What Photos Do You Need for a Custom Figurine?

You have a gift idea and a favourite picture. Is it enough to make a figurine?

A clear photograph can start an enquiry, but the designer may need extra views to understand the person’s face, outfit and pose. Choosing useful references early makes it easier to agree what the finished piece should show.

This guide is for custom figurines designed from photos, not the separate in-person scanning service.

Start with the face

Choose a sharp, well-lit photograph taken from the front. Look for an unobstructed view of the features you want represented. A face that occupies only a tiny part of a group picture may not contain enough detail.

Avoid beauty filters that change facial features. If glasses, a beard or a hairstyle are important to the brief, show them clearly and explain whether you want them included.

For a couple, check each face separately. You may need individual reference photographs even if the main design is based on a picture together.

Give each photograph a job

You do not have to collect every image before enquiring. Send what you have and ask which additional views would help.

Separate the face from the outfit idea

Perhaps the clearest face photograph is recent, but you want the clothes from a wedding years ago. Explain which image should guide each part of the design.

Be specific: “Use the face and hairstyle from photo one, and the outfit from photo two.” Ask whether that combination is suitable before agreeing to the order. Do not assume details missing from a photograph can be recovered accurately.

For wedding outfits, use references you are authorised to share. For a uniform, logo or branded design, ask about what can be reproduced rather than assuming every detail is available.

Send the original file where possible

Use WhatsApp’s document/file option to share the original picture where available. A screenshot of a picture shared several times may have lost useful detail.

Keep the original files and label them simply so the team can follow your brief. Avoid sending many nearly identical images without explaining which one matters. Only provide photographs you have permission to use.

What happens after the references are agreed?

For this photo-based range, the brief and price are agreed before payment. Full payment is required before digital 3D design begins. You then review the design and request corrections at the agreed review stage.

Check more than the face. Review the body shape, pose, outfit, base and any included accessories. Ask questions before approving the final design, because requested design changes cannot be accommodated after manufacture starts.

The physical result is an artistic likeness, not an exact facial replica. Read the product page’s resemblance explanation and look at real finished examples before paying.

What if your best photograph is old or blurred?

Ask for a suitability check before committing. Another family member may have the original file or a clearer copy. A recent image may help with some details, but it can also change the age or look you want represented, so explain your intention.

If the person can attend an appointment, a scan-based Mini You is another service to consider. It captures the person at a scan; it does not reconstruct an earlier moment from an old photograph.

Ready to check your pictures?

Tell us who the figurine is for, the occasion and the required arrival date. You can describe the images first and share them in the WhatsApp conversation. If you have not chosen a method, our photos-versus-scanning guide explains the difference.

Ask about my reference photos