Petnecto · Make it yours
How to take a photo that prints well
A phone is all you need. A few minutes of care makes more difference than any camera.
Light
- Use daylight from a window, and turn the flash off. Flash flattens fur and gives pets glowing eyes.
- Keep out of harsh direct sun: it burns bright fur to plain white and makes deep shadows.
Framing
- Get down to your pet's eye level. Photos from above make every pet look small and far away.
- Fill the frame: move closer rather than zooming in. Zoom past your phone's real lenses shrinks the detail.
- Leave a little space around ears, tail and paws, so nothing is cut off at the edge.
- A plain background helps, especially for a sticker or magnet cut to your pet's shape.
Focus
- Tap the screen on your pet's eyes to focus there, and hold still. Take a few: the third one is often the sharp one.
- Treats, a squeaky toy or a second person behind you help a pet look at the camera.
Sending it
- Send the original photo from your photo library, not a screenshot, and not a copy saved from a message or social media: those are much smaller.
- iPhone photos (HEIC) are fine as they are; you do not need to change any settings.
- On an iPhone with iOS 16 or later you can lift your pet out of the background: touch and hold your pet in the Photos app, then Share. Apple's guide to photo cutouts.
Drawings and artwork
- Scan it, or photograph it flat, straight from above, in even daylight with no shadow across it.
- A PNG with a see-through background is ideal for stickers and magnets.
- For the biggest sizes, send at least 1800 pixels across.
What we make: Kiss-cut sticker: 3 in, 4 in, 5.5 in; Die-cut magnet: 3 in, 4 in, 6 in; 11 oz mug, one side: 3.5 in tall.