Model Digitals and Comp Cards: A Beginner’s Guide

Model digitals are plain, unedited photos of you with little or no makeup, taken in natural light against a simple background, and they are what modeling agencies use to judge your look. A comp card (short for composite card) is a small card combining your best professional photos with your stats, used to market you to clients once you are working.

If you are just starting out, digitals are the one you need first. They cost nothing, you can take them this weekend, and they are how most agencies want new faces to apply. This guide shows you exactly how to shoot them, what a comp card includes, and how both fit into getting started. If you are still deciding whether modeling is right for you, our guide on how to become a model with no experience is a good starting point.

What are model digitals (polaroids)?

The name “polaroids” comes from the days when agencies literally used instant cameras to snap new models. Today they are digital photos, but the idea is the same: a raw, honest record of your face, body, skin, and proportions.

Agencies want digitals because professional photos can hide a lot through lighting, styling, and retouching. A booker needs to know what a client will see on set. Signed models often update digitals regularly so their agency always has a current version on file.

What agencies look for in digitals

• Your natural skin, hair texture, and bone structure
• Your proportions and how clothes hang on you
• How you look from different angles (front, profile, back)
• Whether you photograph naturally without heavy styling
• Whether you look your actual age and fit the agency’s divisions

How to take model digitals at home

You do not need a photographer. You need a helper with a phone, decent light, and about 30 minutes. Here is the process.

Setup

1. Light: Stand facing a large window during the day, or outdoors in open shade. Avoid direct sun (harsh shadows and squinting) and overhead indoor lights.
2. Background: A plain white or light neutral wall. Clear away clutter, posters, and furniture from the frame.
3. Camera: Use the rear phone camera at its standard lens. Avoid wide-angle mode, which distorts your body. Turn off beauty filters and portrait effects.
4. Position: Your helper should hold the phone roughly at your chest height for full-length shots and at eye level for close-ups, a few steps back.

What to wear

• A fitted tank top or plain fitted T-shirt in black or white
• Fitted jeans or leggings in a dark solid color, or a simple fitted swimsuit if the agency requests it
• Barefoot or simple heels (many agencies ask women to include a few shots in heels; check their instructions)
• No logos, prints, baggy clothes, hats, or big jewelry

Grooming

• Clean, moisturized skin. No makeup or very light makeup (a bit of concealer and lip balm at most).
• Hair down and natural, brushed, and pulled back for a few shots so your face and neck are visible.
• Nails clean and neutral.

The standard shot list

Shot	Framing	Notes
Full length, front	Head to toe	Arms relaxed at your sides, weight even, neutral expression
Full length, side profile	Head to toe	Turn 90 degrees, stand tall but natural
Full length, back	Head to toe	Shows posture and proportions
Waist up, front	Waist to just above head	One neutral, one with a natural smile
Close-up, front	Shoulders up	Hair down, then hair pulled back
Close-up, profile	Shoulders up	Both sides if you can, hair tucked behind ear

Take several of each and pick the clearest. Do not retouch, filter, or slim anything. Light cropping and straightening are fine. Many agencies list their exact digitals requirements on their “become a model” page, so always follow their instructions over any general guide.

What is a comp card?

A comp card is a model’s business card. Traditionally it is printed on heavy card stock, roughly the size of a postcard or a bit larger, and handed out at castings and go-sees. Many agencies now also send digital versions or link clients to an online portfolio page that serves the same purpose.

What goes on a comp card

• Front: One strong image, usually a beauty shot or headshot, with your name (often first name only) and, if signed, your agency’s name and logo.
• Back: Several additional images (commonly three to five) showing range: a full-length shot, a commercial smile, an editorial look, perhaps a lifestyle image.
• Stats: Height, bust or chest, waist, hips, dress or suit size, shoe size, hair color, and eye color.
• Contact: Your agency’s contact details. If you are freelance, a professional email. Never your home address.

Digitals vs. comp card vs. portfolio

	Digitals	Comp card	Portfolio (book)
Purpose	Show your raw look	Quick marketing summary	Full showcase of your best work
Who sees it	Agencies, clients before booking	Clients at castings and go-sees	Clients and agencies reviewing your range
Retouching	None	Professional, light	Professional
When you need it	From day one	Once you have professional images	Builds over time
Cost	Free	Printing or design costs, sometimes covered or advanced by an agency	Grows through test shoots and jobs

Do you need a comp card before getting signed?

Usually not. Most agencies want digitals and basic info first, then help signed models build their book through test shoots and create comp cards to the agency’s own design. Making an expensive comp card before you have an agency often means reprinting it later with their branding and their choice of photos.

The exception is if you plan to freelance, for example in promotional, commercial print, or local fashion work in a smaller market. In that case a simple, clean comp card with accurate stats can help. Learn which areas might suit you in our guide to the types of modeling.

How to measure yourself accurately

Bookers will often re-measure you in person, so get it right. Use a soft tape measure and ask someone to help.

• Height: Barefoot, back against a wall, heels touching it. Mark the top of your head with a flat object, then measure.
• Bust or chest: Around the fullest part, tape level and snug but not tight.
• Waist: Around the narrowest part of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button.
• Hips: Around the fullest part of your hips and seat, feet together.

Never round up your height or round down your measurements. If a client books you for a specific size and the clothes do not fit on set, that reflects badly on you and your agency.

Common mistakes and red flags

Mistakes

• Sending heavily filtered or edited selfies as “digitals”
• Wearing loose, patterned, or branded clothing
• Full makeup and styled hair, which defeats the purpose
• Outdated photos that no longer match your hair or body
• Cluttered backgrounds or harsh direct flash

Red flags

A legitimate agency makes money by booking you work, not by selling you photos. Be cautious if someone tells you that you must pay a large up-front fee for a photo shoot, portfolio, or comp card package with their own photographer before they will represent you. Some agencies do arrange test shoots and deduct costs from future earnings, which is a different and common arrangement; ask for any terms in writing. Our guide on how to spot a fake casting call covers more scam patterns.

Also, never send digitals in underwear or swimwear to anyone you have not verified as a real, established agency, and never to someone who reached out to you privately on social media. Parents of minors should handle all submissions; see our guide to child modeling safety for more.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between digitals and polaroids?

They are the same thing. “Polaroids” is the older term from when agencies used instant cameras; today they are taken with phones or digital cameras, but the rules (natural light, no makeup, no retouching) are identical.

Can I take my model digitals with my phone?

Yes. A recent phone with its standard rear camera, good window light, and a plain background is enough. Have someone else take the photos so you can stand naturally and avoid selfie distortion.

Should I wear makeup in my digitals?

Little to none. Agencies want to see your real skin and features, so stick to clean skin, maybe a touch of concealer and lip balm. Follow any specific instructions an agency gives.

How much does a comp card cost?

It depends on printing quantity, paper quality, and whether you need professional photos first. Many signed models have their agency coordinate the design and printing, so it is worth waiting until you are represented unless you plan to freelance.

How often should I update my digitals?

Whenever your look changes, such as a haircut, color change, or change in measurements. Working models often refresh them every few months so their agency has a current set on file.

Your next step

Once your digitals are ready, figure out where you fit with our guide to the types of modeling, then learn how to approach agencies and open calls in how to become a model with no experience.