Category: Blog

Being able to buy good birthday presents is a valuable and important skill. If you’re one of those lucky people who find it easy to buy gifts, then good for you! You’ll already know how the right gift can brighten someone’s day.

If, like the rest of us, you find it challenging to pick out a great birthday gift, then fear not. Our guide will help you pick out something perfect every time. Gift buying is a skill, and just as with any other skill, you’ll do better when you have the right technique at your fingertips. 

Sitting comfortably? Then let’s get started. 

 Understanding the Importance of Choosing Good Birthday Presents

The first step to buying great birthday gifts is to understand that committing and putting some effort into the process is essential. 

Birthday gifts are a chance to show someone you value them and are prepared to put time and effort into cultivating your relationship with that person. Birthdays will always require a special gift, especially those for romantic partners, family members, and important friends. 

But gifts aren’t totally selfless either! According to the American Psychological Association, giving gifts activates the part of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, which creates a “warm glow” effect. 

As with many things, the more you put into the process, the more you get in return. This means that the time spent thinking about and organising a gift for a special person is well spent. 

 Considerations for Selecting Good Birthday Presents

A few broad areas to consider when buying the perfect gift are interests and hobbies, age and relationship, quality, and budget. You can go through these in your head quickly, or you might find it helpful to jot some ideas down on paper. 

 Interests and Hobbies 

The first thing to consider when getting a birthday gift is the person you are buying the gift for. It’s essential to consider the giftee’s interests, hobbies, and preferences. 

This does two important things:
1) They will likely enjoy the gift, and
2) It shows the giftee you’ve thought about them when putting the gift together. 

The best way to learn about a person’s interests is to actively listen to them. What do they speak about in conversation? What topics do they talk passionately about? You can also observe them. What do they spend their time doing? What topics are they drawn to when watching TV, reading, or browsing the internet? 

A couple of warnings here. First, remember that people’s interests change over time. Children, in particular, go through phases — what interests them at age nine might differ significantly from their interests at age 12. Ensure you’re buying for their current interests, not those they used to have.

Second, try to vary the gifts you buy. Even someone who loves dinosaurs probably doesn’t want all their birthday gifts to be dinosaur-themed, especially not year after year. 

If you’re buying a gift for a dog lover or a gift for a sports fan, you’re in luck! We have prints for sale they’re sure to love. 

 Age and Relationship

Next, consider the person’s age and your relationship with them. Some birthdays are “bigger” than others and deserve extra thought and consideration. Turning 18, for example, is more of a milestone moment (for most people) than turning 17. It can be a great time to buy a birthday gift that is more sentimental rather than practical. 

Also, consider your relationship to the giftee. As a general rule, the closer you are to the person, the more thought you should put into the gift. If you are a parent, grandparent, or partner to the giftee, you must put in more effort than you would if you were cousins! 

Budget and Quality 

It’s essential to get the budget right when buying a birthday present for someone. Spending too much, or more than you can afford, is best avoided as you might make the giftee feel guilty.

There’s no “right amount” to spend, and many people would appreciate something free, like a poem, more than a piece of jewellery. 

If you buy an object for someone, it should be good quality, though. It’s better to get a smaller gift of higher quality than a bigger gift of poorer quality. For example, a guitar player would prefer an excellent guitar strap to a rubbish guitar! 

Unique and Personalised Gift Ideas

If you’re still struggling to buy a good birthday gift for that special someone, here’s another piece of advice — unique and personalised gifts are more meaningful than generic ones.

Take one of our best-selling products, the Custom Star Map. Our Custom Star Maps show the night’s sky precisely as it looked from a specific location at one particular moment. Many people are fascinated by the stars and would love to know what the night sky looked like the day they were born. 

It’s not the most expensive gift in the world, but as it’s fully personalised, it’s totally unique to the giftee, and no one else will have one like it. Adding a custom message to the print can create a much more thoughtful gift than the average trinket. That’s why we have over 450 five-star reviews for this gift idea! 

Shop our full range of birthday gifts, and you’ll surely find something unique and meaningful for your special person. All of our posters are printed on museum-quality art paper for a high-quality look. FREE delivery on all orders worldwide!

Craving unique wall art for your home, office, or as a gift? You are in the right place at Positive Prints! Feel inspired by designing a custom city map print of a city that holds a special place in your memories.

Use this guide to create your custom city map print, step by step. Once you’re done, you can expect a high-quality poster designed by you that’s perfect for yourself or as a gift to someone.

Step 1: Select Your Design

With positiveprints.com, you can customise your design to make it significant. Start by selecting the desired design, as shown below:

#A: There are three map shapes to choose from for your custom city map print – circle, heart, or square. Depending on the purpose of personalised poster, you can choose the perfect style for the occasion. The most frequently selected style is square, which is fitting for any occasion. You can only make one choice per poster.

#B: This is the colour design for your poster. You can select one of the pre-designed colours that are created by us or you can also customise the colour of the land, water, and roads and railways.

#C: This is the map customisation feature. You can click and drag the poster in different directions to find just the right spot. You can also tap on the image and then use the + and – feature to zoom in and out.

#D: This is the variety of the choices to use when you choose to customise your colours. You can select one colour each for roads, water, and land.

#E: Here is the feature you can use to set your unique colour scheme if the above colours do not meet your specifications or taste. Drag the cursor in the coloured box to find your perfect shade.

Once you have made all the adjustments on the style and colour scheme of your poster, click the Find your Location button to go to the next step.

Step 2: Enter Details

Selecting a custom city map print can be difficult. Clients have different locations in which they wish to have posted. It would be best if you made a choice in which you have memorable moments at the place.

Finding a specific location for your wall art poster starts by filling in your unique details to make your map with positive prints. Use the image below to find your special place:

#A is the location of your custom map print. Search engine optimisation is used to help you choose the best fit of the location you want the print to have.

#B is all about your unique message. If you wish to include a specific message, enable the button to write out your custom text.

#C refers to the top line of text printed at the bottom of the poster. It automatically populates based on what you type on this line.

#D gives you the option to choose a Script font. Upon enabling the button, the text on your print will automatically turn into a scripted Italic headline.

#E enables the Add Map Marker feature. You can pinpoint a specific location on your map by adding an address. The mapping tool will automatically find that point and drop a location pin.

#F allows you to choose what your Map Marker looks like. Choose from a house, heart, graduation cap, or a pin

All details are filled in and accurate. Click the Choose Format button to go to the next step.

Step 3: Choose Format of your Custom City Map Prints Wall Art

You’re almost done creating your custom map print wall art! On Step 3, you will choose the physical appearance of your poster. Each design has different specifications, so play around with the tools to find the best fit for you.

#A: You can either choose a hardcopy printed poster, or, you can opt to download the poster as an instant digital download. The third option is to turn your custom map into a pillow design.

#B: Select the best orientation (portrait or landscape) for your custom city map print. This will determine how your poster is displayed once you receive your print or print your own. If you have selected a digital download, you will also see an option for a square orientation.

#C: Different individuals choose different paper size dimensions, depending on the type of print they wish to have.

After you’ve made your selections, click the Add to Cart button to finish the checkout process.

Step 4: Preview, Edit, and Finish your Wall Art

Once you have added the custom city map print to the cart, there are just a few small details standing between you and submitting your order.

#A: Preview all of your order details. In case you need a modification, click the Edit button to make the changes and submit the updated version of your product.

#B: If you have more than one print you wish to include in your order, click the Add Another button to create an additional print. Clicking this button will take you back through the process.

#C: You have the option of removing any extra prints you might have accidentally added to the cart.

Last step! Once your cart is complete, click the Proceed to Payment button to complete your checkout.

We hope you found our guide and the images to be helpful when designing your custom city map print and turn you into a delighted Positive Print client!

Much regards and appreciation!

The Positive Prints Team

PS – Ready to get started? Click the DESIGN YOURS NOW button and start designing your custom city map print!

Maybe you got engaged under the light of a full moon. Or maybe you can’t forget the way the sky looked on your wedding day or the night your child was born. No matter the most special moments in your life, you can rest assured the moon is sharing in your joy. Commemorate the occasion with beautifully crafted moon phase artwork that will capture the moment in time.

What is Moon Phase Artwork?

Imagine inviting the moon into your home or office! Our fun, original moon print makes it possible.

Many people say they feel a special connection to the moon. Science has even proven that the moon can influence our emotions, behaviours, and even biological responses.

Knowing this, it’s no surprise that many people choose our moon phase art to remember a special moment in their lives.

Moon phase artwork are personalized prints made to order by PositivePrints.com. Each print reflects the appearance of the moon on a particular location and date. Because we can track every day of the moon’s cycle, we can create what the moon looked like on the date of your choice based on your location in the world.

These elegant prints are an excellent way to emblazon the memories of special nights in your life. Recreate the sky and reconnect to specific moments in time that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

What Makes Our Moon Phase Artwork So Special?

To be clear, our moon phase artwork isn’t just a print of the moon that you hang on your wall. You could probably get artwork like that at any art or hobby store. The difference is that generic moon prints don’t reflect the nature of a specific moment that’s meaningful to you.

That’s why we developed our custom moon artwork. You give us the date of an event in your life (e.g. a first date, wedding day, birth of a child, graduation day, etc.) and then we do our research to see what the moon looked like on that night. Each date is a little different since the moon’s visibility changes each day of its cycle.

Our goal is to recreate the moon as realistically as possible so that it looks just as did in your memories.

Every print is custom-made to order, and you have a lot of design freedom and flexibility in customizing your print. You can choose to add special text and select a colour scheme that fits your personality and decor.

Therefore, every print we create is different. We want to make your artwork truly one of a kind so that you feel a special connection to it each time you see it.

What’s Included on Your Custom Moon Phase Print

Historically, you’d have to work side by side with an artist or designer to get quality custom artwork. But at Positive Prints, we’ve made it easier than ever to design your own custom moon phase print from the convenience of your home.

Using our interactive, intuitive online tool, you can customize your moon phase print in three easy steps:

1.   Select Design

Select from our diverse range of six color schemes to set the backdrop for your moon phase artwork. Many of our customers opt for black, symbolizing the enchanting night sky, while others choose the captivating sky theme or the cosmic allure of a purple galaxy.

Once you’ve made your choice, click the Details button to go to the next step.

2.   Enter Details

In this step, you’ll input your personalized details. Select the specific city or location that holds significance for your special event, along with the date. If you wish to incorporate a custom message into your moon phases art, we suggest choosing from our selection of title and subtitle ideas or unleashing your creativity by crafting a unique message. This provides an excellent opportunity to include a special quote, song lyrics, or even the precise time, date, and location of your memorable event.

Once you’ve made your customizations, click the Format button to move on to the next step.

3.   Choose Format

The final step involves choosing your preferred format. At Positive Prints, we offer the convenience of delivering your customized moon phase artwork in a tangible hardcopy print, which can be sent to your address. You have the option of a standalone print, a framed version, or even a canvas print. Alternatively, for a quicker turnaround, opt for the digital download, where a file will be emailed to you for download and printing at your convenience.

When selecting a hardcopy print, be sure to specify your preferred orientation (portrait, square or landscape) and size. Once you’ve completed this step, you’ll be directed to the checkout process.

Give Moon Phase Artwork as a Gift

Our unique moon phase artwork packs a lot of sentiment into just one piece of art. They make the perfect gift for a number of occasions, including:

• Birthdays
• Baby showers or new births
• Weddings
• Anniversaries
• Valentine’s Day
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Christmas
• Graduations
• Retirements
• Last minute gifts
• Special milestones or achievements

It’s never too late to order a moon phase poster that displays a special moment in your life. Order anytime and enjoy free worldwide shipping. It’s a low-cost gift that holds major value and will become a cherished treasure like no other.

How to Order Moon Phase Artwork that’s Meaningful to You

Are you ready to give the unique gift of moon phase artwork to yourself or someone special? Positive Prints makes it easy to get started.

Click on the button below to start creating your custom moon print art – it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Ask 10 different people what art means to them, and you’ll likely get 10 different answers. That’s because the true definition of art isn’t a definition at all, but rather a sentiment that is as unique as we are. We’re each attracted to different colors, shapes, and places, so it’s no surprise that many of us view our art choices as reflections of our own personal style.

When it comes to artistic maps, only a custom map will do. Custom maps of countries or states are taking flight as the artwork of choice for homes and businesses. Because they can be personalized for any occasion or use, each artistic map can truly fit the space they’re displayed in.

Why Decorate Your Home with Artistic Maps?

Your home is a blank canvas that’s waiting for you to bring your sense of style and taste to its walls. No matter what you display in your home, be it artistic maps, sports memorabilia, antiques, or religious symbols, anyone that enters your home can better understand who you are by the way you’ve chosen to decorate.

In other words, your art choices set a specific tone for your space. Let’s face it, no one hangs art on their wall that they don’t like. Your home’s decor is something you have to look at and live with every day, so why wouldn’t you choose pieces that speak to a special part of you?

That’s the beauty in using artistic maps to decorate your home. Each map represents a place that means something special to you. Maybe it’s a map of the town or state you grew up in, the place you went to college, or even the place where you got married. No matter where your map takes you, you can feel a sense of nostalgia and familiarity every time you look at it.

The Benefits of a Custom Artistic Map

Opting for a custom map art offers similar benefits as any type of custom art or decor. For starters, you get greater control over the design process so that your art print works for your space. You can voice your input on things like color scheme, size, and shape to add nuances of your personality in a single image.

At Positive Prints, we also include custom lines of text to give you another way to personalize your prints. Include your favorite quote, a special date or occasion, or names of cities, states, or loved ones to illustrate the significance of your map art.

Every map is different, because no two styles are quite alike. You can enjoy hanging a map in your home that truly was made for you and know there isn’t another one quite like it anywhere else.

Not to mention that decorating with custom maps can help you take the guesswork out of sprucing up your home. They’re easy to order and customize, so you can avoid spending countless hours scouring art galleries and stores searching for art prints to bring your home to life.

How to Create Country or State Map Art

When planning any type of artistic improvement to your home or office, it’s a good idea to explore your options first. To start, we recommend making a list of potential countries or states that you’ll want to display in your home. This could be the state you’re currently living in, a state you grew up in, or even a collection of states where you’ve lived or visited.

You may also want to consider your favorite countries to travel to or countries you’ve lived in. Combining multiple map prints under a single frame can also be a great way to tell a story of your travels or history.

From there, it’s a matter of fine details. At Positive Prints, we offer several customization options to make your map print truly yours. Select from five pre-set colour combinations or choose your own colours. You can also include custom text that adds insight into your map selections.

We also offer multiple sizes and orientations so that you can choose the one that best fits your space. We recommend picking out a place in your home for your print prior to ordering so that you can get the appropriate size and colours.

Get Artistic Maps with Positive Prints!

At Positive Prints, we’ve made it our mission to put high-quality custom artwork within everyone’s reach. You can create your own personalized poster. Our online map builder walks you through a simple, three-step process to create a map print that means something special to you. You choose your location, colors, shape, and size, and we’ll handle the rest.

Our artistic maps make great home decor for yourself or gift ideas for others. Choose from a hardcopy print on the finest art paper, a digital download for last-minute gift giving, or a decorative pillow to complement any decor.

Get started today and enjoy a custom artistic map that adds impact to your home!

Bringing home a new bundle of joy is a momentous occasion for any family. You’ve spent the last nine months preparing for their arrival, adding everything from cribs and blankets to clothes and toys. In the midst of all the planning and preparation, nursery wall art can often fall by the wayside. However, keep in mind that how you decorate your baby’s nursery can help create a space you all will love spending time in. 

If you’re looking for unique nursery wall art, consider the advantages of personalized prints that will make your baby’s room one of a kind.

Types of Custom Nursery Wall Art

Many parents-to-be focus on colour schemes for their new baby’s nursery. The right wall art can complement those colours and bring the room to life. Here are some suggestions to inspire you:

Birth Poster

What better way to celebrate a new life than with a scale-sized poster of what your baby looked like at birth? Babies grow so fast, but a birth poster can help you remember just how tiny they were when they entered the world. 

We create our baby sketch posters based on your baby’s length to make it lifelike and to scale. If you have twins or triplets, we also offer one poster that includes all your little blessings! You can further customize the poster to include your baby’s birth date and birth weight, as well as choose from different positions, colours, and other fine details. It’s an instant heirloom gift that your child can cherish as they grow up.

Moon Phase Poster

The moon has witnessed countless births through time. Do you remember what the night sky looked like on the night of your baby’s blessed arrival? 

Our moon date poster uses your baby’s birth date and location to recreate the image of the moon on the night they were born. Interestingly, the moon’s phase at the time of birth has been shown to affect a person’s personality and tendencies through life and may help to give you a sneak peek at what they might be like as they get older.

Decorating your baby’s nursery with a moon phase poster is a beautiful way to remember the night your life changed forever. And, it just might inspire them to dream bigger than the world. 

Star Map Poster

Much like the birthday moon phase poster, our personalised star map prints can help you remember what the entire night sky looked like when your baby entered the world. Our sky maps chart the positions of the constellations on any given date. You can choose to add the planets, the names of the constellations, and galaxies to add more detail to your poster. 

How to Create a Personalized Print for a Nursery

Each of our personalized prints are custom made to order based on your unique details, such as birth date, colour scheme, shape, and size. Here’s a closer look at our process:

Select Your Print Type

Each of our poster types has its own step by step process, so if you’re ordering multiple prints for your nursery wall art, you will need to create them one at a time. In general, you’ll follow the same basic steps for each one. Once you select the poster type, you’ll choose basic details like colours and map shape. All changes are updated in real time so you can see what your selections will look like when printed.

Input Your Custom Details

Step Two is the place where you’ll enter any custom details, such as personalised lines of text or location. With the text, you can choose to add a scripted font to one or both lines, or you can leave them in a standard format. 

Watch as your print comes to life with any changes you make! 

Choose Your Format of your Nursery Wall Art

On the final step, select how you want your print to be delivered. If you choose a hardcopy print, trust that we print on the highest-quality printing paper that’s perfect for framing and will last for years as your little one grows up. We also offer free shipping on all of our hardcopy prints.

For faster delivery, you can select a digital file that will be sent to you via email. You can take this file to your local print shop when you’re ready. This is why so many of our customers choose us as a last-minute baby shower gift or a welcome home present for new parents!

Nursery Wall Art Makes Excellent Gifts!

New parents will take hundreds of pictures because time flies when you have a little one. Our custom nursery wall art makes excellent gifts that can help them look back on the day their lives changed forever when they brought a little one into the world. It’s the perfect gift that will be treasured for a lifetime. Explore our baby poster, moon poster, and star map today!

Astronomy and astrology are often used interchangeably. But make no mistake that the two are not the same. The two share similar roots, and both focus on the sky and stars above us. But that’s about where the similarities end. Here’s a closer look at the astronomy vs astrology comparison and why the difference matters.

Astronomy vs Astrology: A Brief Definition

Simply put, astronomy is the science of studying the stars and other components of the universe. Scientists who study astronomy look at the movement patterns of planets. They study the properties of celestial bodies, and examine their position in the sky.

Astrology is based on astronomy. It uses what astronomers have discovered and attempts to provide insight into how these celestial bodies influence life on Earth. For example, it takes into consideration the position of planets at any given time and makes predictions about how that positioning can influence decisions, behaviors, moods, and more. 

The Science of Astronomy

It used to be that astronomy and astrology were considered one in the same. Then, during the Age of Reason, astrology ideas started being rejected as superstitions. 

Today, astronomy is a bona fide science. Astronomers dedicate their careers to looking to the heavens to identify new stars and planets. Study their origins, predict their movements, and make logical assumptions. Unlike astrology, astronomers can support their ideas with proof. This is why astronomy findings are widely accepted by other scientists, scholars, and general public. Even if they’re not experts in astronomy themselves.

The Pseudoscience of Astrology

Astrology isn’t technically a science. It’s more of a pseudoscience. It uses astronomy as a foundation to explain the impact of astronomical behaviors. Astrologists turn their explanations into horoscopes and other predictions based on individual zodiac signs. They believe that planetary positioning at any given time can impact. A person’s thoughts, feelings, and decisions. 

To be clear, astrology does have a scientific basis. Astrologists use the same vocabulary as their astronomer counterparts. Along with star charts, diagrams, and graphs that detect planetary positions at any given time. 

But unlike astronomy, there is no way to “prove” astrology beliefs. Many people who follow astrology say that their findings can be too general to be reliable. And when predictions do come true, some are inclined to see it as mere coincidences. 

But there are others whose experiences have been quite the opposite. Many consult their horoscopes to look for signs in their lives, provide direction, and explain why they’re feeling a certain way. 

How Astrology Uses Astronomy

One of the most valuable tools in astronomy and astrology are star maps. A star map is a representation of the stars in the sky on any given date. Algorithms create these maps based on previously established patterns so that an accurate map can be created for any date, even those in the future.

Future-looking star maps are used by astrologists to develop predictions for how planetary events will impact human life, usually according to their zodiac sign. The zodiac is commonly thought to be a component of astrology, but it’s also a tool used by astronomers. 

Zodiac Constellations

The zodiac is defined by the earth’s annual path around the sun. Throughout 12 distinct intervals, we see the sun against the same constellations throughout the year. This is why zodiac signs are commonly referred to as your “sun” signs. 

Astronomy tells us that these signs represent constellations that have the same names as the 12 zodiac signs. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. From there, astrology takes over and tells us that the sun’s position against these constellations can have an impact on our personality traits at birth as well as our moods, behaviors, and actions throughout our lives.

There’s a lot of overlap between astronomy and astrology. So it’s no surprise that the two are used interchangeably. The most important thing to remember is that astronomy is a science that explains much of the “what” of our universe: it tells us factual information about celestial bodies and uses logic and proof to back up the claims. Astrology takes astronomy a step further to explain the impact of astronomy, findings that aren’t always widely accepted and are based more on speculation rather than cold, hard proof.

Star Maps in Astronomy and Astrology

Regardless of whether you love astronomy vs astrology or can’t wait to read your horoscope every day, everyone can enjoy a personalised star map. Star maps provide a detailed look at the night sky on a date of your choice. It’s up to you to decide if the stars and planets aligned for you on that very special day.

Start creating your custom star map here and bring the night sky into your home.