Photograph the full figure
Lay out head, torso, legs, hair/hat, and accessories together. Missing a single printed torso can send you down the wrong parent-set list. If legs are dual-mold or printed, include them in the photo.
Plain backgrounds and even lighting help the scanner separate skin tones and print colors — busy tablecloths confuse visual matching.
Scan, then verify prints
Run the minifig mode on your photo. When multiple candidates appear, prefer matches where the torso print, hair piece, and leg assembly all align — not just the face print.
Licensed characters often have exclusive combinations. A correct head with the wrong torso still belongs to a different figure.
Use parent sets to complete the story
Open the minifig detail page and scroll the set list. If you bought an incomplete boxed set, matching the minifig to that set number tells you which bag or manual section to hunt for.
When the figure appears in many sets, note year and theme to narrow eBay or marketplace searches for the cheapest complete copy.
Accessories are part of the ID
Weapons, capes, and tiny printed tiles can be the only difference between common and collectible variants. Photograph accessories separately if the first scan is uncertain.
If accessories are non-LEGO, say so in listings — buyers care about completeness for display and resale.