Nowadays e-commerce is very competitive. Product photos are the first thing shoppers are seeing. Clear, clean, and eye-catching images can help you build trust and boost sales. But how should businesses edit these photos? Manual or using artificial intelligence? This blog will help you understand manual photo editing vs AI! We will describe the pros and cons, review popular tools, and explain when to use each. This guide will help you choose the best way to edit your images. So, keep on reading!
What is Manual Photo Editing?
Manual photo editing basically means a person edits each photo by hand. They use tools like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, or Photopea. This type of editing will give you total control. You can fix colors, remove dust, sharpen the image, and even change the background.
Manual editing will take time. You also need creative skills. You will have to zoom in to fix tiny flaws. And I need to work on shadows, highlights, and textures to make a product look real and catchy. Many brands use manual editing for fashion, food, beauty, and luxury products.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Manual Photo Editing
To make it easier for you to choose, here are the advantages and disadvantages of manual editing:
Advantages
- Editors can change every part of an image. This is great when you need a perfect look.
- Manual editing will let you create a unique style that matches your brand.
- Shiny, glass, or transparent products mostly need human hands. You will have to fix reflections and shadows.
- Manual edits can make products look natural and real.
Disadvantages
- Editing even one photo can take 10 to 30 minutes.
- Hiring skilled editors is expensive.
- If different people edit your photos, the style may not always match.
What is AI Photo Editing?
In AI photo editing, you will have to use computer software to edit photos automatically. You have to upload a photo, and the tool will do the work. It can remove backgrounds, fix lighting, and crop photos. It uses machine learning to guess what looks good.
Tools like Photoroom, Pixelcut, Claid.ai, Pebblely, and AutoRetouch are famous in 2025. They can edit hundreds of photos at once. Some can even create fake shadows and add hands holding the product. It can even place it in different settings.
Advantages and Disadvantages of AI Photo Editing?
Here are both the advantages and the disadvantages of AI photo editing:
Advantages
- AI can edit hundreds of images in minutes.
- Many AI tools offer free plans or low monthly prices.
- Every photo will follow the same rules, making your store look clean.
- You will not have to learn complex tools. You upload and download.
Disadvantages
- You can’t always fine-tune small details.
- AI might smooth out textures too much or remove important shadows.
- You might not edit shiny or unusual items well.
- You should still check the final photos to make sure they’re right.
Competitor Review: Leading Manual and AI Tools in 2025
Here’s a comparison of the most popular photo editing tools
Why Hybrid Editing Hits the Sweet Spot?
Hybrid editing means using both AI and manual methods. In 2025, this is becoming the most popular option for growing stores and brands. Here are some facts why it works so well:
- AI handles the bulk: AI can remove backgrounds, adjust light, and resize photos in minutes.
- Manual edits fine-tune the image: Editors can step in to fix colors. They can also sharpen edges and retouch shadows.
- Saves money and time: You will reduce the number of hours editors spend on each photo.
- Great for branding: Your best product shots will still get the personal touch. At the same time, it will keep your store’s look unique.
Trends & Best Practices for 2025
In 2025, online stores are growing fast. That means product photos need to look better and get finished faster. Let’s look at the top photo editing for e-commerce trends and the best ways to do things this year:
Speed is Super Important
Stores are adding new products every day. They need lots of photos, and they need them fast. And AI tools can help edit many photos quickly. You don’t have to spend hours editing one image. AI can fix hundreds in just a few minutes.
Most Shoppers Use Phones
Today, most people shop on their phones. So, the product photos must look good on small screens. Photos should be clear, bright, and easy to see. If a shopper has to zoom in to see the item, they might leave the store. So it’s important to test photos on a phone before posting them online.
AI Can Add Backgrounds
A plain white background is okay, but many stores now use creative scenes. For example, instead of showing a coffee mug on a white page, they show it sitting on a table in a cozy kitchen. Product photo editing AI tools like Pebblely can do this. They can add nice backgrounds that will help shoppers imagine the product in real life.
Editing in Large Batches
Big stores normally have thousands of product photos. Editing each photo one by one would take forever. With batch editing, you can upload a whole folder of images and edit them all at once. AI can make this super easy for you. You just have to click once, and it will edit them all using the same style.
360-Degree and 3D Views
Some online stores now let shoppers spin the product around. You can see it from all sides, and it is known as the 360-degree view. Some websites also will let you try on items using your phone’s camera. It’s called augmented reality (AR) and will help customers confidently buy products.
Read Another Article : The Importance of Photo Retouching in Fashion Photography
Photos That Help with Google Search (SEO)
Photos need names that make sense. For example, instead of naming a photo “IMG1234.jpg,” it’s better to name it “manual-photo-editing-vs-ai-2025.jpg.” You should also add alt text (a short image description) so Google knows what’s in the photo. This will help your product show up when people search online.
Same Color in All Photos
Imagine a red shirt that looks different in every photo—too dark in one, too bright in another. Exactly, things like that can confuse shoppers. That’s why color consistency is important. Your photos should have the same lighting and color tones.
Fixing Wrinkles and Bad Lighting Fast
Clothes can often look wrinkled in photos. The lighting might also be too dark or too bright. Some tools, like AutoRetouch, can fix this right away. They smooth out wrinkles, improve lighting, and even fix skin tone in clothing. Your product will look fresh and ready to wear in this way.
Expert Guide: Choosing What’s Best for You
Not sure if you should use manual editing, AI, or both? Here are some expert tips on editing product photography for e-commerce:
10 to 50 products a month
If your store has only a few products, manual eCommerce photo editing is a great choice. Since there aren’t too many photos, you have time to work on each one by hand. You can make them look clean, sharp, and detailed. Manual editing will give you high-quality results that help your products stand out.
500 or more products every month
If you have a big store with hundreds of items, you need to move fast. AI tools are perfect for this. Image upscaling AI can edit a lot of photos at once. You don’t have to spend hours on each one. Use AI to do the first round of editing, like removing the background and fixing the lighting. Then, you can go back and fix a few top products by hand for your ads or homepage.
Fashion, food, or beauty products
These products need to look perfect. Shoppers want to see the colors, shapes, and small details. Manual editing will work best here because the editors can fix things like shadows, wrinkles, and skin tones. A real person knows how to make makeup look smooth or how to show the texture of a dress. AI might miss those small things, so it’s better if you handle it manually.
Gadgets, home items, or tools
AI editing is a great fit for these kinds of products. Most of them have simple shapes and don’t need special lighting or texture work. You can use AI to quickly remove backgrounds, adjust colors, and crop the photos. This will save time and still give you nice, clear images.
If you don’t want to spend much money
If you are just starting out or don’t have a big budget, use free tools. Try AI photo editing tools like Photoroom, Photopea, or Pixelcut. These tools will let you edit photos without hiring anyone. Start small, test what works, and then decide if you want to pay for a better tool or hire an editor later.
You want a special or custom look
Maybe you want your store to look different from others. You want your photos to match your brand’s colors and style. In that case, use manual editing or hybrid editing. Hybrid editing means using AI for basic edits and then using a person to add the final touch. Product photo retouching will give you both speed and style.
Final Verdict
Shoppers click, scroll, and buy based on how your products look. So, clean, sharp, and professional images are the key to your success in 2025. But which one to choose between Manual Photo Editing vs AI? You can have the details, but spend more time doing that, or you can do it in a few minutes and save time. But you will lose the power of details. So why not choose both? You can do a hybrid and have both to get the best for your e-commerce store!
