How to Order Custom Big Head Cutouts for Any Event

Whether it's a graduation, a milestone birthday, a bachelorette party, or senior night at a football game, there's one decoration that always gets the biggest reaction: a giant cutout of someone's face on a stick.

Custom big head cutouts are one of the easiest ways to make an event feel personal and fun. They look great in photos, they get people laughing, and they double as keepsakes long after the party is over. But if you've never ordered one before, you probably have some questions. How does it work? What kind of photo do you need? How big should you go?

This guide covers everything you need to know to order face cutouts that look sharp, arrive on time, and steal the show at your next event.

What Are Big Head Cutouts?

A big head cutout (sometimes called a "face on a stick" or "big face prop") is a printed, precision-cut photo of someone's face mounted on a stick. The face is printed at a larger-than-life scale, the background is removed, and the cutout follows the natural outline of the person's head and hair.

The result is a lightweight prop that's easy to hold up in a crowd, instantly recognizable, and endlessly entertaining. They work for just about any occasion:

• Birthdays: Especially milestone birthdays (30th, 40th, 50th, etc.) where a little roasting is part of the fun.
• Graduations: Hold them up in the audience so your graduate can spot you from the stage.
• Weddings and engagement parties: Great for photo booths and reception tables.
• Bachelorette and bachelor parties: Put the guest of honor's face everywhere.
• Sporting events and senior nights: The classic use. Cheer on your player with their face on a sign.
• Retirement parties: Celebrate a career with an oversized tribute.
• Pet birthdays: Yes, really. Pet face cutouts are one of our most popular orders.

How the Ordering Process Works

Ordering a custom face cutout is simpler than most people expect. Here's the process from start to finish.

Step 1: Choose Your Size

We offer four sizes, measured along the longest dimension of the finished cutout:

• 10 inches: Great as party favors or table decorations. Works well when you're ordering a large quantity for every guest.
• 14 inches: Our most popular size for parties and small events. Big enough to be funny, small enough to be easy to handle.
• 18 inches: Fills a bigger space and works well for events where people will be farther away, like outdoor parties or larger venues.
• 23 inches: Maximum impact. This is the one that gets noticed from across the room or across a football field.

Keep in mind that measurements are taken from the highest to lowest point of the cutout (or left to right if the face is wider than it is tall). Faces with a lot of hair, hats, or beards may appear slightly smaller at the same size compared to a closely-cropped head, since the measurement includes everything.

Step 2: Select Your Quantity

You can order a single cutout or dozens. The ordering system lets you specify how many unique faces you need and how many copies of each face.

For example, if you're throwing a party for one person, you might order 10 copies of that person's face. If you're making props for a group photo, you might order one copy each of 8 different faces.

Volume pricing kicks in automatically. Your first print is full price, then you save 20% on the second, 25% on the third through ninth, 30% on the tenth through twenty-fourth, and 35% on orders of 25 or more.

Step 3: Upload Your Photo

This is the most important step, and it's easier than you might think. You upload a photo of the face, and we handle everything else: background removal, cropping, color correction, and sizing.

You don't need to edit anything yourself. Just send us the best photo you have.

What makes a good photo:

• Clear and in focus (not blurry or pixelated).
• The face is front-facing, not turned to one side.
• Good, even lighting with no harsh shadows across the face.
• The entire head is visible and not cropped or blocked by anything.
• Taken from a reasonable distance (not zoomed in from far away, which reduces resolution).

What to avoid:

• Group photos where you'd need to zoom in and crop tightly around one person.
• Dark or dimly lit images.
• Screenshots from social media or text messages (these are compressed and lose quality).
• Photos taken at a steep angle.

A regular smartphone photo works perfectly as long as it's clear and well-lit. For the best results, upload the original photo file directly from the phone rather than sending it through a messaging app first, since apps like iMessage and WhatsApp compress images. (Here's a guide to sharing full-quality photos.)

Step 4: Add Any Special Instructions

If you have a specific request (like including shoulders in the cutout, adding a white border, or anything else out of the ordinary), there's a special instructions field on the order form. You can also request a proof before printing if you want to see a preview of how it will look.

Step 5: We Print, Cut, and Ship

Once your order is placed, we print your face cutout on heavyweight coated paper using UV ink for vivid, accurate color. Each cutout is then laser cut to precisely follow the outline of the head and hair, so there's no generic shape or visible border.

The cutouts ship with wooden sticks and pre-applied double-sided tape. Assembly takes about 10 seconds: peel the tape backing and press the stick onto the back. That's it.

Most orders ship the next business day, and rush production is available if you're working with a tight timeline.

Choosing the Right Size for Your Event

Size depends on two things: how close people will be to the cutout, and how many you're ordering.

For party settings where guests will be in the same room, the 10 or 14 inch sizes work well. 14 inches is the sweet spot for most birthday parties, engagement celebrations, and photo booth setups. It's big enough to be instantly recognizable and funny, but not so large that it's awkward to hold.

For events with distance (graduation ceremonies, sporting events, concerts), go bigger. The 18 or 23 inch cutouts are designed to be visible from farther away. If the person you're cheering for needs to be able to spot your sign from a stage or a field, the largest size is worth it.

For table decorations or favors, the 10 inch size is ideal. You can order a bunch and scatter them around a dessert table, place one at each seat, or hand them out as guests arrive. They also work as cake toppers in a pinch.

Pets, Babies, and Non-Standard Faces

Not every cutout is a straightforward headshot of an adult. Some of our most popular orders feature pets, babies, and vintage photos.

Pets work great as long as the face is clear and front-facing. Dogs and cats are the most common, but we've printed everything from horses to parrots. If your pet won't sit still for a front-facing photo, try taking a burst of shots and picking the sharpest one.

Baby and toddler photos are popular for first birthday parties and milestone celebrations. The same photo guidelines apply: clear, well-lit, and front-facing. If you're using an older printed photo of a baby (for example, from a parent's childhood), scanning it will give better results than photographing it with a phone, but a phone photo of a print can still work if the lighting is good and there's no glare.

Vintage or printed photos can be used too. If the photo only exists as a physical print, lay it flat, make sure there's no glare from nearby lights, and photograph it straight-on (not at an angle). A flatbed scanner will always give the best result if you have access to one.

How Many Should You Order?

This depends on how you plan to use them.

One or two cutouts is enough if you just want a single prop for photos or a centerpiece. This is common for graduation celebrations or retirement parties where the focus is on one person.

Five to ten cutouts covers a party where you want the props circulating among guests. This works well for birthdays and bachelorette parties where everyone will want a turn holding the face.

Larger quantities (15+) are typical for sporting events, rallies, or any situation where you want an entire section of the crowd holding the same face. This is also where the volume discounts make a real difference on per-unit cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a proof before you print? Yes. Just mention it in the special instructions when you place your order. Keep in mind that waiting for proof approval may push your ship date back by a day or two.

Are these waterproof? They can handle a light splash or brief exposure to rain, but they're not designed to be soaked. For outdoor events, you'll be fine in normal conditions.

Can I reuse them? Absolutely. The material is rigid and durable enough to last through an event and well beyond. Many customers keep them as decorations or keepsakes after the party.

Do you print on both sides? Currently, printing is on one side only.

What if my photo isn't great quality? We'll do our best to work with what you send. If the image quality is too low to produce a good result, we'll reach out and let you know before printing so you can try to find a better option.

Ready to Order?

Browse our Big Face on a Stick options, pick your size and quantity, and upload your photo. We'll handle the rest and have your cutouts on the way fast.

If you have questions about sizing, photo quality, or a custom request, get in touch. We're happy to help you figure out the best setup for your event.