The short answer
A favourite things travel poster is a single print that shows about 20 small illustrations of the things you loved on a trip, each with a short label, under the place name in big letters. To make one, list your 20 favourites, give each a two-to-four-word label, add one footer line (dates, names, coordinates or a quote), and have them illustrated in one consistent style.
Photos to include
- 3–4 landmarks or views
- 4–5 food and drink moments
- 3–4 small objects (a ticket, a sign, a souvenir)
- 2–3 activities (a swim, a ferry, a hike)
- 2–3 inside jokes or personal moments
- 1 hero item for the biggest tile
What it is
Think of it as a trip in 20 tiles. Each tile is a flat illustration of one thing you loved, with a short label underneath: the bakery you went back to three times, the ferry, the rooftop bar, the street cat. The place name sits across the top in block letters and one line runs along the bottom. It reads in seconds from across a room, and every tile is a story you can tell guests.
Step 1: List your 20
Scroll your camera roll and notes and write down everything you would tell a friend about. Then cut to 20 using a simple mix: about a quarter landmarks and views, a quarter food and drink, and the rest objects, activities and personal moments. The personal ones are what make it yours; landmarks alone look like a souvenir shop poster.
Step 2: Write short labels
Two to four words each works best, for example 'Morning pastéis', 'Tram 28', 'Lost in Alfama'. Short labels stay legible at 12×16 in and keep the grid tidy. Pick one item as the hero; it gets the largest tile.
Step 3: Choose the footer line
One line is enough: the dates, both your names, the GPS coordinates of where you stayed, or a quote from the trip. It turns a nice print into a keepsake.
Step 4: Photos are optional
You can attach a photo to any item so the illustration matches what you actually saw, but the photo itself never appears on the poster. Without a photo, the item is drawn from its label.
Ways to get one made
Hand-illustrated versions from independent illustrators are a lovely option if you have time; for example, one UK studio listed 20–25 item life-memory prints at about £75–£90 on its public page in October 2026, before framing and shipping. Faraway Frames builds the same idea as its Travel Collage style: you type your 20 favourite things, see a free watermarked preview, and (once ordering opens) a local print partner in the US or Canada prints and frames it near you.
Suggested style: Illustrated Collage
The Travel Collage style is the favourite-things grid: 20 labelled illustrations, place name on top, one footer line.
Try it free with your photosNo photos handy? Make a Travel Collage from your 20 favourite things
FAQ
How many items should a favourite things travel poster have?
About 20. Fewer than 12 looks sparse on a large print; more than 25 makes each illustration and label too small to read at 12×16 in.
Do I need photos to make one?
No. Each item can be drawn from its label alone; adding a photo helps the illustration match what you saw, and the photo never appears on the poster.
What should go in the footer line?
One short line: the trip dates, your names, the coordinates of where you stayed, or a quote you kept repeating on the trip.
Is a favourite things poster a good honeymoon or anniversary gift?
Yes. It captures the small shared moments a single landmark photo misses, and it hangs on the wall rather than sitting in an album.
About Faraway Frames
Faraway Frames turns 10–20 trip photos into three illustrated poster designs (an illustrated collage, a typographic route map and a vintage travel poster). Your photos never appear on the print. Previews are free; ordering is not open yet (pre-launch waitlist), and posters are planned to be printed and framed by a local partner in the US or Canada.