Blog — Behind the Process
How to Customize Funko Pops: The Process Explained
One of our most popular projects is turning a photo, idea or favorite character into a custom Funko-style figure — a small collectible figure made in someone's likeness, or inspired by a character, meme or theme they love. It's a fun gift, a unique collectible, and honestly one of our favorite things to make. So how does a custom figure actually go from an idea to a finished print on your shelf? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at our process, step by step.
Step 1: Sharing Your Idea & Reference Photos
Every custom figure starts with a conversation. You send us your idea — whether that's a photo of yourself or a friend, a character from a show or game, or just a description of what you have in mind — through our Request a Quote form, Instagram or WhatsApp. The more reference material you can share, the better: clear photos from a few angles, screenshots of a character, or examples of similar figures you like all help our team understand exactly what you're going for, including pose, outfit, accessories and expression.
Step 2: Digital Modeling & Design
Once we understand the brief, our team begins modeling the figure digitally. This is where the character starts to take shape in 3D — proportions are adjusted to suit the classic chibi-style figure look (oversized head, simplified body), key features like hairstyles, outfits and accessories are built out, and the pose is set. For figures based on a real person, we pay close attention to recognizable details — glasses, hairstyle, clothing, or items they're often seen with — since these small touches are usually what make a custom figure feel personal rather than generic. Depending on complexity, we may share a preview render for your feedback before moving on.
Step 3: Choosing Materials & Print Settings
With the design approved, we decide how the figure will be printed. Most custom figures are well-suited to FDM printing with PLA filament, which offers a huge range of colors and finishes and prints reliably at the sizes most collectible figures are made at. For figures with very fine details — small facial features, thin accessories or intricate textures — we adjust layer height and print settings to capture as much detail as possible at small scale. If you're curious about how FDM printing works, our materials & process guide breaks down the process and the materials we use. We'll choose the settings and approach that best match your figure's design.
Step 4: 3D Printing the Figure
Once settings are confirmed, the model is sliced and sent to print. Depending on the size and complexity of the figure, printing can take anywhere from a couple of hours for a simple design to much longer for larger or multi-part figures. Larger or more detailed figures are often printed in separate pieces — for example, the head, body and any accessories — which are assembled after printing. This approach lets us achieve more detail, cleaner color separation, and larger overall sizes than would be possible printing everything as one solid piece.
Step 5: Post-Processing, Sanding & Painting
This is where a printed figure becomes a finished collectible. Depending on the design, this stage can include light sanding to smooth layer lines, assembling separately printed parts with adhesive, and hand-painting details — skin tones, hair, clothing, logos, and small accents like eyes or accessories. Hand-painting is what gives custom figures their personality, and it's often the most time-consuming part of the whole process. For figures that don't need painting, a clean as-printed finish in the right filament color can also look great, especially for bolder, more stylized designs.
Step 6: Quality Check & Delivery
Before any figure leaves our studio, we check it over for print quality, paint finish, and overall fit and finish — making sure it matches what was agreed and looks good from every angle. Once it passes, it's carefully packaged to protect any painted details or delicate parts during pickup or delivery. For customers in Doha, pickup or local delivery is usually quickest; for the rest of Qatar, we can typically arrange courier delivery — see our shipping & returns policy for details.
Popular Funko-Style Customization Ideas
Some of the most requested custom figure ideas we see include:
- Self-portrait figures — a miniature version of yourself or a loved one, often given as a birthday or anniversary gift
- Couple or family sets — matching figures for partners, families or friend groups, sometimes with a shared theme or outfit
- Favorite characters — figures based on characters from shows, games, movies or viral internet trends
- Profession or hobby figures — figures dressed as a doctor, engineer, gamer, athlete or any hobby that defines someone
- Pet figures — custom figures modeled after a beloved pet, capturing their breed, markings and personality
Common Questions About Custom Figures
How big can a custom figure be? Most custom figures range from pocket-sized (around 5–8 cm) up to larger display pieces of 15–20 cm or more, with bigger sizes generally printed and assembled in multiple parts for strength and detail. Can you make a figure of a real person? Yes — many of our most requested projects are personalized figures based on photos of a specific person, capturing their hairstyle, outfit and any details that make them recognizable. Do you make figures based on existing characters? We can create figures inspired by characters, games or shows for personal use; if you have a specific reference in mind, share it with us and we'll let you know what's possible. Can I order more than one figure at a time? Absolutely — couple sets, family sets and small batches for groups of friends are all common requests, and ordering several figures together is often more efficient than ordering them one at a time. What if I'm not happy with the preview? That's exactly what the preview stage is for — let us know what you'd like adjusted (pose, proportions, colors, accessories) before printing begins, so the finished figure matches what you had in mind.
Pricing & Turnaround for Custom Figures
Pricing for a custom figure depends on its size, the complexity of the design, how many separate parts it's printed in, and how much hand-painting is involved — a simple single-color figure costs less than a larger, multi-part, fully painted piece. Most custom figures are ready within the same 3–7 working day window as our other custom orders, though more elaborate designs with extensive painting may take a little longer. For an accurate price and timeline, send us your reference photos and any details about size or finish, and we'll get back to you with a quote — see our FAQ page for more on how quotes and pricing work.
Ready to start your own custom figure? Browse our full portfolio to see past character figurines, or head to the Request a Quote form to share your idea. For more gift inspiration, check out our post on Eid gift ideas for 2026, or return to the FataelQ blog.