Local retail stores often use mannequins to showcase their products to draw attention, in eCommerce stores also, the ghost mannequin effect can help to achieve similar results.
Businesses dealing in apparel, accessories, footwear, etc., use this technique to give their product images a clean and uniform look, helping customers to compare and choose their favorite styles easily. The invisible mannequin effect is also used in clothing design and manufacturing to visualize items before production.
Discover how to implement the ghost mannequin effect to make your eCommerce store stand out from the competition, and increase your product sales.
What is the Invisible Mannequin Effect?
It is a technique used in product photo editing to create the illusion that a garment is being worn by an invisible model. This effect is commonly used in eCommerce websites and catalogs to showcase the fit and style of a product without any distractions.
In this process, the product photographs are captured using a real mannequin. However, the visible parts of the mannequin are removed from the image via editing. Here, the mannequin provides a structure to the product, and omitting it from the image helps represent the product exactly as it will appear when used by a buyer. This effect is widely used in fashion, jewelry, or accessory stores. It is also known as the 3D ghost mannequin effect or hollow-man effect.
How Invisible Mannequins are Different from Traditional Mannequins
Invisible and traditional mannequins have similar qualities, but, their effect on the photo is significantly different. In the case of traditional mannequin images, viewers can see the actual mannequin in the product image. In ghost mannequins, consumers can only see the product, initially draped on a dummy, without seeing the actual torso.
To provide an invisible mannequin effect, a product is simply placed on the mannequin and the visible torso of the dummy is removed from the image, making it look true to its ‘ghost’ characteristics. Invisible mannequins score over traditional ones since hidden details such as a collar, company logo, or fabric hemlines become easy to view. This results in an improved understanding of the product, by a customer.
How to Add Invisible Mannequin Effect to Product Photos?
The following steps can help you implement the invisible mannequin effect in your product photos:
- Prepare your equipment: You will need a camera, a tripod, and a mannequin or model to drape the garment on. Make sure the camera is set up on a tripod to keep it stable and ensure consistent framing between shots.
- Set up the shot: Dress the mannequin or model in the garment and position it in front of a plain background. Make sure the garment is properly fitted to the mannequin or model and smooth out any wrinkles or creases.
- Take two photos: Take one photo with the mannequin or model wearing the garment, and another photo with the garment inside out. This will allow you to merge the two photos later to create the invisible mannequin effect.
- Import the photos: Import the two photos into an image editing software such as Photoshop or GIMP.
- Combine the photos: Use the editing software to combine the two photos by layering them on top of each other and erasing the parts of the inside-out photo that is visible in the original photo. This will create the illusion that the garment is being worn by an invisible model.
- Blend the layers: Select the top layer and change the blending mode to “Multiply.” This will allow the bottom layer to show through the hollow area.
- Refine the image: Use the Brush Tool to refine the edges of the product and make sure it looks seamless.
- Make adjustments: Adjust the colors, brightness, and contrast of the final image to ensure that the garment appears as accurate and appealing as possible.
- Save and export: Save the final image and export it in the appropriate format for your website or marketing materials.
These steps are a general guide for editing product photos to give an invisible mannequin effect in Adobe Photoshop. The specific steps may vary depending on the software and techniques used, the product’s complexity, and the image requirements.
How Invisible Mannequins Aids Your eStore?
Attracting prospective buyers is crucial for any online store. Unlike local retail stores, online consumers cannot touch and see a product. This makes them very cautious while shopping online. In this case, product photos are responsible to impress consumers and influence them to visit the website.
Invisible mannequins make your product photos visually appealing compared to traditional mannequins which may disrupt buyers’ attention. Ghost mannequins make your eCommerce product photos lively, its benefits are as follows.
Improves Product Representation
By using an invisible mannequin, you can provide consumers with a three-dimensional view of the product, while also enhancing the texture and color of the image to capture the buyer’s attention. This helps compensate for the absence of the tactile experience offered by local retail outlets. Additionally, you can repurpose the edited photo, use it when publishing suitable content, to market your product on other channels.
Uplifts Store’s Appeal and Quality
With the increased use of high-quality images depicting the color, shape/fitting, fabric/material, and closer details, you can enhance the overall appeal of your store.
This will ensure appreciation of an authentic representation of your products, resulting in improved sales.
Wins Trust
Invisible mannequin product image cutout enhances your catalog’s appeal. It improves quality, sharpness, color, and tone, providing customers with clarity on the product, thereby winning over their trust. This trust and clarity can help buyers make an informed choice. With increased belief and trust in your products, they eventually become loyal to your brand.
Helps Overcome Competition
The eCommerce market is expanding exponentially. Sellers want to attract more and more leads, and thereby increase their conversion rates. Ghost mannequin product image enhancement can provide you with that required edge. Equipping your product photos with advanced technologies like the invisible mannequin effect can help your store leave behind the ordinary.
Saves Costs of Hiring Models
An eCommerce store dealing in apparel, fashion, jewelry, and accessory products usually needs to hire models for photoshoots. Engaging and managing models is a tedious and costly process. You must decide on a suitable model, bargain payment, arrange shoots and supervise photo processing. Invisible mannequins can save you from this hassle. Moreover, it provides consistency and quality that can increase chances for sales.
Conclusion
As the eCommerce business grows and gets more competitive, adapting to advanced technology in product photo editing is the need of the hour. Using editing techniques like the ghost mannequin effect and product image cutouts can increase your online store’s traffic. It also improves your click-through rates and increases your chances of sales conversions.
Invisible mannequins impart 3 dimensional and immersive view to the product, which is widely appreciated by consumers, providing your catalog with high-quality and attractive pictures. Moreover, to add to these benefits, you can outsource ghost mannequin image editing services making these processes cost-effective and easy to manage.
