How to Prepare Product Photos for Retouching

Product photos are easy to retouch when they are evenly lit, sharp and clean, with enough space around the edges and in high resolution. The better the shot, the less has to be corrected in editing, and the closer the result stays to the real product. This guide sums up what you can look out for before and during the shoot.

What light suits product photos?

Even, soft light is the best foundation. It shows shape and surface without creating hard shadows and blown highlights. Both are difficult to rebuild afterwards, because the image simply holds no information in those areas.

• Soft light sources: Large softboxes, diffusers or daylight through a curtained window create gentle transitions.
• Controlled reflections: On glossy products, highlights should be placed deliberately and should not show the photographer, the camera or the room.
• Identical lighting: When shooting a series, the light should be set up the same way for every picture.
• Correct white balance: A colour cast across the whole image makes it harder to keep the product's colour true.

It is better to expose a little cautiously than too bright. Detail can usually still be recovered from dark areas, but not from pure white.

How should the background and the product look?

A calm, plain background makes cutting out easier. A clear contrast between product and background helps: a dark product stands out from a light ground, a light one from a dark ground. That keeps the edges easy to see. With light products on white, the outline is lost more easily.

Cleanliness pays off. Dust, fingerprints, fluff, scratches and label residue can be removed in retouching, but every mark costs effort, and across a series it adds up. A quick wipe with gloves and a microfibre cloth before the shot saves work. This applies especially to glass, metal and dark surfaces, where every trace shows.

If you want your images retouched, you can turn to Fotowerker. The Swiss company in Rorschacherberg offers everything from simple cutouts to demanding retouching with its own production team in Indonesia. A free sample edit is possible, and the price depends exactly on the effort involved. You can reach the team via the contact page.

How much space should surround the product?

Leave enough free space around the product. If the subject is cropped at the edge, image information is missing that cannot be replaced later. With room around the product, retouchers can adjust the crop, change the format or build a shadow.

Free space is also useful for aspect ratios. A shop may need a portrait format, a catalogue a landscape format, a banner a very wide one. A crop that is too tight rules these options out. Also keep the product straight and level, so that lines do not have to be corrected afterwards.

Why does high resolution matter?

The more image information there is, the more cleanly edges, fine structures and small flaws can be treated. High resolution also allows the image to be reduced later for different uses, whereas a small image cannot be enlarged without loss of quality.

• Shoot at the highest quality your camera offers.
• Pay attention to sharpness: a blurred image stays blurred, even after retouching.
• Avoid heavy compression and repeated re-saving. For help choosing a file format, see the guide to image formats and other topics in image editing.
• If possible, pass on the original file rather than screenshots or versions sent through messaging apps.

Why should every shot be taken from the same angle?

A consistent shooting angle makes a product series much easier to edit. Perspective, shadow direction and proportions then match, and the images look unified in the shop. If the angle changes from image to image, shadows and alignment have to be adjusted one by one.

For this, shoot with a fixed tripod and mark the positions of camera and product. For several views, such as front, side and detail, fix the angles once and use them for every product. A constant focal length matters too, since it determines how strongly shapes appear distorted.

Which notes help the retoucher?

A short accompanying note saves queries. State what the final result should achieve and where the image will be used. Add what must stay and what may go: a sign of wear can be a genuine feature or a flaw.

• Intended use, for example online shop, catalogue or advert.
• Desired background and shadow.
• Colour details, such as a swatch or a reference of the real product.
• Areas that need particular attention.

The guide on the briefing for image retouching explains how such a brief can be structured. An overview of what is offered is on the services page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to clean the product before photographing it?

It is strongly recommended. Dust and fingerprints can be retouched, but every correction costs effort and can alter the texture of glass or metal.

Which background should I use when shooting?

A calm, plain background with clear contrast to the product. It makes cutting out easier and keeps the edges clean.

How much space should I leave around the product?

Enough that nothing is cropped and different formats remain possible. A little too much air is better than too little.

Does the camera matter?

Sharpness, light and resolution are what count. A high-quality camera helps, but carefully shot images from simpler equipment can also be edited well.

Should I correct a lot before shooting?

Correct what can be changed in the setup: light, cleanliness, angle. The fine work on colours and details can be left to retouching.