How to choose the best photos for custom photo magnets.

Choose a photo where the subject is easy to see.

A photo magnet is small by design, so a strong image usually has an obvious subject. Close family photos, portraits, pets, couples, babies, and cap-and-gown pictures tend to read more clearly than scenes where the people are tiny in the frame.

You do not need a professional camera. A clear phone photo can work very well. What matters most is that the photo is not noticeably blurry, extremely dark, or so distant that the important part disappears at magnet size.

• Good choice: a child filling most of the frame with a little space around the head and shoulders.
• Good choice: a family group where everyone is visible and faces are not pressed against the edge.
• Needs a second look: a wide crowd photo where the person you care about is only a tiny part of the image.

Leave room for a square crop.

Magnetic Gems' standard photo magnets are square. A tall portrait or wide landscape photo may need some cropping to fit that shape, so the safest photos have a little breathing room around faces, hands, names, dates, and other details you want to keep.

If a specific crop matters, add a note with your order. For example, you can ask to keep a graduation cap visible, avoid cutting off a bouquet, or keep two people together in the frame.

• Portraits: leave some space above the head and around the shoulders.
• Group photos: choose one where people are not touching the left and right edges.
• Landscapes: make sure the meaningful part is near the center instead of only at one far edge.
• Photos with text: keep names and dates comfortably inside the image, not against the border.

Use the original photo when you have it.

Original photos are usually the best starting point because they preserve more detail than a screenshot, social-media save, or image that has been forwarded multiple times.

Screenshots can sometimes work, especially when they are the only copy you have, but look closely before uploading. If the faces already look soft or pixelated on your phone, the original file is worth finding when possible.

• Prefer the original camera-roll image over a screenshot of the image.
• Avoid zooming in and re-saving a tiny part of a photo before upload.
• If an older family photo is your only copy, use the clearest version you have instead of skipping a meaningful memory.

Choose photos that work together without all looking the same.

A magnet set can feel like a miniature album. Instead of selecting several nearly identical shots from one moment, choose photos that add something different to the story.

For a family gift, that might mean one close-up of each child, one full-family picture, a pet photo, and a favorite candid. For a graduation set, you might mix a senior portrait, cap-and-gown photo, family picture, school memory, and celebration photo.

• 1 magnet: choose the single photo that instantly represents the memory.
• 3 magnets: build a tight mini-set around one person, pet, trip, or milestone.
• 6 magnets: mix close-ups, group photos, and a few candid moments for a balanced set.
• 12 magnets: create a fuller timeline, family collection, event set, or gift bundle.

Photo ideas when you are not sure what to pick.

Sometimes the hardest part is not photo quality; it is narrowing down a camera roll with hundreds of good memories. Start with the person receiving the magnets and choose the images they will be happiest to see often.

Your final upload checklist.

Before you start your order, take one last look at the full set. The goal is not technical perfection. It is making sure every photo has a clear purpose and gives the important parts enough room to become a small square keepsake.

• Open each photo and make sure it is not blurry or unusually dark.
• Check that no face, name, date, cap, bouquet, or other must-keep detail sits directly on an edge.
• Use original files where possible instead of screenshots.
• Remove near-duplicates unless repeating a photo is intentional.
• Add order notes if a specific crop or duplicate pattern matters.
• Upload up to the number of magnets in your chosen pack.