Cell phone face plates provide people with a way to express themselves. They also offer durability and water resistance and mask cosmetic flaws. Personalization of cell phone covers is a trend of self expression and fashion.

Ways to personalize custom cell phone covers include displaying photos, art, logos, icons and color. There are innumerable ways to customize faceplates to reflect individual style. Whether choosing to customize your phone with a solid color faceplate or a custom-created "skin," consider making the most of cell phone faceplates with the following suggestions:

1. Use skins to design custom cell phone faceplates.

2. Accessorize phones with solid-color cell phone faceplates.

3. Have custom cell phone faceplates designed for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Create a custom cell phone faceplate with skins to market your business

Creating custom cell phone faceplates has never been easier. Skins are adhesives that stick to cell phone faceplates. You can design a custom skin and print it at home or use a skin printing service. Programs allow you to put anything from photos, company logos and custom colors on cell phone skins.

I recommend: Customprintz.com is a do-it-yourself website that allows you to custom design and print faceplate skins from any photo-quality printer. Locate Printz retailers from its website then use its software to create the skins. Skinit.com is a company that also allows you to custom design faceplate screens. It prints the skins and cuts them to fit the shape of your cell phone faceplate.

Sell colored cellular phone faceplates to customers who want to express their personality

Cell phone faceplates are easy to put on and take off. Because they are inexpensive and user-friendly, it's possible to change plates frequently. You can find faceplates on the Internet at discounted and wholesale prices for business or personal purchase, which allows you to resell the product for regular retail pricing.

I recommend: Colored cell phone faceplates are available at Cell-Phone-Accessories.com for discounted prices. It offers free shipping for qualifying orders. Advanced Cellular is a wholesale provider of cell phone faceplates. Register on its website to begin the purchasing process.

Set your business apart with custom-design cell phone face plates

Few companies are available to customize the actual cell phone face plate, but there are options to choose from in this arena. There are providers that design the faceplate with company logos or any other design. Other companies encrust cell phone faceplates with crystals. You can look at providers to sell these, offer these as promotional gifts or impress clients with your custom designs.

I recommend: Cicerone designs and creates custom cell phone covers for any brand of phone. It has designed custom plates for sports teams, telecom providers and more. Posh Life creates custom-designed cell phone face plates encrusted with Swarovski crystals. Choose from its standard designs or custom create your own.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When designing a custom mobile phone faceplate, consider the image the plate will give you and your business. Professionals should opt for faceplates that reflect a conservative image.
• •  Consider using cell phone faceplates as promotional materials or giveaways for your business.

Custom cell phone covers are a stock supply for many companies. If you are in charge of doling out phones and accessories, you might want to provide your team with cell phone faceplates. These accessories can create a "team" style for cell phone disbursement. A faceplate can also protect a phone that someone will use outside or in a factory environment. For style solutions or for workplace phone protection, you can find either high-design or durable cell phone faceplates for sale online.

Order cell phone faceplates:

1. Customize the cell phone faceplates for promotion or team management.

2. Outfit with durability systems for waterproofing or protection from hard knocks.

3. Buy in bulk to save money.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go to the cell phone providers

The 'big five' cell phone companies sell cell phone faceplates and other accessories direct from the manufacturer. Go to your company's website to see what cell phone covers they stock for buyers.

I recommend: Try T-Mobile's Cell Phone Accessories page: you'll have to select your particular phone to view a list of cell phone covers. Verizon's website shows thumbnails and prices for cell phone faceplates and other accessories for all of their phones.

Try cell phone accessory storehouse sites

Big retail sites sell cell phone covers and faceplates for all phone models in large 'storehouse' portals. You can find deals by browsing for your phone.

I recommend: The 800Mobile site has a lot of different face plate models on sale. The site for Cell-Phone-Accessories-Wholesale provides thumbnails and prices for its wide selection of accessories.

Buy your cell phone faceplates in bulk

Vendors will give you a bottom-line price for a set of cell phone covers or other accessories. Look for specific deals offering cut-rate prices for sales by volume.

I recommend: The online vendor MyCoolCell.com reaches out to business, government and other clients with bulk cell phone cover deals, sometimes giving up to 50% off. The site's online ordering system helps you buy quickly and directly. Ebay sellers are also a good source of bulk bargains for cell phone accessories; lots are listed in standard eBay format or in eBay stores.

Get custom cell phone covers

Graphic design shops make custom cell phone faceplates as well as 'skins' or cases, promoting business clients by adding the company logo or inventing an attention-grabbing design.

I recommend: Try brand customizing with Cicerone or work with designers at Skinit to come up with a stylish promotional design for your company phones.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When ordering customized cell phone covers, it helps to do your own mock-ups. Technicians and designers can work from these to give you more of what you're looking for. Be as specific as possible, adding any durability features in your blueprint.

While cellular phone covers are by no means a necessity for cell phones, they are a great way to protect phones by adding durability and water resistance to phones. Cell phone covers are also a great way of advertising for businesses and giving unity to project team members. When you intend to purchase faceplates, make the pricing and costs of cell phone faceplates a part of your cell budget.

You can purchase cell phone covers from wholesale vendors when your business has a wholesale account. You can also purchase them from discount vendors when wholesale pricing is not an option. Companies can customize faceplates to reflect business logos, special colors and any other information. Consider the following as you search for cell faceplates:

1. Purchase cell phone covers from wholesale vendors.

2. Get pricing information for cellular phone covers from discount vendors.

3. Consider the costs of custom cell phone faceplates.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase cell phone covers from wholesale vendors

When reselling cellular phone faceplates, purchase them from wholesale vendors. Some wholesale sites require registration before they allows you to view faceplate prices. Faceplates cost as little as five cents to as much as $40.

I recommend: Cell Phone Accessories Wholesale carries cell phone face plates that are compatible with most any cell phone. It has faceplates for both older and new cell phone models. Cellular Factory wholesales mobile phone covers. Browse cell phone faceplates on its site by cell manufacturer.

Price mobile phone covers from discount providers

When your business does not have a wholesale account for purchasing cell phone faceplates, look to discount vendors to get the best prices. Discount vendors sell faceplates for nearly as little as wholesale vendors. Plan to spend between $3 and $20 for faceplates from discount providers.

I recommend: Cellular Outfitter carries discounted cell phone accessories, including faceplates. It carries faceplates for cell phones manufactured by Motorola, Nokia, iPhone and Razr. ACC Station sells discounted cell phone faceplates for a large variety of cell phone manufacturers. Click on the manufacturer of your phone, then the model to find plates for a particular model.

Get estimates for custom cell phone covers

Custom cell phone covers are a great way to advertise for your business or create unity on a team of employees. Cell phone skins are an easy and inexpensive way to customize a faceplate. Skins are custom-designed decals cut to fit the faceplate. A custom plate, or skin, ranges from $10 to $20.

I recommend: My Tego sells custom cell phone faceplates. It offers discounts for purchases of multiple plates. Another provider of customizable cell phone covers is Skinit. Choose any color and design, and the company creates the skin to cover your phones faceplate.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask vendors about discounted pricing for bulk purchases of cell phone covers. Many wholesale and discount vendors can offer deeper discounts for large orders.

Cell phones can take a beating, even during simple tasks. They fall out of cars, fall off of ladders and even vibrate off of desks. While most cell phones can handle their fair share of crashes, a cell phone faceplate can help add some much needed protection. However, that's not the only use for a cell phone faceplate. It can also add a personalized flare to your cell phone. Use cell phone faceplates key terms to help you find the right protection and style for your phone.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Cell phone cases

Cell phone cases are a great option if you need to protect your phone. Instead of sitting on the front of a cell phone, like a faceplate does, cell phone cases cover the cell phone in all areas. Cell phone cases provide maximum protection for your cell phone, and they're easy to replace if necessary.

I recommend: Discountcell details cell phone case features and the different cell phone case materials options.

Skins

Skins is another name for a cell phone faceplate. Instead of being a hard, plastic case that snaps on the front of the phone, skins are like decals that cover the entire phone.

I recommend: The "About our Skins" section on TmobileSkins.com details the benefits of skins.

Model number

The model number of your cell phone distinguishes it from other phones. If you're interested in a cell phone faceplate, you'll need to know your phone's model number to find a compatible faceplate.

I recommend: Wireless Emporium offers a description and a photo explaining where to find your cell phone model number.

Cell phone holsters

Cell phone holsters help the cell phone attach to a person's belt for easy access. Some cell phone faceplates come with a cell phone holster attached; other cell phone faceplates allow you to add a holster later if you wish.

I recommend: Read about cell phone holsters at EliteXtreme.com. Read about shoulder holsters for and more at e-Volve.

Screen protector film

A screen protector film acts as a faceplate for phones with a large touch screen. The film fits over the screen to protect it from scratches, but still allows the touch screen features to operate at full capacity.

I recommend: View a photo and product description of a screen protector film at CellPhoneAccents.com.

Snap on, rubberized

Cell phone faceplates have numerous features, like snap on technology and a rubberized feel. A snap on faceplate is easy to install because anyone can simply snap it onto the exterior of the phone. A rubberized feel helps with grip and it helps protect the phone against damage if it's dropped.

I recommend: The product description on Wirester.com details the benefits of a snap on and rubberized faceplate.