Product Listing Photo Backgrounds

[BadBob]

I think I have figured out an easy way to remove backgrounds from my photos and replace them with what I want. Here are three samples of photos I have edited. Everyone I have asked to look at them so far prefer the black background. What do you think?

[Wichman]

I prefer the black.

 

[kmmcrafts]

I used to do a dark navy blue and got a lot of comments on my photos... I like the black best... never cared for the white but it's a requirement for Amazon as well as getting into google shopping searches.. they do show other colors but you get boosted if you have white backgrounds.. not sure who made the stupid rule up for that because for some items it just doesn't work.. but unfortunately to be in searches you have to play by the requirements of search engines.. 

This may have changed as I've been out of the loop a bit for requirements.. It's still true for Amazon but maybe google and others may have changed.. they change things more often than changing diapers on a baby, LOL You might ask someone in the know on the GI group about the background colors.. 

[rjweb]

The black is ok, but I think try navy blue or dark green, colors that are more invititing to buyers, RJ

[Scrappile]

The black shows the piece the best but the one on the tree shows how it would look when in use.   So count me as agreeing with @rjweb.  But, that is for this ornament because it has enough mass to show up good.  A more delicate ornament may show better with a solid background.  Not one rule fits all.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Scrappile

[BadBob]

I'm using all the versions and black for the primary. Switching to white for the primary photo is drag and drop. It would be relatively easy to make a photo with another color background. The hard part is getting rid of the original background.

 

[BadBob]

1 hour ago, rjweb said:

The black is ok, but I think try navy blue or dark green, colors that are more invititing to buyers, RJ

That is a good point.

[BadBob]

Here are some green and blue versions. I like the blue best of the two, but I am a sucker for blue.

Edited November 16, 2023 by BadBob

[kmmcrafts]

I know some of my projects don't look great with the white background due to the lighter wood colors of some types of wood... I don't think I like the blue or green all that well.. I wonder how well a medium grey would be.. to me the bright colors look good but yet they are also a distraction..

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I think the best test is with something that is 3D more so. I say this because as with pens they do not photograph well on black especially if the material is dark or even black. the image fades into the background and the depth of it is not seen. This is a flat ornament and it shows no depth. It would look better if it were on an angle to show the depth or else it looks like a flat painting. To me it looks like it was laid on a flat surfaced and photographed.  If the object was a 3D piece like a desk clock or a puzzle animal it would automatically give off the 3D look. Not sure if I am clear of what i am trying to say.   Nice cutting though. I use to shoot many of my pens with graduated colored paper. you see this alot with professional turners. I have used black to grey and also dark blue to light blue and prefer the blues. I am no photographer so my words mean nothing. I also do not know the rules that must be followed on selling sites so again my words are meaningless. But I do show many things on forum sites and always tweaking my setup.  One other thing I think hanging any ornament on a stand designed for ornaments reall sets it off better and gives people ideas. The only photo I will post in this for an example will be one with a stand. Do not want to step on OP thread here. Now if you are not allowed to use a prop on those selling sights then again disregard what I am saying.

Edited November 17, 2023 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[BadBob]

@JTTHECLOCKMAN Your comments are appreciated. What started me down this road was trying to get the colors to display correctly. I figured out that if I wanted to fix this, I needed a quick way to remove and replace the background.

I have a stand for the ornaments, but I don't want the stand in the photo.

Love the birdhouse.

Edited November 17, 2023 by BadBob

[BadBob]

13 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

I know some of my projects don't look great with the white background due to the lighter wood colors of some types of wood.

That is what got this started. I have colored backdrops designed for photography I soon discovered that photos taken with a colored background would tint everything with that color due to the reflective light. The light-colored wood on the grey photo tent was easy to fix by adjusting the white balance but I had a grey background.

[kmmcrafts]

So what I did to combat my light color BBply ornaments to show up better yet have a white background is.. I had a piece of foam sheet leftover from a portrait backer and it was just about the same size as the box I ship the ornaments in so I used it.. The boxes are filled with cotton so I always struggled to get a decent photo... I did this a couple years ago and all my newer ornaments are done with that black foam in the box.. I want to change all the other photos too but that is going to be a big job and well... may not really happen, LOL 

Doing this still shows the white background and also shows the gift box that the customer will receive their ornament in so it's ready to be given if it was purchased as a gift.. I get a ton of feedback about how they ship in a ready to be gifted box.. customers LOVE that.. LOL 

Edit: You all would probably laugh at my photo booth.. It's just a cardboard box that I cut a large square out of the sides and then taped white tissue paper over the holes.. I have a white poster board ( I like the plastic? or whatever material ones as the wipe with a damp cloth nicely) taped at the top in the bottom of the box and then set the box on the side so it can gradually droop the poster board down.. I had issues with the cardboard color giving reflection so I had a spray can of white paint and painted the inside of the box, LOL.. I have tripod lights that shine through both sides of the box where i cut and put the tissue paper.. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by kmmcrafts

[BadBob]

That is an excellent solution. I have considered using gift boxes, but I'm still struggling with what size shipping boxes I need to keep in stock.

[BadBob]

I asked Google: Do product listings need to have a white background to rank in Google search?

The answer: No, product listings do not need to have a white background to rank in Google Search. In the past, Google did recommend using white backgrounds for product images, but this is no longer the case. Google's algorithms are now more sophisticated and can correctly identify products against a variety of backgrounds.

However, there are still some benefits to using a white background for product images. White backgrounds can help to make your images look more professional and polished, and they can also make it easier for customers to see the details of your products. Additionally, some marketplaces, such as Amazon, still require white backgrounds for product images.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use a white background for your product images is up to you. There is no right or wrong answer, and the best choice for your business will depend on your individual products and goals.

Here are some things to consider when making your decision:

• The overall look and feel of your brand. If you have a clean and modern brand, then white backgrounds may be a good fit. However, if you have a more rustic or vintage brand, then you may want to use a different background color or texture.
• The type of products you are selling. If you are selling products with a lot of detail, such as jewelry or electronics, then a white background can help to make the details more visible. However, if you are selling products with a lot of color, such as clothing or toys, then you may want to use a different background color to help the products stand out.
• The marketplaces where you are selling your products. If you are selling your products on marketplaces that require white backgrounds, such as Amazon, then you will need to use a white background. However, if you are selling your products on your own website or other marketplaces that do not have this requirement, then you may have more flexibility.

No matter what you decide, make sure that your product images are of high quality and that they accurately represent your products. This will help to improve your search engine rankings and increase sales.

--

 

[kmmcrafts]

Well for ornaments I use the "necklace" jewelry box.. might not work for 3d ornaments like your birdhouses.. 5- 1/4 x 3-3/4 x 7/8.. They have colors and swirl or smooth finish etc.. I just get whatever cheap and on sale if possible.. For doing crafts shows back in the day when I did those.. I bought the clear top ones so they're displayed in the box at the shows.. Also would use colored paper cut to the size to place on top of the cotton to make the ornaments pop for visibility..  If a ornament pattern is too large for the box then I resize it so it'll fit my boxes.. 

[BadBob]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

If a ornament pattern is too large for the box then I resize it so it'll fit my boxes.. 

Good idea. I just started making some flat ornaments. Some of the ones I have made recently would be too small to cut if I did that. I have been sizing them to fit my drill.

I tried shipping some 3D ornaments in gift boxes, but it did not work well. The shipping packages had to be much larger, and the additional size and weight increased the price and caused some shipping issues I did not want to deal with. I have considered shipping them in a box that would make a good box for shipping and gift wrapping if they didn't mind reusing the shipping box.

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

3 hours ago, BadBob said:

That is an excellent solution. I have considered using gift boxes, but I'm still struggling with what size shipping boxes I need to keep in stock.

Man when I was shipping my items, I think I had every size shipping box on the planet and it became a source of contention and frustration. Then along came Priority mail and believe me you can find any package needed to ship things and you right away know shipping costs. Today shipping cost is just part of doing and buying from a business and people understand this. Most packaging is free too. Kevin's idea with ornament boxes is a good one and gives that extra touch even though most people just throw them away unless it is an ornament that they put away after holidays or something like that. But it also gives a fragile piece protection. Also when he takes photos it gives depth to the picture and that was my point when photographing something flat. it still needs depth to look real. these are the boxes I use to always sell my birdhouse ornaments in. yes they are pricey but to me worth it to protect them. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Again I am probably speaking out of turn here about selling on web sites that you sell on because I do  not know the rules but photography is the same no matter what you use for. You try to shoot objects on an angle even if it is slight because it gives depth. never shoot a flat object from directly straight down. just a slight angle and you changed the perspective. again Kevin's example of his ornaments in the boxes is a good example. He sot on an angle and also the objects like the box and the ribbon added depth because the mind knows what a box looks like and a ribbon looks like so this helps. As far as backgrounds. i use to shoot in a light tent and that is why some of my photos the background is a wrinkled messy cover and i stopped doing that. then I went to flat gradient paper as i mentioned and that is OK but many times we have to crop the photo and that detail goes away as I shown with one photo with birdhouse ornament and pen on a grey background. Now I could have moved the objects further up the darker color of the gradient paper but chose to stay in the lighter grey area. I still use this method now and then. but I have lately moved to amore artsy look with a cloth background. i tried blue but have styed with white mostly. Again this stuff may not apply to your situation but it is just suggestions. please excuse the fact that I am using my pen photos but they are the latest ones I have. then I show a couple latest scrollsaw pieces on  my background of choice.   I always use to shoot my scroll items on a blue background and worked well. 

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[kmmcrafts]

Not sure if my gift box idea got misinterpreted or not.. I still package the box up.. Typically mail my ornaments in a 6 x 9 bubble mailer in that gift box.. I use two squares of 3/16 bubble wrap to wrap the box up in.. I lay out the 12 x 24 piece of bubble wrap on the table and place the gift box with ornament inside in the center of one end of the bubble wrap and then fold the end up over the box and then fold each side over onto the top of the box and then roll it up and stuff it into the mailer.. Weight is always just under 3 oz. and usually right at or just over 3 oz for a double layered ornament ( ie ornament and a backer glued to it )