Photo Tips
Photo Buttons 101: How They Work, In Plain Language
November 10, 2025·3 min read
Quick answer
A photo button is exactly what it sounds like — a small wearable button with your photograph on it, held on by a pin back. This is the short version for anyone who has never ordered one. Every TSO photo button is a 3.5-inch round pinback, handmade in the Yakima Valley and shipped nationwide.
Written by Evee B
Faith-rooted keepsake maker, Yakima Valley — handmaking photo magnets, buttons, and coasters for families, churches, and ministries.
Published November 10, 2025 · 3 min read
A photo button is exactly what it sounds like — a small wearable button with your photograph on it, held on by a pin back. This is the short version for anyone who has never ordered one.
If you already know the basics and want sizing, quantities, photo requirements, and the full ordering walkthrough, go straight to our complete guide to custom photo buttons. This page is just the first five minutes.
The 60-second version
You send us a photograph. We design a proof and show it to you. Once you approve it, we print the image onto a 3.5-inch round button with a metal pin back and mail it to you.
- Standard size: 3.5 inches round.
- Back: metal pin, wearable on clothing, lanyards, bags, and boards.
- Minimum order: none — one button is a real order.
- Source photo: a phone photo or a scanned print both work.
Where people actually wear them
Memorial services, family reunions, church youth events, school fundraisers, sports banquets, and on the lanyards of grandparents who refuse to leave the house without one. Buttons travel because they attach to something a person already carries.
What to read next
Everything beyond the basics — choosing the right photograph, how many to order for an event, pricing tiers, and turnaround — is covered in our full custom photo buttons guide.
Why photo buttons travel further than you'd think
Custom photo buttons are small, wearable, and easy to hand out — which is exactly why they have such a long life. People pin them to backpacks, lanyards, jacket lapels, memory boards, and bulletin boards in church fellowship halls. A button moves through a community in ways a card or a flyer never could.
You bring the photograph and the moment. We help with sizing, layout, and the subtle design choices that keep the focus on the face, the feeling, the message. The button becomes the little reminder that travels home in someone's pocket.
Moments that whisper are worth remembering. Because moments fade. Love doesn't.
How to start
Email tsocustomkeepsakes@gmail.com with a short note about the photograph you want to preserve and the moment behind it. We'll respond with simple next steps — how to send the image, a brief design questionnaire, and information about custom order options.
There is no shopping cart and no checkout. Every keepsake we make begins with a conversation, because every keepsake we make is built around a story.
Your photo. Your story.
Preserve Your Moment → the keepsake starts with your photograph.
Email Us About Your Photo →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a custom photo button?
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A custom photo button is a small, wearable button featuring a photograph you provide. Buttons are commonly handed out at family events, church gatherings, memorials, and fundraisers as a keepsake guests carry home.
How do I submit my photograph?
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Email tsocustomkeepsakes@gmail.com and tell us a little about the moment you want to preserve. We'll send back simple photo upload instructions and a short questionnaire — no upfront commitment.
Where are these keepsakes made?
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Every keepsake is designed and handmade by us in the Yakima Valley, Washington, and shipped nationwide. Local pickup is always free.
Can I use older or scanned photographs?
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Yes. We work regularly with scanned prints, restored images, and phone photos of older photographs. We'll let you know if a particular file needs to be re-scanned or lightly enhanced before it becomes a keepsake.
Gifts featured in this story
Personalized photo keepsakes made in Yakima, WA — shipped nationwide.
Tagged
- how photo buttons work,
- what is a photo button,
- pin back photo buttons,
- photo button sizes
Related keepsake posts & products
Everything in this article is something we make by hand in the Yakima Valley. Here's where to start.
Keepsake
Custom Photo Buttons
Pin-back keepsakes for events, reunions, revivals, and memorial tables — wearable, not disposable.
Preserve Your Moment →Keepsake
Custom Photo Magnets
Your photo, pressed into a 3.5″ magnet that lives on the fridge and gets seen every day.
Preserve Your Moment →Keepsake
Photo Coasters
Cork-backed and glossy — a keepsake that earns a spot on the coffee table.
Preserve Your Moment →You might also like
Related moments we help families across the Yakima Valley preserve.
Join the Keepsake List
Preserve Your Moment
Tell us about the photograph you want to turn into a keepsake. We'll respond with simple next steps.
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