Photo Magnet Sizes Guide: How to Pick the Right Size
Size is the first decision you make when ordering a photo magnet, and the one people most often get wrong. Order a magnet too small and faces disappear from across the kitchen; order too big and it overwhelms the fridge or fails to fit a standard envelope. We make four go-to photo magnet sizes - 2x2, 2.5x2.5, 2x3 and round 2.25 inch - each chosen because it does one job especially well. This guide covers all four and how to match the size to your use case.
Quick size chart
If you only read one section, read this one. Here are our four sizes mapped to what each does best:
| Size | Shape | Best for | Mails in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x2 | Square | Favors, gift sets, fridge grids | Standard envelope, 1 stamp |
| 2.5x2.5 | Square | Everyday fridge keepsakes, social crops | Standard envelope, 1 stamp |
| 2x3 | Rectangle | Save-the-dates, portraits, announcements | Standard envelope, 1 stamp |
| 2.25 | Round | Single-face portraits, party favors | Standard envelope, 1 stamp |
The short version: 2.5x2.5 if you are not sure. It is the most popular size, reads cleanly across a kitchen, and groups beautifully on the fridge.
2x2 square
The 2x2 is our smallest size and the one people order in batches. At two inches it holds a single clear face beautifully, which makes it perfect for a grid of family portraits, a row of pet photos, or party favors guests actually pocket. Buy a set, mix the photos, and a bare fridge becomes a gallery. It is also the cheapest per unit, so it is the right call for favors and gift sets ordered in volume. Browse the 2x2 square magnets in the shop.
2.5x2.5 square
The 2.5x2.5 is the everyday keepsake and our most popular size. That extra half inch over the 2x2 is the difference between a photo you glance at and one you actually read across the kitchen - big enough for two faces or a wide family shot, compact enough to group four or six in a tidy block. It is also the natural home for Instagram and phone-square crops, since those photos are already square and need no awkward trimming. See the 2.5x2.5 square magnets.
2x3 rectangle
The 2x3 is the one size shaped for a person rather than a scene. Portrait-oriented, it frames a couple, a graduate or a newborn without cropping heads or feet, and it leaves a clean strip for a name and a date along the bottom. That makes it the go-to for wedding save-the-dates and announcement magnets - the kind a guest sticks on the fridge the day it arrives and leaves until the event. It still mails in a standard envelope with one stamp. See the 2x3 rectangle magnets.
2.25 inch round
The 2.25 round borrows the look of the classic pin-back button, and that shape does two useful things: it draws the eye straight to a centered face, and it has no corners to catch and peel, so it tends to outlast square magnets in a busy kitchen. The circular crop rewards tight, face-forward photos, so a single portrait reads cleanly from across the room. See the 2.25 round magnets.
Match the size to the job
Skip the guesswork. Here is the size we recommend for each common use:
- Wedding save-the-date: 2x3 rectangle
- Wedding or party favor: 2x2 or 2.5x2.5 square in bulk
- Grandparent gift set: a mix of 2x2 squares
- Fridge collage: 2.5x2.5 squares
- Baby or milestone announcement: 2x3 rectangle
- Pet portrait or single face: 2.25 round
- Party favors in volume: 2x2 square
Aspect ratio and cropping
Size is only half the decision. Aspect ratio decides how much of your photo survives the crop.
Most phone photos are shot at 4:3. The 2x3 rectangle is a 2:3 ratio, so a 4:3 photo loses a thin strip when fitted - usually fine if your subject is centered. The square sizes (2x2 and 2.5x2.5) crop a 4:3 photo to 1:1, so keep faces away from the left and right edges. The 2.25 round crops to a circle, which is most forgiving for a single tightly-framed subject and least forgiving for wide group shots.
Rule of thumb: portraits and save-the-dates go on the 2x3 rectangle, square-cropped phone photos go on the squares, and a single face is happiest on the round. For the full breakdown of materials, finishes and durability that pair with these sizes, read the ultimate guide to personalized photo magnets.
Keep reading
- The Ultimate Guide to Personalized Photo Magnets
- How to Make Photo Magnets Last: Care & Durability Guide
- How to Use Photo Magnets for Wedding Save-the-Dates
- Browse photo magnet styles
Get Photo Magnets Editorial Team
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