Common questions
Everything you need to know
How the maps are calculated, what you get, how long it takes to arrive, and what happens if something goes wrong.
The star map
- What do I actually buy?
- A digital print: a personalised star map delivered as a print-ready file, not a posted poster. Most people buy one for their own wall or as a gift and have it printed locally. Print shops and online sellers use the same files to sell personalised prints to their own customers.
- How accurate is the star map?
- Star maps are generated from a real star catalogue — 2,865 stars down to magnitude 5.5, which is every star visible to the naked eye — combined with precise coordinate calculations for the exact date, time and location. Star positions are computed with standard astronomical formulae rather than drawn decoratively, so the sky shown is accurate to within minutes of the moment specified.
- What information do I need to provide?
- Just a date, an approximate time and a location — city-level is fine, though a specific address gives the most precise horizon. You can also add names, a title and a short message, and choose the fonts and colours.
- Can I preview the design before paying?
- Yes. The editor shows a live preview as you set the date, location, design and text, and that preview is exactly what renders in the final file. Once signed in you can also download a free watermarked preview — handy for checking details, or for sending a proof to a customer.
Print businesses
- Can I sell prints made from my file?
- Every paid download can be printed as many times as you like, at any size. It also includes a commercial licence, so print businesses may sell the printed products to their own customers, with no royalties. Reselling, sharing or distributing the digital file or the design template itself is not permitted.
- Can I order several, or order in volume?
- Yes. Each download is personalised separately, so every file can carry a different date, location and message. If you are a business ordering regularly or in volume, email [email protected] for volume pricing.
Files & printing
- What file do I receive?
- You receive a print-ready PDF and a high-resolution PNG, 44.5 × 59.4 cm (17.5 × 23.4 in) at 300 DPI — the same long edge as an A2 poster, in a 3:4 proportion. Print them as many times as you need, at any size. Any print shop can produce it, often the same day, and it works with professional presses and print-on-demand services such as Gelato, Printful and Prodigi.
- What sizes can I print?
- The file is supplied at 44.5 × 59.4 cm (17.5 × 23.4 in) at 300 DPI — the same long edge as an A2 poster, in a 3:4 proportion. It is a 3:4 artwork, so it fits 18×24 in, 30×40 cm and similar frames directly; for A-series sizes, trim or add a margin.
Delivery
- How fast do I get the file?
- Every order is a digital download, delivered immediately after checkout. There is no shipping and no waiting, anywhere in the world. The download link is emailed the moment payment completes and stays available in your account.
- Can I order from outside the US and UK?
- Yes — We sell digital prints only, so there is nothing to ship and no delivery address to give. Anyone, anywhere in the world, can order.
Refunds
- What is your refund policy?
- If a file is faulty, fails to render correctly, or contains a mistake we made, we will fix it and re-send it or refund you in full. Once a personalised download has been delivered it is otherwise non-refundable — so check the preview carefully before you buy.
Questions by occasion
Which date to choose, when to order, and what to write on the poster — answered for each occasion.
Still need an answer?
Email [email protected] and a human will reply, usually within one business day. You can also use the contact page.
Make your own star map
Pick a date, a place and a design, and see your star map before you buy.
Start creating