A photo can look wonderful on a phone yet lose its main subject when cropped to a small square. Before ordering a custom magnet, spend a moment choosing a picture that still tells its story at 2 inches.
Our custom photo magnets have a finished front measuring 2 × 2 inches. You can create a photo-only magnet or use a magazine-style cover in MagnetWink™ Cover Studio. Here is how to prepare a picture for either option.
Start with a clear original picture
Use the original photo from your camera or phone when possible. A screenshot of a picture, or an image saved repeatedly from social media, may contain less useful detail. Zoom in on the original: if faces already look blurry, a small print will not restore the missing detail.
Choose a well-lit photo with a clear subject. For a pet, look for visible eyes and detail in the fur. For a person, pick an expression you want to see every day. Avoid pictures with heavy shadows across the face.
Think square before you upload
A wide landscape or tall portrait will need a different crop to fill a square. A close-up with some room around the subject gives you more freedom to adjust it. Pictures with faces touching the outer edges are harder to fit without cutting someone off.
A large group may be meaningful, but every face becomes very small on a 2-inch magnet. Try a smaller group or a closer crop when recognizing each person matters.
Keep the important details away from the edges
Use the designer's position and zoom controls to frame the picture. Keep eyes, ears, faces and important wording comfortably inside the preview. Do not rely on a tiny detail at the edge to tell the story.
For a pet portrait, include the ears if they are part of the expression. For a vacation picture, decide whether the person or the scenery is the subject. A simpler composition is often easier to enjoy at this size.
Leave space for a magazine cover
A photo-only layout lets the picture do the work. A magazine-style layout adds cover wording around it. Choose a photo with enough background space for that wording, and check that the layout does not hide the subject's eyes or face.
Read every name and line of text in the preview before adding the design to your cart. Any preview watermark is not printed on the finished magnet.
Review the whole design before checkout
- Check the square crop and the position of the main subject.
- Read all personalized wording carefully.
- Confirm the design is the photo-only or cover style you intended.
- Add it to your cart. Use “Create another magnet” if you want a different picture on another magnet.
Use only images you own or have permission to reproduce. These are refrigerator magnets, not drink coasters, and they need a magnetic surface. Some stainless steel refrigerator doors are not magnetic.
Make your photo into a keepsake
Browse custom photo magnet gift ideas, or open MagnetWink™ and start your design. The designer displays the price for your selection. Custom magnets are excluded from premade bundle pricing. U.S. shipping is $6.99 under $30, with free shipping on orders of $30 or more after discounts.