How to cut the camera hole in a phone case insert
Fold the top of the insert gently through the X printed in the camera window, make one small snip into the fold, unfold it, then cut around the dotted line. For round separate lenses, use a hole punch instead. Cut just inside the line so no white paper shows around the camera.
The fold-and-snip method (scissors only)
Cut along the orange dashed line. Stay just inside it so the insert slides in easily.
Bend the top of the insert gently so the fold runs through the X in the camera window. Don’t crease it across your picture.
Make one small snip into the fold, unfold, then cut around the dotted window. Curved nail scissors make round corners easy.
Picture facing out. If it bends, trim half a millimetre off the long sides. A hole punch also works for small round lenses.
The craft-knife method (cleanest)
- Put the insert on a cutting mat or a thick magazine.
- Cut the straight edges of the window with a craft knife against a metal ruler.
- Cut the rounded corners freehand with small strokes, turning the paper, not the knife.
- Adults only: keep the knife away from kids, or do this step for them.
By camera type
| Camera | Phones | Best method |
|---|---|---|
| Square module | iPhone 11 to 16 Pro, Galaxy S25 Edge, many Xiaomi | Fold and snip, or craft knife |
| Separate round lenses | Galaxy S22 Ultra to S25, Galaxy A series | A large round craft punch (10 to 13 mm), or snip each lens with curved nail scissors |
| Full-width camera bar | Pixel 6, 7 and 8 | No hole: the template prints two pieces, above and below the bar |
| Camera plateau across the top | iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air | No hole: the insert stops below the plateau |
| Centred camera island | Pixel 9 and 10, Nothing Phone | Fold and snip; it is a long rounded slot |
Tips
- Cut the camera window before you trim the outline. The paper is easier to hold.
- The X marks the middle of the window, so the fold always lands in the part you remove.
- If the flash or a sensor sits outside the printed window on your case, cut a small extra notch; case makers differ.