Design tips
How to choose artwork and DPI for a custom phone case
Blurry prints almost always start with a soft or tiny source file. This guide covers resolution, formats, and placement so your custom case matches the preview you approve — including the camera cutout zone that eats the top of many photos.
Aim for about 300 DPI
For best print quality, use artwork at about 300 DPI in PNG, JPG, EPS, or PDF. Very small or soft images look blurry when enlarged to fill a phone case face. If you only have a phone photo, pick the highest-resolution original — not a screenshot or a compressed social-media download.
DPI only means something relative to physical size. A 2000-pixel-wide photo can look excellent on a slim case; a 400-pixel logo will not, even if someone exported it at 300 DPI. When in doubt, upload the largest file you have and check the live preview at 100% zoom on the case face.
| Check | Aim for | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | About 300 DPI at print size; largest original you have | Screenshots, social-media downloads, tiny profile photos |
| File type | PNG or JPG; EPS/PDF for logos and vector art | Heavily compressed WhatsApp forwards |
| File size | Up to 30 MB in the Case Finds designer | A 50 KB thumbnail stretched to fill the case |
| Faces & text | Keep them away from the camera island and extreme edges | A face cropped through the lens cutout |
| Background | Fill the face, or pick a solid case color for the rest | Assuming white in the file stays white if you chose a black blank |
300 DPI is a print-quality target, not a magic number. A sharp 12 MP phone photo usually beats a tiny 300 DPI crop from a compressed download.
File size and formats
The Case Finds designer accepts uploads up to 30 MB. PNG and JPG are the most common; EPS and PDF work well for logos and vector art. Keep important details away from the extreme edges and the camera cutout zone so faces and text are not clipped.
Transparent PNGs still print on the solid TPU color you pick. Empty pixels are not “no ink” in the sense of a sticker — the case color shows through, which is useful for poster-style layouts.
Background color and empty space
If your image does not fill the whole case face, the solid case background color you pick fills the rest in the print file — the same way it appears in the designer preview. Use that on purpose for poster-style layouts, or stretch and crop until the art covers the face.
Mockups are very close to the finished print even when a model-specific template is still being refined. Trust the preview for crop; do not assume we will reposition art after checkout.
Always check the live preview
Upload, then drag and zoom until the crop looks right. Confirm your phone model before checkout so cutouts match. Once the order is placed, production starts quickly — changes are not always possible.
On models with a large camera plate, shift portraits down so eyes sit below the cutout. For typography, keep the baseline off the curve at the bottom edge.
Permission to use the image
Photos, artwork, logos, and graphics usually print fine when the file is sharp. Make sure you have permission to use the image if it is not your own. Custom uploads are used to produce your order only — they are not listed in the public catalog for other shoppers.
If you want a licensed-looking character design, shop the catalog themes we already print rather than uploading a low-res screenshot from a search engine.
A simple pixel check
A typical phone-case print face is a few inches wide. At 300 DPI that is roughly 1,200–2,000 pixels on the long edge, depending on the model. If your file is already larger than that, you are in good shape. If it is a few hundred pixels wide, no amount of “enhance” in the designer will invent detail.
Phone photos from the last several years usually clear that bar. Screenshots, chat-app forwards, and images copied from a search-results thumbnail usually do not. When two files exist, always upload the one that came off the camera roll or the original export — not the version that already lived on social media.