Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most often asked questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries not covered below or on our website.
Question: I ordered but didn’t receive the download link.
Answer: If you ordered a non-instant coat of arms image, these need to be processed by us manually, so please allow up to 24-48 hours, although these are normally processed within a few hours. You will be sent a download link by email once your download is ready.
If ordering an instant image download, these are available for download immediately payment has been processed by our order page which normally takes up to 30 seconds (and longer if paying by bank transfer). Once an instant payment has been processed, your web browser will display your order details and download link(s). Our website will also send you a download link by email at the same time.
If you don’t receive an order confirmation email with the download link(s), please check your email’s spam or junk folder. Many valid emails are wrongly treated as spam or junk messages and may have been automatically moved into a spam or junk folder, or even deleted by your email service provider.
Please do contact us so that we can resend your order details and download link, however, it may be possible that you won’t receive our reply. If this happens, please provide a UK mobile phone number (if available) so that we can send you a text message with the download link. Alternatively, you can provide us with a different email address if possible.
Question: How do I place an order?
Answer: If you would like to order an instant image download, you can simply click or tap Add to basket for each instant coat of arms image you would like to order from its product page. If ordering for a non-instant coat of arms (for your choice of surname), you should order from this page. You can order both instant and non-instant images together by adding each to the shopping cart. You don’t need to place separate orders.
Once payment has been processed you will instantly receive the download link for each instant download. The link will be sent to you instantly by email and will also appear as a download link in My Account if you created an account when ordering.
For non-instant image downloads, we will email you the details once the order has been manually processed (normally within hours, the same day or within 24 hours).
Question: Can I order a coat of arms image as a JPG (JPEG) or other file type instead of a PNG image?
Answer: We provide these coats of arms images in the PNG file format because they have a transparent background. This will allow your own background (for example, a parchment or patterned background) to show through the outer and inner areas. As a JPG or JPEG image, you would see a solid white area instead of your own background. We can supply as a JPG or JPEG image upon request but it is far better to order a PNG file for the transparent background. Also, a PNG file can easily be converted or saved to a JPG or JPEG (or other file type such as a PDF, TIFF, SVG, etc.) using various apps and software.
This includes your operating system’s (i.e. Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS/iPadOS, Android, Chromebook OS) image or photo viewer graphics software or office software and apps. Popular graphics software and apps which can be used include Photoshop, Pixelmator, GIMP, Affinity Photo, Designer, Publisher, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and Apple Pages.
To convert a JPG to a PNG would require the white background to be removed and made transparent using suitable graphics apps or software, but to convert and/or save a PNG to a JPG is quicker and easier as it only requires the image to be saved as a JPG file or other file type required (i.e. TIFF, SVG, PDF, etc.).
If you would like to order a JPG coat of arms image, please use this page to place your order and specify JPG in the order comments instead of ordering as an instant (PNG) image download (if available for instant download).
Question: Can I instantly download any coat of arms image?
Answer: This website provides instant downloads for some of the most popular coats of arms, but not every coat of arms can be downloaded instantly. There are literally hundreds of thousands of coats of arms available, so you can order for most surnames here.
Question: Are these coats of arms authentic?
Answer: Yes. They are taken from ancient records and publications, such as Burke’s General Armory, Riestap’s Armorial General, and for crests (the smaller image above the helmet), Fairbairn’s Book of Crests, amongst others. These were published during the 1800s and cover registered arms and crests up to the end of 1800 and into the early 1900s, spanning back and covering registrations over several centuries.
Question: Can I buy these coats of arms anywhere else?
Answer: We create these coats of arms images ourselves, so they are only available directly from us. However, we do have a few other heraldry related website, including NameHistory.uk and HistoryofNames.uk. We also list some of our products on eBay, Amazon and Etsy (please see our About Us page for details).
Question: Can I use the coat of arms image in any way I want?
Answer: You are free to use your image in any way you want, but you may not resell (make available free or for sale) the coats of arms images or use for commercial purposes. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Question: Do you register or grant new coats of arms?
Answer: No, we don’t provide a coat of arms registration service. We only create coats of arms images and products based on existing ancient coats of arms.
Question: Can you create a particular coat of arms image for me?
Answer: Normally we can. There are often more than one coat of arms associated with a surname. If there’s a particular one you’ve see and would like to make sure we use or create that version, please let us know when ordering. Otherwise, we normally use the oldest coat of arms most associated with the surname.
Question: How do I know I have the right coat of arms for my surname?
Answer: A personal coat of arms was, and still is, granted and registered to a person rather than a surname, so technically there is no right or wrong coats of arms. As they are registered under an individual’s surname, then a coat of arms bearing the same surname is considered ‘correct’ for that surname.