Dorothy Ayers Photography

PhotoShop Tutorial: Editing a Product Photo for Ecommerce Listings

February 28, 2016

This tutorial explains one process you can use to remove an item from its background and clean it up for listing on ecommerce or retail sites.

The thing to remember about Photoshop is, there is almost always more than one way to do any single thing. What I am about to show you is my personal method, one that works for me, and that I use most of the time on very specific types of photos. But the Photoshop editing process is one of PROBLEM-SOLVING. Use this tutorial to help you learn about the available tools, and pay attention to how I am solving the problems that this photo presents.

This didn't start out as a terrific photo, but I think that's important to show too because sometimes you won't have the benefit of a perfectly lit, professionally photographed picture to work with.

The only other thing you need to remember before we start: SAVE EARLY, SAVE OFTEN.

RAW photos imported into Lightroom for review.

Step 1: Review Photos and Convert to JPG.

I start by importing my RAW photos into Lightroom for review. I will use the Lightroom flagging feature to select my favorite photos, and then export them as jpgs. You can also review your photos and batch export as jpgs using Adobe Bridge.

Start with a photo that is well-lit and taken against a clean background.

Step 2: Copy the Background Layer.

I took this photo around mid-morning, with no professional lighting and using only a couple pieces of poster board for a backdrop. I always start my editing by copying the image layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J) and hiding the original background layer. This is not strictly necessary, just an added layer of protection that has become habit for me.

Step 3: Select the Item

Select your item using your preferred selection method. I used the Quick Selection Tool. For items with more detail, or in a color that doesn't contrast as well with its background, you may also want to use the Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, or Pen tools to get more detail.

Step 4: Mask the Image.

Click "Add layer Mask" to make a layer mask from the selection. I will use a combination of painting on the mask and using the Refine Mask command to mask out the holes in the shoe front and to refine the edges of the mask.

Step 5: Refine the Mask.

Right click on the Mask thumbnail and select "Refine Mask…".

Zoom in real close to the item and carefully paint over the edges. You may lose some detail that is close to the background color - this is ok, we will fix this later. It might seem like a lot of work just for selecting your item, but for this type of photo retouching having a perfectly masked item is paramount.

Refine Mask is especially useful in places like this, where you'll see that the selection did not grab all of our item.

That faded edging is ok - we will fix it up in the next step.

You may notice that I am leaving the bit of shadow under my shoe. I will get rid of it later, but I keep it there as a little trick to help me create a realistic-looking shadow, which we will see later on.

Step 6: Paint Tool to Fix Mask Edges.

Select the Brush tool (Ctrl or Cmd B) and choose a smallish, semi-hard brush. You can see my brush settings in the screenshot below:

Make sure your layer mask is selected and that your colors are the default foreground and background colors. Switching back and forth between black and white as needed (white to reveal, black to hide), paint along the edges of your mask to further refine it and fix any areas that the Refine Mask tool may not have gotten quite right.

Use short strokes - it makes it easier to undo mistakes without losing too much work. Also, note that I don't have a perfectly hard-edged brush. A 100% hardness brush will drive you crazy doing this type of work. Do yourself a favor and soften it up a little. The end result will look better, too.

We have officially finished with removing the item from its background. Now we can move on to the fun stuff!

Step 7: Dodge and Burn.

I can explain the Dodge and Burn tools in more detail at a later point, but for now, just know that they're a great way to add a little oomph to your colors and dimension in a very realistic-looking way.

I use a large brush and just brush over the entire shoe. It's a little different on a case by case basis, but generally I will start by Burning the shadows and then the midtones at a very low exposure, around 3%. I then brought back the highlights by Dodging them at 4%, and then did a quick dodge on the midtones.

Look at what a difference just that simple step makes!

I then used a similar dodge and burn approach but localized it to the buckle, to bring out a bit more of the metallic sheen.

Step 8: Adjust the Color Balance.

I added a Color Balance layer and moved the Cyan/Red slider to -28, to better reflect the actual color of the item. Always do your best to have the physical version of the item available to you while you're editing. The goal is to provide the most realistic representation possible. If a customer orders the item and it shows up and it’s a completely different color from the photo, you're going to have a disappointed customer on your hands.

Step 9: Resize to Fit.

At this point I will select all of the layers and resize the shoe image to fit snuggly within the confines of the canvas. (Click, Shift, Click to select multiple layers in sequence.) Go to Edit>Free Transform or Ctrl/Cmd+T to resize.

Step 10: Add a Shadow.

Insert a blank layer underneath the shoe image layer.

Use a round brush, about 80% opacity and 50-60% hardness, and select a nice, dark grey color. You may want to select your color directly from the shadow on the original, unedited shoe photo. Lightly paint in a shadow underneath the shoe so it doesn't look like it's floating in mid-air.

Step 11: Double-Check Your Mask.

Double and triple-check your masking. Carefully look along the edges of your item, against a black background, 50% grey background, and white background. Then, save your file as a JPG and take a careful look at it. Sometimes, things will show up in the JPG that you never would have noticed in the PSD. Take the extra time for quality control and check your work. If you're going cross-eyed from having stared at this thing so intently and for so long, walk away for a few minutes before you check your work. Go outside, let your eyes focus on anything that is NOT a computer/tv screen for at least a few minutes, then come back and get a fresh perspective on your work.

If you can have someone else look over your work, this is ideal.

Step 12: Optimize, Resize, and Save Your Work.

Go to Image>Image Size… and change the width to 25 in. (make sure the "Constrain aspect ratio" lock is ON). Set the Resolution to 300. Click OK.

You are now ready to resize your image to whatever dimensions you need, by going to Image>Canvas Size….

Congratulations, you're finished!

If you have any of your own tips you'd like to add, or if anything is confusing you, or if you'd just like to say hi, please leave a comment or send me an email!