Prepare Your Photo For Custom Buttons

Tired of your custom buttons looking dull and unprofessional? With just a few simple steps, you can transform any photo into an eye-catching design that will make your custom photo buttons stand out.

Whether you’re creating promotional material for a business or making something special for yourself, these six steps are key to getting the most out of your photos when preparing them for custom buttons. Following these tips will ensure that your button designs look professional and attractive. So let's get started!

Step 1: Choose a high-res image

No matter where you get your photo buttons, High-resolution images are essential for producing professional buttons. An image of low resolution can print pixelated or blurry, especially when you scale it. But what makes an image high-res?

Images, also referred to as bitmaps, are made of thousands of little dots. These are often called pixels. You have probably seen these before when zooming into a photo. The more pixels an image consists of, the higher its resolution. The resolution of a photo is measured by its dots per inch (DPI). Again, the higher the DPI, the easier the image is to rescale, the better it will print. We recommend you aim for a DPI of at least 300.

Step 2: Opt for a simple motif

When creating custom buttons, choosing a simple photo that does not contain too many tiny details is important for two reasons:

• Limited space: Designing a button means you are roughly working with a 5x5cm canvas - not much space. Trying to include too many details can dilute the overall effect of your design and distract from the central motif.
• Visual harmony: Having a central focus point within your photo provides viewers with an obvious and immediate visual cue that captures their attention and draws them into the button design. It creates harmony and balance within the design.

Step 3: Adjust brightness or contrasts

To make sure the image will look its best when printed, it is a good idea to adjust the brightness and contrast of your photo. Doing this will ensure that all elements of the photo remain legible and clear and that viewers can easily see what is depicted on-screen and in real life. Over- or underexposed photos can get lost or, at worst, impact the legibility of your design.

You do not need to spend money on a fancy design tool to do this. Hundreds of free, easy-to-use apps and online tools allow you to adjust a photo's brightness, contrast, warmth and much more. If you are unsure, you can always test-print your photo before sending it to a professional printer.

Step 4: Set colors to CMYK

Did you know that your screen and printer work within two different color modes? Your screen displays colors in RGB (red, green and blue), whereas printers create colors using cyan, magenta, yellow and black, or CMYK for short.

Using red, green and blue allows for a much broader color spectrum. This means your screen can show you colors your printer cannot print. To get the most accurate representation of what your printed colors will look like and avoid bad surprises, set your on-screen color mode to CMYK.

Step 5: Resize the photo

Depending on the size of your custom buttons, you may need to resize the photo accordingly. Custom buttons are available in standard sizes ranging from 2.5cm to 5cm.

If you are unsure which size you want, experiment with your design on screen and set it to these sizes. It is important to ensure that the image does not appear distorted when printed at a smaller or larger size than it was originally.

Remember to view your design at scale. Zoom out until what you see on screen has the exact size of your potential button. Can you see all the details? Then you've found your perfect size!

Step 6: Add a bleed

A ‘bleed’ is an area of extra space around your photo's edges. It is not part of your finished design, but functions as a safety area. It ensures that no white borders appear on your design when printed and allows for small variations in cutting. This can also help to avoid unsightly gaps between the image and the edge of the custom button, making your design look professional.

A standard bleed is around 2mm wide. When you order your custom buttons online, you do not have to add a bleed, the design team can do that for you. But if you DIY custom photo buttons or simply would like to add your own, the video below talks you through it.

Following these simple steps will make sure that your custom buttons look professional and attractive, helping to make a lasting impression! With just a bit of effort and creative flair, you can transform any photo into an eye-catching design – perfect for promotional materials or special gifts. So why not give it a try today? You'll be amazed at what you can achieve.