Foldable phone custom case guide: construction, artwork, and RFQ

If you already buy custom cases for bar phones, do not assume the same RFQ works for a foldable. The device opens, the shell may be split, and artwork may cross a fold.

This guide is for creators, small brands, and sourcing contacts who need to brief a factory on foldable geometry before tooling or print.

The buyer problem:

What changes when commissioning a custom case for a foldable phone instead of a conventional slab phone?

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1. Why foldable cases differ from slab cases

Slab phone (typical)	Foldable phone (typical)
One continuous shell	Shell may be two-piece or include a flex bridge — confirm with your supplier
One print face	Print may need split / register across shells
Fixed thickness	Thickness changes folded vs open (device-dependent)
Camera island on one face	Often outer + inner cameras; outer screen can act as a second face
Hinge is rarely a case constraint	Hinge clearance is a case constraint

A generic phone-case template can misalign cutouts, bind at the fold, or strand artwork across a hinge gap.

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2. Construction variables to confirm with the supplier

Treat these as RFQ variables, not settled engineering facts. Names and methods vary by factory.

Variable	Ask the supplier to state
Shell split	One piece, front + back, or skin/wrap only
Flex / hinge cover	Separate part, integral bridge, or open spine
Join method	Clip, adhesive, rail, or other — request a drawing
Print faces	Which faces receive print (outer front, outer back, spine, inner rim)
Lip height	How far the lip rises above glass / camera rings
Port & button access	USB-C, mics, speakers, side button
Strap / charm hole	Diameter and position — keep clear of hinge and thin walls

Avoid copying a competitor teardown as a production spec. Ask for per-face drawings or a 3D envelope.

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3. Hinge clearance

Decision rules (there is no universal millimetre standard):

• The case should open and close through the full intended range of motion without bind, lift, or scrape. Treat this as a procurement requirement in the sample checklist.
• Agree a no-print / no-decor zone across any flex or hinge wrap so ink and film are less likely to crack at the fold. Exact zone size is supplier-defined.
• Hinge dimensions from photos are not reliable. Request a hinge envelope (width × height × depth in open and closed states) from the factory or OEM drawings.

Validation: run repeated sample open/close testing on a physical sample before bulk. Stop if the shell creaks, lifts, or marks the spine. A mock-up image is not a fit test.

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4. Outer-display and camera clearance

Foldables can add a second display and more camera furniture.

Clearance	Ask in RFQ
Outer display opening	Size and corner radius; the opening should not intrude into the active display area (treat safe inset as a supplier/OEM figure)
Rear camera island	Cutout vs open face; lens ring vs case lip
Outer front camera / sensors	Measure on the device drawing for that model
Inner screen	Avoid inner-rim oversize that rubs the display; under-display cameras may need no cutout

If a factory only asks for length and width, they may still be treating the device as a slab. Request per-face drawings.

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5. Artwork across shells

Issue	Practice
Split	Decide what is on shell A vs shell B vs spine before layout
Alignment	Use the supplier production template and alignment references they provide. There is no universal registration-mark rule
Bleed at fold	Follow the supplier’s safe line at flex/hinge
No-print areas	Hinge wrap, clip recesses, camera rings — keep type and critical faces out if the process requires it
Edge printing	Often a different fixture; confirm whether face print can continue over the edge

For general file prep, see check artwork at actual size and cut lines, bleed, safe area. Foldables add split and registration questions on top of those.

White ink (conditional): some print stacks use a white underbase so colour reads on clear or dark stock — see white ink on clear acrylic for the principle only. Phone-case substrates and processes differ from acrylic keychains. Confirm white-underbase applicability, substrate, and process with the case supplier.

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6. Fit tolerance and sample-on-device

State	What to check on sample
Closed	Thickness stack; pocket fit; button alignment; camera lip
Open	Flatness; inner rim bite; no screen rub
Open / close cycling	Hinge clearance; shell creep; print behaviour at the spine

Tolerance language for RFQ (numeric values are factory-supplied — leave blanks until they answer):

• Shell inner cavity vs device drawing: ± ___ mm
• Print-to-cut registration: ± ___ mm
• Lip height above glass: ___ mm

Procurement rule: publish or accept a tolerance only when it is in writing from the factory. Plan a physical sample-on-device before bulk when fit matters.

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7. Magnet / MagSafe positioning (where applicable)

Some foldables support magnetic charging. iPhone Duo (example instance) lists MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W, Qi2 up to 25W, a magnet array, an alignment magnet, Accessory Identification NFC, and a magnetometer (Apple, iPhone Duo Tech Specs, 2026-09).

Topic	Rule
Magnet location	Follow the OEM magnet map for that model when available
Fold / flex	Agree with the supplier where magnets may sit relative to hinge and flex parts
Claim language	Write “magnet ring aligned to [device] MagSafe/Qi2 map (OEM)” only if you have that map. Otherwise treat as unknown

Third-party case magnet patterns are not an OEM spec. Label third-party sources if you cite them.

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8. Print area, edge printing, strap hole

Feature	Foldable constraint
Face print	May split across shells; respect agreed no-print zones
Edge print	Confirm fixture capability; watch stress near the spine
Strap hole	Keep clear of hinge, thin walls, and magnet ring; specify diameter and reinforcement
White underbase	Only if the case process supports it (see §5)

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9. Instance box — iPhone Duo

Device facts (Apple iPhone Duo Technical Specifications, accessed 2026-09-23):

	Open	Closed
W×H×D	164.6 × 117.8 × 5.2 mm	84.1 × 117.8 × 11.3 mm
Weight	254 g	254 g

• Titanium foldable design; Ceramic Shield 2 front and back
• Inner 7.6″ folding OLED · Outer 5.4″ OLED
• Cameras: outer 48MP Dual Fusion system + outer 12MP front camera; inner under-display FaceTime camera
• MagSafe up to 25W · Qi2 up to 25W · magnet array · alignment magnet · Accessory Identification NFC · magnetometer
• USB-C · Touch ID in side button · IP68

This box does not claim case tooling, hinge mechanism details, magnet coordinates, or print process. Those remain supplier and OEM-drawing questions. Update this box when the next foldable ships; the rest of the guide stays as-is.

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10. RFQ checklist (copy-paste)

Device: [make / model / generation]
Construction: [supplier to propose: one-piece / two-piece / flex / skin]
Print faces: [front / back / spine / none]
Artwork state: [split files / one wrap / need template]
Hinge envelope: attach drawing or request from us
Outer display / camera cutouts: attach drawing — opening should not cover active display
Magnets: yes/no — OEM map attached? yes/no
Strap hole: diameter __ mm at [location]
Quantity range: [sample / 50 / 200 / 1000+]
Need physical sample-on-device before bulk: YES

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11. What OFFPRESS can quote vs sample-dependent

Topic	Status
Printed merch for creators (charms, stickers, magnets, etc.)	See product pages
Foldable phone cases	Tooling, MOQ, unit price, lead time: unknown / quote-specific
Hinge construction (pin / film / multi-link)	Supplier fact — not asserted here
MagSafe-compatible for a given model	Only with OEM magnet map + sample test

Process education on this page is not a production guarantee.

Next step: send device model, quantity range, artwork approach (split or full wrap), and magnet / strap requirements for a quote and sample plan.

Related: what to send for an accurate quote · check artwork at actual size · phone case models and artwork (slab phones) · white ink on clear acrylic · cut lines, bleed, safe area

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Sources and limits

1. Apple. iPhone Duo Technical Specifications (apple.com/iphone-duo/specs) — dimensions, displays, cameras, MagSafe/Qi2 and magnet array, USB-C, Touch ID, IP68. Accessed 2026-09-23.
2. Construction and join-method language is RFQ vocabulary for briefing a factory, not a published manufacturing standard. Hinge mechanics stay unknown without a supplier drawing you control.
3. Accessory-brand leaks (for example Casetify) are demand signals only — not production specs.