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Which photo works best on a personalised mug?

A mug has a wide, low print area: the photo that looks good is not always the one you like most. Format, framing, sharpness, text: what to check before ordering. Photo mug $23.00, shipping included.

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The short answerFor a personalised mug, choose a landscape photo, sharp and well lit, with a tightly framed subject: the printed area is about twice as wide as it is tall. At Pose ton design, the 325 ml ceramic mug has a print area of 20 × 9.5 cm and costs $23.00 shipping included. A recent phone photo is enough: the workshop warns you if it is too small.

Try my photo on a mugIt opens your gallery. Instant preview, no account.

What the shape of a mug changes for the photo

The printed area measures 20 × 9.5 cm. It is therefore about 2.1 times wider than it is tall. That is the point to remember: a photo shot for a phone screen, in portrait, does not fill that area the way a photo shot in landscape does.

Landscape photo: a scenery shot, a group side by side, a dog lying down. It fills the width naturally.
Portrait photo: a full-length portrait, a baby standing. It takes the full height and leaves room at the sides, which you can use for a text.
Square photo: a face, an animal in close-up. Often the simplest: the subject stays readable and there is room left for a name.

In every case, look at the preview before confirming: it shows the photo on the mug, not in an abstract rectangle.

The right photo, criterion by criterion

Sharpness: zoom in on the eyes. If they are blurry on screen, they will be blurry on the mug.
Light: a photo taken in daylight, near a window or outdoors, comes out better than an evening photo taken without flash.
Framing: one or two large faces can be recognised from across the table. Ten tiny people cannot.
Background: a busy background blurs the subject. The free Remove background (AI) button cuts out the person or the animal right in your browser.
The original: take the original photo from your gallery rather than a screenshot or an image sent back through a messaging app, which is often reduced.

The detailed guidelines are in photo resolution for printing.

Mistakes to avoid

Ignoring the size warning: if the workshop flags a photo as too small, try the Make the photo sharper (AI) button or change photo. A blurry photo supplied by the customer is not refunded, precisely because the preview warns you.
Putting the subject at the edge: keep faces towards the centre of the area.
A text that is too long: at 9.5 cm tall, a full sentence becomes small. A name, a date or three words are enough.
Choosing the photo because you love it, not because it reads well: a moving but tiny group photo comes out worse than a simple close-up.

How to do it in the workshop

You upload your photo, without creating an account, and the preview on the mug appears straight away. The photo is only sent when you order.

Crop to put the subject in the centre.
Cut out if the background gets in the way, with Remove background (AI).
Add a text with a ready-made style, or start from a theme (“Best dog”, “Love”, “Thank you!”, “Polaroid”…).
Compare two or three photos: the preview is instant, trying costs nothing.

The mathsA personalised mug costs $23.00 shipping included at Pose ton design. For ten mugs in the same basket, the automatic 10% discount gives $207.00 instead of $230.00, or $20.70 each.

Prices include VAT and shipping, no minimum order. Printed one at a time near the delivery address, delivered in 5 to 10 working days.

The questions we get asked

What photo size do you need for a personalised mug? The printed area is 20 × 9.5 cm. A recent phone photo is enough in most cases; if it is too small, the workshop shows a warning and offers the Make the photo sharper (AI) button.

Can you put a vertical photo on a mug? Yes. It fills the height of the area and leaves room at the sides, which you can fill with a text. Check the preview before ordering.

Can you add text to the photo on a mug? Yes: the workshop offers ready-made text styles, graphic themes and text ideas by occasion. At 9.5 cm tall, keep it to a name, a date or three words.

Is a screenshot good enough for a mug? Often not: a screenshot or a photo received through a messaging app is reduced in size. Take the original from your gallery, or ask the person who took it.

See the preview on the mugNothing is sent before the order: the preview is computed in your browser.