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Product images can leave you mesmerized and wanting more.
or unsatisfied and scrolling on.
Whether it's for e-commerce, product design, or marketing,
3D product rendering can give your product a whole new level of sophistication, sass and professionalism, traditional photography can't.
Let's dive in and learn about the power behind this technology and what to expect when going down the 3D rendering route for your product business.
What is 3D Product Rendering, also called product visualization.
3D product rendering is a process that allows you to create highly detailed and realistic product images. It involves a few key steps:
Which leaves you with a super realistic image of your product - that isn't 'real'
Before the advent of 3D rendering, product visualization relied on traditional photography, drawings, or physical prototypes. While these methods worked, they were often time-consuming and impractical. It requires setup, planning and someone with great photographic skills to produce perfect photos of the product.
With the introduction of 3D rendering, product visualization has taken a giant leap forward and we are seeing marvelous results.
3D rendering allows for more flexibility, speed, and precision in creating product images.
3D rendering has revolutionized the way products are visualized and marketed. With the ability to create realistic images of products, businesses can showcase their products in a way that was never possible before. This makes it easier for businesses to create product images that are not only visually appealing but also informative, allowing customers to get a better understanding of the product before making a purchase.
This helps businesses, say more with their 3D rendered marketing images than a photo of the product.
There is a time and a place for 3D renders, photography, animations or videos of your product. Figuring out which one for your product business will help you save money and be more effective.
Let’s look at the benefits which will help you choose when to use which option:
This really depends on your product, your business and what skills you have as a business owner. If you’re a skilled photographer you could totally take your own product shots and save heaps of cash. But if you can’t 3D render or take great photos yourself, making the decision on which one is right for you gets tricky.
What do you want to achieve with the product render/photo?
3D rendering has the ability to create abstract images that would take a massive budget and setup using traditional photography. Sometimes impossible to create with traditionally photography. In these cases, using 3D rendering is a game changer and can help you achieve an awesome marketing look without the massive setup cost of doing it in real life!
Amazon typically needs your product on a clean white background. You need to weigh up the cost of rendering verse product photography with etching. Your best bet would be to weigh up the difference in costs. Ask designers for a quote and samples of the work. Remember to ask for the render AND an image of the final product so you can see how different the render is to the actual product.
If you sunglasses design comes in 24 different colours but keeps the same 3D design, a 3D rendering might be perfect to showcase the different colours in your range. This will help you keep consistent angles, lighting and position of the product as your customer looks through the range of colours.
Is your product a sling bag with lot’s of tassels, straps and unique fabric print? In this case, a product photo shoot might be cheaper than a hiring someone to create a 3D rendering of your bag. When you create a 3D render, you have to create the 3D model first, and a very organic, complicated 3D model like mentioned sling bag is very time consuming to model with varying features that need to look natural, plus you have complex textures. Leaving you with a more expensive 3D rendering bill than if you were to go the photo shoot option.
A geometric enclosure that uses hard plastic as the material is one of the most straight forward products to 3D render. Because it uses simple forms, it’s easy to 3D model, plus simple materials so easy to render. And if you have made a prototype of your product, you more than likely already have a 3D model.
With the world working remotely we sometimes have our designers in South Africa, client in USA and manufacturing in China. A rendering of the product can be shared throughout the world without having to send the physical product.
Maybe you don’t even have the product designed yet? You can design the product virtually with a 3D CAD design, then 3D render the product, then go pitching - sell the product before you’ve even manufactured it.
Product manufacturing is very expensive, even a tiny enclosure can cost you $20k to $30k for injection molding.
It’s almost a bit of cheating, but using 3D renders of your 'not built yet' product, is one way to gauge interest with your idea without having the physical product manufactured yet.
When you set up for a photo shoot, you have to plan all the shots, execute the shoot, then head to post production where you prepare all the good images.
When you set up for a 3D render. You have to run through a similar process. However, once complete, your setup downs' need to be packed away.
You can adjust, re-render, change angles, create new colours, all using the same scene that has been setup. And long after you have received the renders from your designer, you can go back for more.
It’s a resource you ‘build’ and can tap into when you need it in the future. Making it very economical if you require multiple renders over a period of time.
3D rendering has the ability to create images that are impossible to capture with traditional photography. For example, 3D rendering can create images of products in motion or in different environments or cutaways or detailed shots.
This allows businesses to showcase their products in a way that highlights the benefits or awesome features which helps inform and engage their customers.
Knowledge is power, and by understanding the process render artists have to go through to create a render, can help you understand what it takes to create a 3D render, giving you the power to make decision.
Let’s have a look:
The first step in the 3D rendering process is creating a digital model of your product. You can use a variety of tools to accomplish this, ranging from basic programs like SketchUp to more advanced visual software like Blender, or 3ds Max or use your engineering software like Solidworks or Fusion 360.
Once you have your 3D model, you are ready to move into the chosen rendering software. Designers use all sorts of 3D rendering software, it depends alot on personal preference and what they are rendering. Be sure to see what software is good for rendering products. Keyshot and Blender seem to be among the favourites to 3D render products.
Now that your 3D model is loaded into the software, we begin crafting the details
The next step is adding textures and materials to your model. This involves applying materials like wood, metal, plastic, or fabric to specific areas of your product. You can also adjust the reflective and refractive properties of your materials to add depth and realism to your images. Textures can be straight forward like a white plastic or incredibly complex like a one off fabric with many weaves. Depending on your product, depends on how much time will have to be spent creating the textures. Once the textures are prepared, you have to apply them to the different parts of your 3D model.
Within the 3D rendering software, you can create 'studios' or 'scenes'. These help bring a sense of realism to your product and this is where the product can be placed 'into'. This helps ground the product in space, it goes from a floating object to a product that looks like it’s meant to be there. It can be as simple as a white studio where we see the ground shadows or as complex as a racetrack scene with a car placed on the race track.
Your product now has the correct materials, it’s in the correct environment, now you need some lighting to bring it home! If you speak with any videographer and photographer, lighting is more important than the camera (as long as it's not a Nokia 3310 camera). Don’t take this part for granted. Preparing the lighting setup for the product does wonders for the image. Lighting can highlight, hide, accentuates and create mystery all with the same prooduct in the same studio with the same textures. Lighting can make all the difference.
Once the product is setup in the environment, lights are great. It’s time to hit the render button. Depending on the complexity of the product and materials and scene, it can take 5mins to 5 hours to create one image. Once you have that image, it’s sometime necessary to adjust colours, blur, etc. to finish off the 3d render to maximize the end goal of the 3d rendering.
That’s up to your product, your business and situation. Knowledge is power and by understanding the process of 3D rendering, you should be able to understand when it’s time to whip that camera out and when to phone that nephew that can use Blender (just kidding).
We decide in less than 1 second how we feel about something.
Push the boundaries of what is possible, and strive to create work that is not only beautiful and effective, but also meaningful and impactful.
Product images can leave you mesmerized and wanting more.
or unsatisfied and scrolling on.
Whether it's for e-commerce, product design, or marketing,
3D product rendering can give your product a whole new level of sophistication, sass and professionalism, traditional photography can't.
Let's dive in and learn about the power behind this technology and what to expect when going down the 3D rendering route for your product business.
What is 3D Product Rendering, also called product visualization.
3D product rendering is a process that allows you to create highly detailed and realistic product images. It involves a few key steps:
Which leaves you with a super realistic image of your product - that isn't 'real'
Before the advent of 3D rendering, product visualization relied on traditional photography, drawings, or physical prototypes. While these methods worked, they were often time-consuming and impractical. It requires setup, planning and someone with great photographic skills to produce perfect photos of the product.
With the introduction of 3D rendering, product visualization has taken a giant leap forward and we are seeing marvelous results.
3D rendering allows for more flexibility, speed, and precision in creating product images.
3D rendering has revolutionized the way products are visualized and marketed. With the ability to create realistic images of products, businesses can showcase their products in a way that was never possible before. This makes it easier for businesses to create product images that are not only visually appealing but also informative, allowing customers to get a better understanding of the product before making a purchase.
This helps businesses, say more with their 3D rendered marketing images than a photo of the product.
There is a time and a place for 3D renders, photography, animations or videos of your product. Figuring out which one for your product business will help you save money and be more effective.
Let’s look at the benefits which will help you choose when to use which option:
This really depends on your product, your business and what skills you have as a business owner. If you’re a skilled photographer you could totally take your own product shots and save heaps of cash. But if you can’t 3D render or take great photos yourself, making the decision on which one is right for you gets tricky.
What do you want to achieve with the product render/photo?
3D rendering has the ability to create abstract images that would take a massive budget and setup using traditional photography. Sometimes impossible to create with traditionally photography. In these cases, using 3D rendering is a game changer and can help you achieve an awesome marketing look without the massive setup cost of doing it in real life!
Amazon typically needs your product on a clean white background. You need to weigh up the cost of rendering verse product photography with etching. Your best bet would be to weigh up the difference in costs. Ask designers for a quote and samples of the work. Remember to ask for the render AND an image of the final product so you can see how different the render is to the actual product.
If you sunglasses design comes in 24 different colours but keeps the same 3D design, a 3D rendering might be perfect to showcase the different colours in your range. This will help you keep consistent angles, lighting and position of the product as your customer looks through the range of colours.
Is your product a sling bag with lot’s of tassels, straps and unique fabric print? In this case, a product photo shoot might be cheaper than a hiring someone to create a 3D rendering of your bag. When you create a 3D render, you have to create the 3D model first, and a very organic, complicated 3D model like mentioned sling bag is very time consuming to model with varying features that need to look natural, plus you have complex textures. Leaving you with a more expensive 3D rendering bill than if you were to go the photo shoot option.
A geometric enclosure that uses hard plastic as the material is one of the most straight forward products to 3D render. Because it uses simple forms, it’s easy to 3D model, plus simple materials so easy to render. And if you have made a prototype of your product, you more than likely already have a 3D model.
With the world working remotely we sometimes have our designers in South Africa, client in USA and manufacturing in China. A rendering of the product can be shared throughout the world without having to send the physical product.
Maybe you don’t even have the product designed yet? You can design the product virtually with a 3D CAD design, then 3D render the product, then go pitching - sell the product before you’ve even manufactured it.
Product manufacturing is very expensive, even a tiny enclosure can cost you $20k to $30k for injection molding.
It’s almost a bit of cheating, but using 3D renders of your 'not built yet' product, is one way to gauge interest with your idea without having the physical product manufactured yet.
When you set up for a photo shoot, you have to plan all the shots, execute the shoot, then head to post production where you prepare all the good images.
When you set up for a 3D render. You have to run through a similar process. However, once complete, your setup downs' need to be packed away.
You can adjust, re-render, change angles, create new colours, all using the same scene that has been setup. And long after you have received the renders from your designer, you can go back for more.
It’s a resource you ‘build’ and can tap into when you need it in the future. Making it very economical if you require multiple renders over a period of time.
3D rendering has the ability to create images that are impossible to capture with traditional photography. For example, 3D rendering can create images of products in motion or in different environments or cutaways or detailed shots.
This allows businesses to showcase their products in a way that highlights the benefits or awesome features which helps inform and engage their customers.
Knowledge is power, and by understanding the process render artists have to go through to create a render, can help you understand what it takes to create a 3D render, giving you the power to make decision.
Let’s have a look:
The first step in the 3D rendering process is creating a digital model of your product. You can use a variety of tools to accomplish this, ranging from basic programs like SketchUp to more advanced visual software like Blender, or 3ds Max or use your engineering software like Solidworks or Fusion 360.
Once you have your 3D model, you are ready to move into the chosen rendering software. Designers use all sorts of 3D rendering software, it depends alot on personal preference and what they are rendering. Be sure to see what software is good for rendering products. Keyshot and Blender seem to be among the favourites to 3D render products.
Now that your 3D model is loaded into the software, we begin crafting the details
The next step is adding textures and materials to your model. This involves applying materials like wood, metal, plastic, or fabric to specific areas of your product. You can also adjust the reflective and refractive properties of your materials to add depth and realism to your images. Textures can be straight forward like a white plastic or incredibly complex like a one off fabric with many weaves. Depending on your product, depends on how much time will have to be spent creating the textures. Once the textures are prepared, you have to apply them to the different parts of your 3D model.
Within the 3D rendering software, you can create 'studios' or 'scenes'. These help bring a sense of realism to your product and this is where the product can be placed 'into'. This helps ground the product in space, it goes from a floating object to a product that looks like it’s meant to be there. It can be as simple as a white studio where we see the ground shadows or as complex as a racetrack scene with a car placed on the race track.
Your product now has the correct materials, it’s in the correct environment, now you need some lighting to bring it home! If you speak with any videographer and photographer, lighting is more important than the camera (as long as it's not a Nokia 3310 camera). Don’t take this part for granted. Preparing the lighting setup for the product does wonders for the image. Lighting can highlight, hide, accentuates and create mystery all with the same prooduct in the same studio with the same textures. Lighting can make all the difference.
Once the product is setup in the environment, lights are great. It’s time to hit the render button. Depending on the complexity of the product and materials and scene, it can take 5mins to 5 hours to create one image. Once you have that image, it’s sometime necessary to adjust colours, blur, etc. to finish off the 3d render to maximize the end goal of the 3d rendering.
That’s up to your product, your business and situation. Knowledge is power and by understanding the process of 3D rendering, you should be able to understand when it’s time to whip that camera out and when to phone that nephew that can use Blender (just kidding).
We decide in less than 1 second how we feel about something.
Product Development studio creating the highest performing products for your customers.