How to photograph a broken part for an accurate quote

Photos are the first thing a maker sees. With the right set, a maker can tell whether the part can be remade, which process suits it and roughly how long it will take, before asking you a single question.

Set up

• Light: daylight near a window, or one bright lamp to the side. Avoid the flash, which flattens detail and causes glare on glossy plastic.
• Background: a plain sheet of paper or card that contrasts with the part: white for dark parts, dark for light ones.
• Distance: fill most of the frame with the part and step back rather than zooming digitally. Wide-angle close-ups bend straight edges.

The shot list

Steps

1. Lay the part flat on the background, in the light, with all fragments next to it.
2. Shoot straight on. Hold the phone parallel to each face for the front, back, top, bottom and side views. Perspective makes holes look oval and spacing look shorter.
3. Add one three-quarter view so the maker can see how the faces relate.
4. Take the scale photo. Lay a ruler or open calipers next to the part, at the same height as the part, and shoot from directly above.
5. Close in on the details. Photograph each clip, tab, hook, hole, thread and gear tooth. Tap the screen to focus on the detail, not the background.
6. Find the moulded number. Turn the part over and look on the inside faces. Angle the light low across the surface to make raised lettering readable.
7. Photograph the fitted position with the product off and unplugged: where the part sits, what it clips onto and which way it faces.
8. Check every photo before you post: sharp, well lit, and nothing important cut off at the edge.

Add the use conditions

Photos show the shape; they do not show how the part is used. A UK government study on 3D-printed spare parts lists moisture, UV light and ageing among the factors that affect printed parts [1]. With your photos, write a line on each of these:

• indoors or outdoors, and whether it gets direct sunlight;
• near heat (an oven, a radiator, a car interior in summer) or in water (a dishwasher, a garden hose);
• whether it carries a load, moves, or flexes like a snap-fit;
• the colour and finish you want, and how many you need.

Then add the measurements from the measuring guide and the model number from the model-number guide.