What resolution does a photo need to be for a coaster?

Aim for at least 1200 x 1200 pixels for a 95mm coaster. That is roughly 300dpi at print size. A photo straight off a modern phone is comfortably big enough — a screenshot, a social media download or a WhatsApp forward usually is not.

Can you print a photo onto cork coasters?

Yes. We UV print full colour directly onto 5mm Portuguese cork. Cork has a natural warm tone, so photos print with a slightly softer, more organic look than they would on gloss ceramic — which most people prefer for portraits and landscapes.

Are photo coasters waterproof?

The UV-cured ink is water resistant and will not run or lift from a wet glass. Cork is naturally moisture tolerant. Wipe with a damp cloth rather than soaking or putting them in a dishwasher.

How many photo coasters should I order as a gift?

A set of four is the usual gift size — either four different photos or one photo repeated. Four looks generous, fits a standard gift box, and covers a coffee table.

Gift guide

Photo coaster gift ideas — and how to pick a photo that prints well

Photo coasters are one of the few personalised gifts that get used every single day. They are also one of the easiest to get slightly wrong — a photo that looks fine on a phone can print soft, dark or awkwardly cropped at 95mm. Here are the gift sets that work, and the five minutes of preparation that make the difference.

The pet portrait set

Far and away the most requested. One dog or cat, four different photos — asleep, mid-zoomies, the guilty look, and the good boy pose. Works because the photos already exist on the owner's phone.

The "year in four photos" set

Four moments from one year — a holiday, a birthday, a new house, a christmas. A quiet, genuinely personal Christmas or anniversary present that costs less than a bunch of flowers.

The wedding thank-you

A single favourite photo from the day, printed as a set and posted to parents, bridesmaids and best men a few weeks after the honeymoon. More useful than a framed print nobody has wall space for.

Six more photo coaster ideas

New home coasters

A photo of the front door, keys in hand, on moving day. Give it at the housewarming and it becomes the first thing on the new coffee table.

The embarrassing photo set

A 30th, 40th or 50th birthday is the correct time to resurface four terrible photos from the 1990s. Add the year in small type underneath each one.

Grandparent sets

One coaster per grandchild, each with their name and photo. Consistently the best-received gift we print — and the easiest brief for us to work with.

Travel and place photos

Four coasts, four cities, or four walks. Landscape photos suit the round 95mm format well because there is no awkward crop around a face.

In-memory coasters

A photo of someone or a pet who has died, printed quietly with a name and dates. Handled sensitively, it is a keepsake people use every day.

Business and team photos

A team photo, a shop front, or the van. Trade orders start at 162 coasters — good for anniversaries, retirements and long-service gifts.

How to prepare a photo for a coaster

Crop tight, and crop square

Our coasters are 95mm round or square. A full-body photo of a dog across a field becomes a brown speck at that size. Crop to the head and shoulders — or the single subject — before you send it.

Send the original, not a forward

WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram all compress photos heavily. Send the file straight from the camera roll, or AirDrop it to yourself first. The difference in print sharpness is obvious.

Watch the light

Bright, evenly lit photos print best. Very dark photos lose detail in the shadows on cork, and heavily backlit photos flatten out. If you have a choice of four, pick the well-lit one.

Leave breathing room for text

If you want a name or a date on the coaster, choose a photo with a plain area — sky, grass, a wall — for the words to sit on. Text over a busy background is always harder to read.

Why cork beats ceramic for photo coasters

Most high-street photo coasters are gloss ceramic or MDF. They photograph well in a listing and then chip, sweat rings onto a table, or scratch the surface underneath. We print onto 5mm Portuguese cork instead — it is heavier than it looks, it will not mark furniture, and it absorbs condensation rather than pooling it.

Cork does have a warm natural tone, so a photo prints slightly softer and less clinical than it would on white gloss. For portraits, pets and landscapes that reads as flattering. For very cool-toned or high-contrast graphic images we will usually suggest a white base layer under the photo — just ask when you order.

Every coaster is printed, bevel-finished and packed in our Cornwall studio, so if a photo is not going to work we will tell you before we print it rather than after.

Photo coaster FAQs

What resolution does a photo need to be?: At least 1200 x 1200 pixels for a 95mm coaster — roughly 300dpi at print size. Anything straight off a modern phone is fine. Screenshots, social media downloads and WhatsApp forwards usually are not.
Can you print a photo onto cork?: Yes — full colour UV print directly onto the cork surface, with softly rounded bevelled edges.
Are photo coasters waterproof?: The ink is UV-cured and water resistant — a wet glass will not lift it. Wipe with a damp cloth; do not soak them or put them in a dishwasher.
How many should I order?: Four is the standard gift set — four photos, or one photo repeated. For trade, event or corporate quantities the minimum is 162.

Order your photo coasters

Send us your photos and we will send a digital proof before anything is printed. If you would rather design something yourself with text instead of a photo, the Coaster Creator does that live in the browser.