Great Detail vs. Maximum Detail: What’s the Difference in a Custom Paint-by-Number?
One of the most common questions we receive about our custom paint-by-number kits is:
“Do you have an example of what Great Detail with 48 colors looks like compared to Maximum Detail with 64 colors?”
The short answer is yes — and the difference often comes down to how much color variation, shading, and fine detail you want in the final painting.
Below, we’re showing the same custom dog portrait of Yoda created in both detail levels so you can see the comparison side by side.
Great Detail: 48 Colors
Our Great Detail option uses 48 carefully selected paint colors to create a highly detailed custom paint-by-number design.
Yoda at 48 colors (great detail)
This option works beautifully for most custom portraits. It captures the major shapes, highlights, shadows, and personality of the subject while keeping the painting experience approachable and enjoyable.
With 48 colors, you can expect:
Strong likeness and recognizable detail
A balanced painting experience
Clear areas of light and shadow
Slightly fewer color transitions than the 64-color version
A design that still feels detailed without becoming overly complex
For many customers, Great Detail is the perfect balance between realism and paintability.
Maximum Detail: 64 Colors
Our Maximum Detail option uses 64 colors, which allows for even more subtle shifts in tone, shade, and color.
Yoda at 64 colors (maximum detail)
In a portrait like Yoda’s, the extra colors can help capture more variation in the fur, deeper shadows, softer highlights, and smoother transitions between colors. This is especially helpful in areas where the original photo has a lot of texture, such as fur, eyes, noses, or softly blended backgrounds.
With 64 colors, you can expect:
More shades and tones of similar colors
Softer transitions between highlights and shadows
Greater depth and realism
More nuanced detail in fur, facial features, and background areas
Potentially more individual cells to paint
Because Maximum Detail includes more color variation, it may also create a more intricate painting pattern. That means there can be more small areas, or “cells,” to fill in — but the result can feel richer and more dimensional.
Which Option Should You Choose?
Choose Great Detail if you want a beautiful, detailed custom kit that captures your photo clearly while still feeling manageable to paint.
Choose Maximum Detail if you want the most refined version possible and enjoy painting more intricate designs with extra color depth.
Both options are designed to create a meaningful, high-quality finished piece. The biggest difference is that Maximum Detail gives us more room to capture subtle color shifts, while Great Detail offers a slightly simpler painting experience with excellent results.
A Note About Custom Photos
Every custom design is different. Some photos show a very noticeable difference between 48 and 64 colors, especially if the image has fur, fabric, scenery, or soft lighting. Other photos may have a more subtle difference if the subject has large areas of similar color.
For Yoda’s portrait, the 64-color version allows for more variation in the fur and shading, while the 48-color version still keeps the portrait clear, detailed, and full of personality.
No matter which option you choose, our goal is the same: to turn your favorite photo into a custom paint-by-number that feels personal, polished, and truly enjoyable to paint.
Happy Painting!
Bobbie