How to Choose the Best Photo for Your Custom Fridge Magnet

You've decided to order a personalised fridge magnet — great choice! But now comes the fun (and sometimes tricky) part: choosing the right photo. The quality of your image has the biggest impact on how your magnet turns out, so it's worth taking a moment to pick the best one.

At Memento Magnets, we print hundreds of custom magnets for New Zealanders every week. Over time, we've learned exactly what makes a photo look stunning on a magnet — and what to avoid. Here's everything you need to know.

1. Use a High-Resolution Image

Resolution is the single most important factor. A low-resolution image will look blurry or pixelated when printed, no matter how beautiful the moment it captures.

As a general rule:

• Use the original file from your camera or phone — not a screenshot or a photo that's been shared via WhatsApp or Facebook (these are compressed and lose quality)
• Aim for at least 800 x 800 pixels for a small magnet, and 1500 x 1500 pixels or more for larger sizes
• Modern smartphone cameras (iPhone, Samsung, etc.) taken in good light are more than good enough

2. Check the Lighting

Good lighting makes faces pop, colours look true, and details stay crisp. Poor lighting — especially dark or blurry indoor shots — can result in a muddy-looking print.

The best lighting for magnet photos:

• Natural daylight — outdoors or near a window — is always your best friend
• Overcast days in New Zealand are actually ideal — the clouds act as a natural diffuser, creating soft, even light
• Avoid flash if possible — it can wash out faces and create harsh shadows
• Avoid backlit shots where the subject is in front of a bright window or sunny sky

3. Make Sure the Subject Is in Focus

It sounds obvious, but it's easy to miss a slightly blurry photo when you're scrolling through hundreds on your phone. Always zoom in on the faces or main subject before uploading to make sure everything is sharp.

Motion blur (from people moving) and out-of-focus backgrounds are fine — it's the main subject that matters. If the faces are sharp, your magnet will look great.

4. Think About Composition and Cropping

Our magnets are square or rectangular, so consider how your photo will be cropped. A wide landscape shot of a beach in Queenstown might need to be cropped down significantly for a small square magnet — and you might lose parts of the image you love.

A few composition tips:

• Portraits with the subject centred work best for square magnets
• Group photos with everyone clearly visible (not half cut off at the edges) work well for larger magnets
• Landscape or panorama photos suit our rectangular photo strip magnets
• Leave a little breathing room around the edges — don't crop too close to faces

5. Avoid Heavy Filters or Editing

Heavy Instagram filters, extreme contrast, or black-and-white conversions can all affect how your magnet prints. What looks great on a backlit phone screen may print differently on physical material.

Our recommendation: use the original photo with minimal editing. If you want to adjust brightness or contrast slightly, keep it subtle. Our printing process naturally produces rich, vibrant colours — so trust the photo!

The Bottom Line

Choosing the right photo doesn't have to be complicated. Stick to high-resolution originals, shoot in good natural light, make sure your subject is in focus, and think about how it'll crop to your chosen magnet size. Do those four things and you'll end up with a magnet you'll love.

If you ever have any doubts, our team is always happy to help. Send us an email at orders@mementomagnets.com and we can advise you before you place your order.