What is a family crest?

A family crest, also known as a coat of arms, is a unique heraldic design associated with a particular family lineage. It typically includes symbols, colors, and figures, representing family traits, accomplishments, and history. Family crests were traditionally used for identification in medieval times, but today, they're largely symbolic and used to honor heritage.

Where can I see your full product range?

You can view our full product range here. Each of our products comes in a range of finishes, sizes and styles which can be selected using the product options.

Where are your products created?

Our products are created here in the USA. For European customers, a small number of items ship from Dublin, Ireland.

Can I see my family crest before I purchase it?

Due to the fact that each crest is custom made, it’s not possible to show a real-time version of the crest before it is created. However, we can provide you with an early preview of your crest once we begin to make it, to ensure that you’re happy with the direction. If you would like to arrange a preview, please see the option here.

Can I use my family crest as a legal identity? 

It's important to understand that family crests are not unique to you and cannot be used as a legal identity or entity. Family crest histories and designs are based on historical records and are based on the crest that was originally granted to an individual who shared your family name. Such a record or design can be obtained by anyone, for example those who share your family name. Purchasing a family crest is more about showing pride in your heritage and sharing that history with your family and friends.

I’ve seen multiple crest designs for my family name online, why?

Most family names, especially those that originated in Europe where people moved across borders, have many variations in spelling and pronunciation. Similarly, the interpretation of how crests look also took on many variations over the course of hundreds of years. Rest assured, that our crests are based on the earliest known references to your family history which means you get a design that is very much as close to the original as possible.

Whats the best way to speak to you if I have a question?

We’re always happy to chat, you can reach the team by email at support@crestsandarms.com or by chat using the message box in the bottom right side of your screen.

Products

Are your crests official?

Rest assured, our research and crests are fully based on official historical literature, documents and extensive notes we have accumulated. In addition to having built our own extensive heraldry library through years of research, we also have access to exclusive resources and society guidence that are generally not available publicly. All of this means that our team is able to find your coat of arms and family history based on historically accurate heraldry resources.

What makes your crests different from other providers?

We're proud to say that we set ourselves apart from others based on quality, family crest research and customer satisfaction.

Our team has almost 3 decades of combined experience in family crest research and design. We know how to find your family crest and coat of arms from official documents to an exacting standard unmatched by competitors.

We only use the highest standard materials in our physical prints to ensure your print shines with the kind of love and quality that your family crest and name deserves.  

-High grade luxury parchments and ultra sharp non-fading inks are our standard and we won't use anything less. 

For more details about our products and team, please read our story.

What are your prints made of?

Our physical family crest prints and certificates are made from 240gsm parchment. In simple terms, while others use basic paper, our parchment offers you a true aged look and feel so that when you hold one of our prints, you get a sense of quality and craftsmanship, just like you may have imagined it would feel holding a document from 100 years ago. We want our customers to feel pride when they hold their family crest, and our superior materials support that idea while offering long lasting durability.

What sizes are your prints?

For exact sizing detail, please refer to each product page specifically. Our standard print size (without a frame) is 8.5"x 11".

Can I frame the parchment print at home?

Yes, absolutely. We offer our prints in standard sizes for US and international markets (depending on where you’re shipping to). Which means you’ll have lots of options for frames in your local market or online. We appreciate there’s nothing more frustrating that trying to find a frame for an unusual sized item, so rest assured you won’t have that issue with our prints. For more info, see print specs on our product pages.

How do your digital products work? Can I print them myself?

Absolutely, you can print our digital files at home. When you purchase a digital file, you’ll receive a high quality png image that can be used on digital projects or printed immediately on any standard home printer. Our files are large spec which means they can be printed and framed in small sizes at home. However, please be aware that print quality depends largely on your own equipment and if your goal is to print your crest for display then we strongly suggest purchasing one our our physical prints for a crisp and professional finish.

Can you provide a custom crest based on my own design?

While we work within the boundaries of official literature on how your family crest should appear, we can make small customized adjustments based on your personal preferences if you wish, such as changing the color of an icon in your crest from the official style etc.. If you have such a request, please get in touch at support@crestsandarms before you make a purchase so that we can confirm your request and make sure that we can deliver on your vision.

Payments data and security

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards, debit cards and Paypal. To see our full range of options, simply navigate to the checkout page and select your preferred payment method. 

Will my payment details be stored securely?

Rest assured all payment details are processed and secured safely. We process payments via Shopify payments, Stripe and Paypal, which means your important financial details are handled by the safest third party payment providers online. We do not directly store your payment details and so you can purchase with confidence that your payment data is safe when you buy from Crests&Arms.com

What details do you collect about my personal data?

For full details on information that we collect during your visit and at checkout, please refer to our privacy policy here.

Do you use cookies on your website?

Yes, we use cookies to provide the best possible experience for users on our website. For details of the exact cookies that we use, please read here.

Bulk and business orders

Do you offer discounts for bulk orders?

Yes, we can offer discounts for bulk orders and business orders where more than 10 prints are desired. For more info on discounts and bulk orders, please reach out to our team here or contact us via the chat window in the bottom right of the screen.

Gifts and occasions

Are your products suitable as gifts?

Absolutely! Our family crest and history products make ideal gifts for weddings, anniversaries, house warmings, birthdays, Christmas and much more. More than half of our customers in fact purchase from our store as gifts for others. Giving a heraldry item as a gift is a truly special experience, as it helps those closest to you learn and connect with their past and ancestors and is something they will keep and enjoy for years to come. Every time they look at their crest, they’ll think of you. What gift could be better than that!

Can I add a customised message to a product as a gift?

Yes, of course. We offer a space on our prints for you to add a custom message for any special occasion or just to personalize the product that little bit more. If you need any help with this, just drop us a line at support@crestsandarms and we’d be happy to advise. 

Do I have to pay more to add a custom message?

No. Adding a custom message comes at no extra cost. We want our customers to get the most from our products, adding a personal touch like a message is something we very much encourage.

Do you offer gift wrapping?

We don’t offer wrapping paper on our products for several reasons. Firstly, most customers who are purchasing items as gifts want to be discreet about the arrival of their product (ours arrive in plain, unmarked protective brown packaging). Secondly, most want to open the item and check the quality of the product before gifting, and thirdly we as a business are trying to remove as much packaging as possible from our products in an effort to be kinder to the environment. That of course doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t gift wrap your print if you chose to do so, just that overall we’ve found it best not to offer that service on our website.

Do you provide gift vouchers? 

Yes, yes we do! If you’d like to purchase a gift voucher or coupon, please contact support@crestsandarms.com

Shipping and packaging

How long will my order take to be made?

Depending on the time of year and what you order, our team can research and deliver your family crest in as little as 24 hours. Even when things are busy, we still ship 90%+ of orders within 2-3 working days. If you have a special request or question about your purchase, please reach out here. For details on shipping times, please refer to our delivery and packaging section here.

How long will my order take to be delivered?

For details on shipping times, please refer to our delivery and shipping section here.

How will my print be packaged and delivered?

Do you ship internationally?

While our main shipping locations are the USA and Canada, we can offer shipping outside of these destinations. For an up to date estimate on costs outside of USA or Canada, please refer to the checkout pages or contact our team at support@crestsandarms.com and we’d be very happy to assist!

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping is FREE for all of our products and included in the price alongside all taxes and charges.

How to find your family crest?

To find your family crest you can: Investigate armoury records from your family's country of origin. Consider using a professional crest research service. Engage in direct conversations with older family members for their knowledge. Join a local heraldry society for assistance. Remember, authenticity and historical accuracy are key in this journey.