A beautiful photo magnet starts before you touch the press. The paper you choose, the way you crop the photo and one easily missed print setting can all change the finished result.
At Snap Square Magnets, I make personalized photo magnets, and these are the checks I recommend before printing a full batch. This guide is for rigid, pressed button magnets, including square, rectangular and round shapes.
1. My paper recommendation: glossy, lightweight and compatible
For colourful photo magnets, my starting recommendation is lightweight glossy inkjet photo paper that meets your press’s requirements.
Koala glossy photo paper is one option to consider. Look at the exact product: the brand sells different weights and finishes, and they are not interchangeable.
For a press that accepts it, the 115 gsm, 8.5 × 11-inch glossy inkjet version is a candidate to test. Match the paper to your printer’s ink type as well as your press and cutter.
Why not simply buy the thickest paper? Because the printed sheet needs to form around the magnet shell. A paper that feeds beautifully through your printer may still be unsuitable for pressing.
My advice: buy a small pack and approve a finished magnet before buying in bulk.
View Koala 115 gsm glossy photo paper on Amazon
2. My printer recommendation: start with what you have
I use an Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 in my workspace. If you are choosing a printer for regular photo projects, it is the model I would suggest considering. It has a six-colour ink system designed for photo printing.
But an upgrade is not your first step if you already have a capable inkjet printer. Try your current printer with compatible paper and inspect the results.
Look at skin tones, detail in dark areas and small features such as eyes or lettering. If you see streaks or missing colours, run a nozzle check before changing your design.
View the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 on Amazon
3. Leave room for the photo to wrap
Here is something beginners can easily miss: a 2-inch magnet does not necessarily use a 2-inch cut print.
The artwork includes material that wraps around the shell. Use the template for your exact machine and size, keeping faces and text inside its safe area while extending the background into the wrap area.
My recommendation is to choose photos with a little space around the subject. A tightly cropped face may look lovely on your phone but lose important details around a magnet’s edges.
Use the original photo where possible, rather than a screenshot or a heavily compressed copy.
4. Check this setting before increasing print quality
Before selecting the highest print quality, check print scaling.
“Fit to page” can change your template’s dimensions. Borderless printing can also enlarge and crop the image.
For a template designed to fit within normal page margins, start here:
| Setting | My starting recommendation |
|---|---|
| Paper size | Match your sheet exactly, such as Letter or A4 |
| Scale | Actual size or 100%; turn off “Fit to page” |
| Borderless | Off |
| Paper/media type | Follow the paper supplier’s recommended setting |
| Print quality | Start with High or Photo and compare a sample |
Print one sheet and measure a known feature on the template with a ruler. If the size is wrong, fix the printing settings before resizing the artwork.
Let prints dry according to the paper instructions before handling or pressing them.
5. Make one complete magnet before committing to a batch
A test print shows you the colours. A finished magnet shows you the crop, edges and assembled result.
Press one sample using the correct components and your machine’s instructions. Check it in normal light, then keep it as a reference alongside a note of the paper and settings.
That small habit makes repeat orders easier to assess.
If you also need the machine, I use Titan Press for my magnet-making work. Choose a bundle with the correct press, cutter and supplies for your intended magnet size.
Explore Titan Press machine bundles and current pricing
My recommendation is simple: start with compatible materials, protect your template’s dimensions and approve one finished sample. Those checks are worth doing before you print the rest of the order.
