Pick one of the twelve timeless lines, from Browning and Shakespeare to a plain proverb, or write your own, up to 80 characters. A preset line is signed with its author; a line you type is not. The words are set in glossy black raised lettering, under a portrait on two or three centred lines, or alone on a panel.
Which lines can I choose from?
Twelve: public-domain lines and proverbs, each one a ready-made panel in the shop and each one a preset in the quote field on the create page.
| Line | Author |
|---|---|
| Home is where the heart is. | A proverb, unsigned |
| Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be. | Robert Browning |
| Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. | Shakespeare |
| Though she be but little, she is fierce. | Shakespeare |
| Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. | Emily Brontë |
| Hope is the thing with feathers. | Emily Dickinson |
| There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart. | Jane Austen |
| Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. | Anatole France |
| The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. | Lao Tzu |
| This too shall pass. | A proverb, unsigned |
| Carpe diem. | Horace |
| Amor vincit omnia. | Virgil |
How long can a quote be?
Up to 80 characters, spaces included. Under a portrait it is set on two or three centred lines; the longest preset, the Anatole France line, fits.
Shorter is not worse. Carpe diem is two words and reads from across the room; the Brontë line is a sentence and reads from the sofa. A quote under a portrait shares the panel with the face, so a line that is short enough to sit in two rows leaves the relief more room. A quote panel has the whole panel to itself.
Can I write my own line?
Yes. Type it in the quote field on the create page, up to 80 characters, and it is set under the portrait spelled exactly as you wrote it.
Exactly as written is the rule, so read it back before you draw the design: a stray capital or a missed full stop is set as it is. If the drawing comes back with something you did not type, alter it and redraw; nothing is owed until one is approved. The create page has the field.
Who is credited under the line?
The author of a preset line, set smaller under it: Robert Browning under the best is yet to be, Shakespeare under she is fierce. A proverb and a line of your own are unsigned.
The author travels with the line. Pick Browning's line and his name goes under it; edit the words or type your own and the name comes off, so no line is ever signed with someone else's name. The couple at the top of this guide are over the Browning line with his name beneath it.
Which line for which piece?
Match the line to the face above it, or, on a panel, to the room it will hang in. The shop's four Portrait + quote designs are a starting point.
- A pet: Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened (Anatole France).
- A couple: Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be (Robert Browning), or Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same (Emily Brontë).
- A family: There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart (Jane Austen), or Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none (Shakespeare).
- A small, fierce cat or child: Though she be but little, she is fierce (Shakespeare).
- A hallway or a kitchen panel: Home is where the heart is, or Carpe diem (Horace).
- A hard year: This too shall pass, or Hope is the thing with feathers (Emily Dickinson).
The guide to the three kinds of piece says when a panel alone is the better choice.
Questions this leaves
Are the lines in other languages?
Two of the twelve are Latin: Carpe diem (Horace) and Amor vincit omnia (Virgil). The rest are English. A line of your own is set as you type it, so write it in the language you want on the wall and spell it as you want it set.
Can a quote go on a 30 cm piece?
Yes. Either size carries a quote, under a portrait or as a panel on its own. Under a portrait the line is set on two or three centred lines at both sizes, and the create page shows how it sits with the face before you choose.
Can I add a name as well as a quote?
The create page has a field for each: a name of up to 20 characters, and a quote of up to 80, set under the face in raised lettering. Fill in the one you want, or both and see how the design comes back. A quote panel is lettering alone and takes no name.
