5 photo mistakes that wreck your case design
We've printed thousands of cases. These are the issues we see most often — and how to avoid them.
After thousands of prints, the same handful of issues keep coming up. Here's the short list, in order of frequency.
1. Using a screenshot instead of the original photo
We see this every day. Someone screenshots a photo from their camera roll instead of sharing the original. Screenshots strip a huge amount of resolution. The fix: always “Share” or “Save Original” from Photos rather than screenshotting.
2. Choosing a photo that's too dark
Dark photos amplify in print. Noise becomes visible. Faces lose detail. Try to pick photos taken in daylight or with even indoor lighting.
3. Important detail right at the edge
Phone cases need a small printable margin. If your subject's face or the most important part of your design is right at the edge, it might get cropped or end up in the camera cutout. Center your subject when possible.
4. Filtering before uploading
Heavy filters compress and re-encode your photo, which softens detail. If you want a filtered look, upload the original and apply a stylized look at the kiosk instead.
5. Pinch-zooming the preview to “make it bigger”
When you zoom in past the edges of the photo, you're enlarging fewer pixels. The case will print with the cropped section, which often looks blurry. Pick a higher-resolution photo instead, or use one that's already framed the way you want.
If you avoid these five, you're already in the top 10% of designs that come through our kiosks.