Do you sell your products online? If so, you know photos are everything. A customer cannot touch or try on your clothes, so they rely on your pictures to make tough decisions.
This brings up an important question. How do you present your clothing the best? You can do the obvious and use a live model. But that can be expensive. You can use a standard mannequin, but that can come across somewhat strange or distracting at times.
There is a better solution: the ghost mannequin editing technique. This is not just about looking cool. It is a powerful technique you can use to create an amazing shopping experience for your clients.
In this article, we are going to explore the multitude of reasons this service is important.
What is the Ghost Mannequin Effect? A Quick Look
It is a clever photo editor trick. A professional photographer takes a few images of a piece of clothing on a mannequin. Then, with special editing tools, they remove the mannequin from the image.
The outcome is a picture that makes the clothing look like an invisible person is wearing it. It’s not flat and lifeless.
The Primary Purpose: Achieving Flawless Product Presentation
The ultimate purpose of this technique is to make your clothes look as awesome as possible. Your customers should see your product in a realistic, beautiful, and easy-to-understand way.
This is what flawless product presentation is, and ghost mannequin editing is how you achieve this. It accomplishes this in two fundamental ways.
To Create a Distraction-Free, 3D Viewing Experience
What do you want your customer to look at when they see your product photo? The product! When you are using a mannequin, the mannequin can be distracting all on its own. The customer might notice the shape of the mannequin or the color rather than the details of the clothing.
Removing the mannequin shifts the focus to the clothing. You will provide a clean, professional, and consistent look across your entire website. All your products could be in the same store.
It is not only about distractions. There is more to a discarded mannequin. You’re also adding a dimension to the photo.
To Showcase Important Interior Details
Have you ever bought a jacket on the web, only to find out that there is a really cool liner on the inside? Or maybe the brand tag on the collar looks really high-end? These are things that shoppers like to see.
This is another big advantage of the Ghost Mannequin effect. It does a great job of showcasing what’s inside your garment.
Your customers get to see the inner lining, your branded labels, and details around the neckline and collar. All possible due to a professional neck joint service, which is the next level of the process.
The Business Purpose: Driving Sales and Building Trust
Making sales and turning customers into loyal customers should be the real goal of any e-commerce business. The way your photo looks directly affects those business goals. Let’s take a look at how to use the invisible mannequin effect to help with your online store
To Increase Conversion Rates and Reduce Product Returns
It’s easier for a buyer to trust your brand if they see a realistic 3D image. This gives them a lot more confidence. They can better assess if it is the right style and size. This increases their confidence to click “buy now”. That’s how high-quality images generate more sales.
There is another important benefit. If the customer has a clear idea of what they are buying, there is a much lower chance they will be disappointed when it arrives. As a result, when customers understand what they are purchasing, returns reduce. Using a solid eCommerce image editing strategy is not just about making a sale, but keeping that sale.
To Offer a Cost-Effective and Consistent Alternative
Budgeting is a consideration for every brand. It has already been stated that hiring live models for every product can add up quickly. You have models to pay, the photographer to pay, and the studio rent. And if you’re using different models every time, you’ll have variable elements and might not achieve the same look each time.
The ghost mannequin editing method is much cheaper. Instead of paying to hire a model, photographer, studio, etc. you pay for the photos once, and our team of specialists does the rest. This provides a scalable and value-for-money solution to a standardized look in all of your photo editing.
This means every product on your website can enjoy the same professional and consistent style. This allows your brand identity to build while also looking consistent and trustworthy across your entire store. It truly is a smart investment that can be used for years to come.
The Technique: How is the Invisible Mannequin Effect Created?
Getting the perfect invisible mannequin effect is not a matter of simply cutting out the mannequin. The magic happens in professional software like Adobe Photoshop, and amounts to basically three steps to get that perfect 3D effect.
The Foundational Steps: Clipping Path and Image Masking
The first step is to select and remove the background. This happens with a super-precise method known as a clipping path service. An editor carefully draws a line around the product. This allows for every curve and bend of the garment to be crisp and clean. This step is the building block for all that follows. It allows the product to be put on a pure white or any other colored background seamlessly without looking false.
Combining the Images: The Art of the Joint
Now we get to the clever part. Remember how we stated that we take multiple photos? Here’s the reason why. One photo is of the front of the piece of garment on the mannequin, while one photo is of the item flipped inside out, or just the back neck area.
The editor uses these images together. They blend the image of the inside part of the cloth with the main product image. This is how they create the “joints”. They do the same for the sleeves and bottom. This creates the 3D illusion.
Final Touches: Retouching and Shadow Creation
The image is almost ready, but a few final touches are needed to make it perfect. The editor will perform retouching to fix any small wrinkles, dust, or imperfections in the fabric. This makes the product look absolutely pristine.
Then, to make the image truly pop, they add a soft, realistic shadow. Our shadow creation service adds depth and makes the garment look like it’s gently floating in space. This small detail makes a huge difference, turning a good image into a perfectly appealing and professional one.
While it’s possible to attempt this in-house, the precision required is why top brands turn to experts.
Why a Professional Service is Your Best Investment
You’re likely thinking, “Can I do this work myself?” Although many tutorials are available online, it is a significant challenge to achieve a professional look and feel, and this takes a lot of time. This is why working with a service provider is the best option.
At UK Clipping Path, we’ve been creating high-quality professional results quickly with a team of over 200 Photoshop professionals since 2010.
This is where we do ghost mannequin editing expertly every time, paying careful attention to every detail from the collar to the bottom hem. We can ensure every image on your site has that same amazing quality, which builds trust with your customers.
Ready to transform your product photos? Explore our Ghost Mannequin Service or get a no-obligation Free Trial to see the quality for yourself.
Conclusion: The Clear Purpose of Ghost Mannequin Editing
So, let’s circle back to our main question. What are the purposes of ghost mannequin editing? As we’ve seen, there are many. It’s about creating a realistic, 3D picture of your clothes that makes them look amazing.
It’s about building trust with your customers by showing them every detail. And most importantly, it’s about helping you sell more products and grow your business.
It’s an essential investment for any serious online retailer or photographer who wants to stand out from the competition. By creating a professional, distraction-free shopping experience, you are setting your brand up for success.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is ghost mannequin editing?
Ghost mannequin editing is a specific photo editing service where we take photos of your clothes on a mannequin, then remove the mannequin from the picture to make it look as though an invisible person was wearing it with an awesome 3D shape and form.
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Why not just use a mannequin in the photo?
Regular mannequins can be distracting. Customers will get distracted by the mannequin and forget about your product. The ghost mannequin technique creates a cleaner, more professional look that helps customers focus on the garment details.
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What clothing types would suit this service best?
Almost any clothing is great! It’s an ideal service for shirts, jackets, blazers, dresses, pants, and sweaters. Anything that has a defined shape and structure will look amazing with the 3D effect.
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How does this help my online store sell more?
The 3D realistic images display exactly how the clothing fits and drapes. This gives shoppers confidence to purchase. This means higher conversion rates. The customer having a better understanding of what they’re purchasing is also helpful. It lowers product returns, which can be costly.
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Is ghost mannequin editing expensive?
It is much cheaper than using live models for every photo shoot, and it depends on how complicated the clothing is. Ghost mannequin editing is a smart investment. Once it’s done, you will have a professional and uniform look to your entire store.
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What do I need to supply you to produce the effect?
To achieve the best effect, we would request a few images of the garment on a mannequin. One frontal and one back image would be typical. We would also like a separate photo of inside the neck, cuffs, or any other interior you wish to show. Don’t worry, we can tell you what images we would like you to take!
