Creating Assets

When using photography to create assets (assets, for example, can be different collars for dress shirts, different cording for chairs…..) the assets need to be photographed at the same angle and lighting so that when we come to change, for example, the original collar for a different styled collar the replacement asset looks like it is part of the original shirt.

Another way to create these assets is to use Photoshop. If the original image has enough information we are able to create all the different assets from the original image.

Trying to explain this procedure in words can be quite difficult so I have created a simple demonstration to show how to create a small collar from the image below. Note: I have only edited the left side of the image

1. Original Image

This is the original image, notice that the product has been photographed in a mid to light color, not white and not black. This is because our draping software takes the highlights and shadows from the image. When draping the image we can adjust these highlights and shadows to give an accurate result for all colors. A badly photographed original image will produce poor results.

2. Information from the client

Along with the photography the client will need to provide information on how the assets look. Here the client has marked the shape of the small collar on a separate image. This is very useful to ensure that the assets will be correctly cut out.

3. Erasing part of the image

This may seem strange at first but we need to remove any parts of the base image that will be visible when we drape our assets. You can see an example of what would happen if we did not do this in image 4

4. Incorrect!

If we did not remove the collar in step 3 when we came to add our smaller collar the larger collar on the base image would still show.

5. Creating the large collar

The large collar is easy, it was already on our base shirt. All we have to do is cut it out and create a shadow for it.

6. Creating the small collar

The small collar requires a little more work but its amazing the things you can do in Photoshop. Once we are happy with the result we also create a shadow for the small collar. Note: it is easier to remove than to add

7. Draping the large collar

The large image can now be draped onto the base image. It should look like the original image number 1

8. Draping the small collar

The small collar can now be draped onto the base image. The large collar will not show this time as we have removed it in image 3

9. The final image with the large collar

We have zoomed out to show an image of the large collar draped onto the base image

10. The final image with the small collar

We have zoomed out to show an image of the small collar draped onto the base image

11. Side by side

The large collar on the left and the small collar on the right.