finished artwork and handling, but only for customers in the state of Maryland, USA. This is required by state law. There is no tax on digital artwork or graphic design.

Shipping Terms

Your order will be sent out on schedule to reach your shipping address as per United States Post Office schedule. You will be sent tracking information. Sometimes another shipping service will be used, such as UPS or FedEx, but this is generally more expensive. Other shipping services are optional - you can request a special, custom price if you prefer UPS or FedEx shipping.

You are responsible for providing an accurate shipping address. Please double-check that you spelled the address correctly with the correct number. Upon inquiry, I will confirm the delivery to the address provided, date of delivery, tracking information and shipping carrier information for the customer to investigate. Silhouettes By Hand is not responsible for lost or stolen packages confirmed to be delivered to the address entered for an order.

Shipping Timing and Arrival

Due to shipping service delays, shipping personnel shortages, and other transportation issues, all shipping arrivals dates are approximate. Your artist is not responsible for any delays after the package leaves her hands.

Local Pickup

If you are in the Baltimore, Maryland, USA region, you can choose “local pickup” to pick up your package in person. Information and arrangements will be made.

Explaining “Shipping Fees”

The fee you pay for shipping is not simply the actual postage. The fee is “Shipping and Handling”, which is a fancy way of saying ‘preparing your order to be shipped to you’, and may include preparation, materials, additional insurance, shipping software fees, and often time to hand-carry your package to a shipping center for safety. Depending on an order, it may take an additional hour or more to frame, pack, and create your order. United States postal fees have risen in 2023, so the costs of handling have been adjusted. Apologies.

International Shipping Option: “Flat silhouettes only, unmounted, no tracking”

Starting 2023: I’m trying a new option, sending flat cut-paper silhouettes, unmounted, to international countries other than USA. This means I will try, for a short period of time to test, sending silhouettes without mounting on a cardstock. The reason I am making this option is this: the shipping from the USA to other countries is very expensive. I have, in the past, included silhouettes in a folded greeting card. This is for those people who are desperate to have a silhouette made but who cannot afford the high international prices of the packaging and size of even the smallest international mailers. Ultimately, this value-priced option allows you to try receiving a silhouette at a cut-rate mailing price but with all the adventures of the postal system.

Your silhouettes will come:

• Flat (not mounted)

• Tucked inside a small postal-sized card

• No thick cardboard to keep them flat

• No postal tracking

• No time-guarantee

• No responsibility of the artist if the letter is lost in the mail. No refunds will be given. No recuts without payment again.

International (not USA destinations)

Due to the postal expense to send from the USA to any other country, it is recommended that all international (non-USA) orders be made without any mats or frames. These will be sent thin, letter-sized, and may be delayed postal delays out of your artist’s control.

Statement on the materials of your purchase

Your silhouettes are made from sources produced with as much ethics and/or archival use as possible:

• Papers: your papers are, where possible, archival and/or acid free, and/or produced by hand where stated.

• Glue: glues used in your silhouette are stated as acid free

• Protective envelope: Your silhouettes come in a protective, recyclable plastic sleeve which do not fall under any current local plastic bag ban on single-use plastics.

• Packing materials: Your silhouettes are often packed with materials recycled from other uses, such as cardboard, plastic packing, bubble wrap, newspapers, paper bags, even egg cartons. Your materials may have been recycled from previous vendors, who may have recycled from their previous vendors. This recycle intent keeps new resource manufacturing minimized.

• Shipping: Whenever possible, your artist supports the United States Postal Service (USPS), to protect and serve union workers and rural delivery.

• Your products are NOT UV-protected: To protect your purchase from fading in UV (sunlight), please purchase a UV glass for framing OR keep your purchase away from sunlight. (Cut “UV glass” is available at any framing shop or craft shop).

Gift Certificate Terms

"Gift Certificates" mean that you will supply the name, address, and email address of your lucky "giftee" . Gift certificates must be used within 60 days of the notification going to the giftee or else they will be voided with no refunds.

Return/ Refund Terms and Policy

This is the condition for refund or returns for your online order:

Condition for Refund or Return: Damaged item upon Delivery

1. There are no refunds or returns on cut silhouettes.

2. If your silhouette is not to your expectation, you can ask for a coupon code for a reduced-price new silhouette to be made again. The limit for this offer is 7 days after arrival of your online-order, or at the artist’s discretion.

3. If your product has been lost in the mail or shipping service, or the shipping address provided is not able to receive the shipping for your recipient, your artist is not responsible for refunds.

4. Inspect your package upon arrival. Your breakable items have been inspected for defects (such as frame cracks or chips) before being shipped out. (Frames sold as “damaged” have been prepared for sale at a substantial discount, but will not qualify for return or replacement). If the shipping process damages an item (such as a frame), then send me an email within 7 days of receiving the products with pictures of the damaged item(s).

5. If over 7 days have gone by since your purchase was delivered, unfortunately, your exchange is not eligible. Return instructions will be provided within the reply email. When I receive and inspect the damaged item, I will ship out a replacement of the broken item, if available. If a replacement is not available, I will refund the full purchase price of your broken item.

Policy on copying old or new silhouettes

Your artist does not usually copy old silhouettes from your family, and definitely does not make copies of modern silhouette masters. Silhouette artists have their own style and flair, whether an artist from the past era or of the modern era. Copies of old family silhouettes are difficult, and will not be exact, and may be refused. Copying modern living artists is against your artist’s ethical values.

Thank you for your interest in handmade silhouettes!