Photo guides

How do I photograph a fingerprint for jewellery?

Short answer

You don’t need an ink kit. A sharp phone photo of one clean, dry fingertip, taken in daylight with the finger filling the frame, is enough. If the ridges aren’t clear in the photo they can’t be engraved, so we’ll ask for another rather than guess.

What we need

One finger, one photo. A person checks every mark and sends you a proof of exactly what we’ll engrave. Whatever isn’t in the photo won’t be on your piece.

Taking the photo

Wash and dry the finger. Oil and lotion fill the lines, and the print turns grey.
Stand near a window, out of direct sun. Light from the side makes the ridges stand out; a flash flattens them.
Fill the frame with the fingertip, and rest your hands on a table to keep still.
Tap the screen to focus on the skin, not the background.
Take three or four, and send the one where you can count the ridges.

A print on paper or a card

Already have a print, from home or from a hospital or funeral director? Photograph it flat and square-on, in daylight. You never need to post us the original.