# Photo's in adverts - real or mock-ups?



## PSBTee (Jun 16, 2009)

Hi all

First of all, apologies if this is in the wrong forum or if it's been answered previously (I have looked and looked, but can't see an answer).

Just wondering when you advertise do you produce a T, take a photo and use that (either on your website or ebay), or do you just use a stock drawing of a T from the web or one that you create in say Photoshop, (or indeed, a photo of a blank T) and photoshop the design on if you see what I mean?

The reason I ask is that being a small operation, I can't really afford to press a T (using Vinyl/Heatpress), advertise it and be left with it when it doesn't sell, so obviously I would rather press them as the orders come in.

What is the best method of doing this while giving a true representation of what the finished T would look like? (positioning, size and colour), also, would you state it in your ad (ie 'picture is a simulation, design may differ), or is this just not good practice at all (and does ebay even allow it?) - I know I've seen websites with basic t-shirt drawings - obviously not real T's)

Be interested to hear what your thoughts are.

Thanks for any comments in advance!!


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## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

we use many different methods including the ones you mentioned. The majority, i'd say 95%, is just a mock up. We use blank garments and photoshop the design onto it, either a photo of a shirt, line drawing and even cartoon style tees, it all depends on what it's for and who it's for.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

I would say that a photo is a best practice. Use high quality photos whenever and where ever you can.

If you realistically can't use photos for some reason, then you can't use them. Not much to debate there 

But if you can figure out a way to use photographs, then I think it gives a much better impression when people are shopping online.



> The reason I ask is that being a small operation, I can't really afford to press a T (using Vinyl/Heatpress), advertise it and be left with it when it doesn't sell, so obviously I would rather press them as the orders come in.


I think it would be a pretty good investment to take a photograph of each of your designs. All you need to press is one of each. 

Start off slow and grow as necessary. No need to start with 100 designs if you're a smaller operation.


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

We don't sell t-shirts, but I definitely vote for taking photos of your products whenever possible and making sure that the photos look as much like the physical product that you send to the customer as possible. We changed needle brands one time and had a few weeks where pictures of the old brand of needles were on the web site. Now you would probably say a needle is a needle, but people called and complained that the needles they got were not the same as the needles in the picture on the site. Pictures and product resemblance matter.


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## Rhinestones fun (Nov 4, 2009)

Real photos are always the best. However, you have to consider many factors when using real photos. Such as lighting, camera. The best lighting is sunlight, which isn't always available. Taking real picture can get costly quick. Especially if you're new and you don't know what designs work.

Also I find it hard to do good shots of t-shirts because of wrinkles, lighting, etc. 

I have done a compromise between the two. I press all my graphics onto one shirt. take a photograph of the graphics on that one shirt to capture the texture of the imaged transfer, vibrancy, etc. With the photograph of that one shirt with all my graphics I would cut and paste each individual graphic onto a blank shirt graphic. Of course I would play with the levels and color adjust so the background of the graphic matches the shirt.

I don't think this would be such a bad thing as everybody knows what a tshirt looks like and the texture of how your graphic and how it looks on the cloth is pretty much simulated in the photo of the one shirt with all graphics. If this makes any sense at all?


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## shirtsthatgo (May 4, 2009)

Interesting thread. I see both sides of this but really favor the actual product photos over the various other options. The shirt pics on my site are far from perfect and I am in the process of re-shooting about half of them this weekend. To me when the picture of the shirt looks exactly like the actual shirt I am happy. If it is not exact I feel like I am losing sales and not showing exactly what I am selling. I prefer showing the real product over even a cleaner looking mockup.

Anything not exact I do not like and want to re-shoot. That being said though folks buy tees online all the time based on the graphic alone or the tee with the graphic just placed on a mockup. I am baffled by it but it seems to work. It would be interesting to see some conversion data from both kinds of sites and see what the customers prefer.


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## TexasTJetter (Feb 14, 2010)

I have also done it both ways. I feel the best way is an actual picture of the tshirt with the actual design on it. If you can have a decent looking person wearing/modeling it, or a picture of the tshirt with a testimonial next to it, that would be even better. However, if you need to just photoshop your design onto a mock t-shirt drawing that should be fine too. As long as the artwork looks good and is representative of what they will receive you should be good. I would not find it necessary to put "Picture is a simulation" in the advertising.


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## PSBTee (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys/girls, I've read them and taken the suggestions on-board.

I realise that photo's of the pressed shirts are the way to go eventually, but as I'm starting with such a small number of shirts, it's just not possible at the moment unfortunately (I've just bought a decent camera though so when it comes to it, at least I've got the tools).

Rhinestones fun, that's a very intersting method! I think everytime I sell / press a shirt I will take a picture of it before sending it - so I can then use that for future ad's. But I will start out using some kind of Photoshop'd effort.

I'd be interesed to hear any more methods people use! Thanks again.


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## Basikboy (Aug 28, 2007)

Its all personal preference. Most sites use models but some have been successful with just mock ups. Like these sites:
6DollarShirts.com
BigtimeTeez.com - Funny, Rude, Crazy, Beer Pong, Zombie, DJ, Pop Culture, Wedding, Novelty $6.99 T-Shirts
Funny T-Shirts at NoiseBot.com | Tshirts | Cool T-Shirts | Vintage T-Shirts


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## Fr4nk13 (Feb 10, 2010)

I always take photos of the shirts when I'm actually going to be selling them.. But whenever the shirts are on order, I photoshop a mockup and say "coming soon" just so people know what it's going to look like.

Like all the reasons above, taking actual photos is better. It shows the product in a way that, with photoshop, is nearly impossible to recreate.

However, without a proper camera/lighting setup, it could prove difficult to make quality images in comparison to those you find of the "photoshopable" blank shirts"

Thankfully for me, I designed a website for a local photographer in return for free photos for life (a heck of a deal if you ask me).


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