How to make 360 product photo in Photoshop

In this tutorial, we will show you how to create a 360 product photo in Photoshop. This is a great way to show your customers everything they need to know about your product. By using a virtual environment, you can create a realistic view of the product that your customers will love.

What you will need

To create a 360 product photo in Photoshop, you will need the following:

1. Camera: A digital camera with manual controls and a tripod.
2. Turntable: A turntable is optional but recommended to make the rotation of the product smooth and consistent.
3. Lighting: Proper lighting is important to ensure that your product is well-lit and that the colors are accurate.
4. Photoshop: You’ll need a copy of Adobe Photoshop installed on your computer.
5. Images: You’ll need a series of images of your product taken from different angles, typically every 10-15 degrees. It’s important to keep the product in the same position and to maintain the same lighting for each shot.

Taking the photos

Taking photos for a 360 product photo requires a bit of planning and attention to detail. Here are the steps you can follow to take photos for your 360 product photo:

1. Set up your camera on a tripod or a stable surface to ensure that it remains steady throughout the shoot.
2. Position your product in the center of the frame and adjust the camera’s settings to achieve the desired exposure.
3. Take a photo of the product from the first angle. It’s important to keep the camera in the same position and maintain the same lighting throughout the shoot to ensure consistency.
4. Rotate the product to the next angle, typically 10-15 degrees, and take another photo.
5. Repeat this process for each angle, making sure to capture the product from all sides.
6. It’s important to overlap each photo slightly with the previous one, so that Photoshop has enough information to stitch the photos together.
7. Once you’ve taken all of the photos you need, transfer them to your computer for editing.

Note: If you’re using a turntable to rotate the product, you can set the camera on a tripod and let the turntable do the work for you. Simply set the turntable to rotate the product in the desired increments, and take a photo at each angle.

Setting up your workspace

Once you have all of the necessary equipment and software, you can set up your workspace in Photoshop to start creating your 360 product photo. Here’s how:

1. Open Photoshop and create a new document that matches the size of your images. Go to “File” > “New” and enter the dimensions of your images in the width and height fields.
2. Go to the “Layers” panel and create a new layer by clicking on the “New Layer” icon at the bottom of the panel.
3. Select the first image of your product and drag it onto the new layer. The image should automatically resize to fit within the canvas.
4. Go to the “Window” menu and select “Timeline” to open the timeline panel.
5. In the timeline panel, click on the “Create Video Timeline” button to create a new video timeline.
6. Click on the first frame in the timeline and make sure that the layer with your first image is selected.
7. In the layers panel, click on the “Layer Style” button at the bottom of the panel and select “Blending Options.”
8. In the blending options dialog box, click on the “Layer Mask Hides Effects” checkbox and click “OK.”
9. Click on the second frame in the timeline and select the layer with your second image.
10. In the layers panel, click on the “Layer Mask” button at the bottom of the panel and select “Reveal All.”
11. Use the brush tool to paint over the parts of the image that you want to hide.
12. Repeat steps 9-11 for each frame in the timeline, making sure to adjust the layer mask on each frame to reveal more of the product.
13. When you’re done, click on the “Play” button in the timeline to preview your 360 product photo. If you’re happy with the results, you can export the video as an animated GIF or another video format.
14. To export your 360 product photo, go to “File” > “Export” > “Render Video.”
15. In the render video dialog box, choose the desired settings for your video, including the format, frame rate, and resolution.
16. Once you’ve selected your export settings, click on the “Render” button to export your video.
17. Once the export process is complete, you can view your 360 product photo in a media player or upload it to your website or social media platform.

Note: You can also add additional effects, such as text or transitions, to your 360 product photo by adding them to the timeline. Just make sure to adjust the layer masks accordingly to ensure that the effects are only applied to the product and not the background.

Importing the photos into Photoshop

Once you’ve taken all of the photos you need for your 360 product photo, you can import them into Photoshop to begin the editing process. Here’s how:

1. Transfer all of your photos from your camera or memory card to your computer.
2. Open Photoshop and create a new document with the dimensions you want for your 360 product photo.
3. Go to “File” > “Scripts” > “Load Files into Stack.”
4. In the Load Layers dialog box, click on the “Browse” button and navigate to the folder where your photos are stored.
5. Select all of the photos you want to use for your 360 product photo and click “Open.”
6. In the Load Layers dialog box, select “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” and “Create Smart Object after Loading Layers.”
7. Click “OK” to import the photos into Photoshop.
8. Once the photos are imported, you should see them stacked on top of each other in the Layers panel.
9. To view the individual photos, click on the eye icon next to each layer to make it visible.
10. It’s important to make sure that each photo lines up with the previous one, so that the rotation of the product appears smooth and consistent. To do this, you can use the Move tool to align each layer as needed.
11. Once you’re satisfied with the alignment of your photos, you’re ready to begin creating your 360 product photo.

Stitching the photos together

After importing your photos into Photoshop, you’ll need to stitch them together to create a seamless 360 product photo. Here’s how:

1. Select all of the layers in the Layers panel by clicking on the first layer and then holding down the Shift key and clicking on the last layer.
2. Go to “Edit” > “Auto-Align Layers.”
3. In the Auto-Align Layers dialog box, select “Auto” as the alignment method and click “OK.”
4. Once the layers are aligned, go to “Edit” > “Auto-Blend Layers.”
5. In the Auto-Blend Layers dialog box, select “Panorama” as the blending method and check the “Seamless Tones and Colors” option.
6. Click “OK” to blend the layers together into a seamless 360 product photo.
7. If you notice any areas where the stitching is not seamless, you can use the Clone Stamp tool or the Spot Healing Brush tool to touch up those areas.
8. Once you’re satisfied with the stitching, you can proceed to edit and enhance your 360 product photo, such as adjusting the brightness and contrast, or adding text or graphics.

Note: Depending on the number of photos you took and the resolution of your images, the stitching process may take some time to complete.

Editing the 360 photo

Now that you have your stitched 360 product photo, you can begin editing and enhancing it in Photoshop. Here are some steps to follow:

1. Double-click on the Smart Object layer in the Layers panel to open the 360 product photo in a new window.
2. Use the tools in Photoshop to adjust the brightness, contrast, and color balance of your photo as desired.
3. To add text or graphics, create a new layer on top of the 360 product photo layer, and use the Type tool or the Shape tool to create your design.
4. Adjust the layer opacity and blending mode to blend the text or graphics with the 360 product photo.
5. You can also use layer masks to apply adjustments or effects to specific areas of the 360 product photo, such as brightening or darkening the product or adjusting the background.
6. To create a looping video of your 360 product photo, select the Smart Object layer in the Layers panel and go to “Filter” > “Video” > “New Video Timeline.”
7. In the Timeline panel, select the “Create Frame Animation” option and set the frame rate to the desired speed.
8. Duplicate the first frame and use the Transform tool to rotate the product to the next angle.
9. Continue duplicating frames and rotating the product until you have a full 360 rotation.
10. Once you have all the frames, go to “File” > “Export” > “Render Video” to export your 360 product photo as a looping video.
11. Finally, save your edited 360 product photo as a PSD file, so you can easily make changes or adjustments in the future.

Saving the 360 photo

Once you’ve finished editing and enhancing your 360 product photo in Photoshop, you’ll need to save it in a suitable format for your needs. Here are some options:

1. PSD (Photoshop Document): If you want to be able to make future changes to your 360 product photo, save it as a PSD file. This format preserves all of the layers and allows you to edit them in Photoshop.
2. JPEG: If you’re sharing your 360 product photo on the web or social media, save it as a JPEG file. This format is widely supported and produces a relatively small file size.
3. PNG: If you need a file format that supports transparency, save your 360 product photo as a PNG file. This format also supports lossless compression, which can preserve more detail than a JPEG file.
4. GIF: If you want to create an animated version of your 360 product photo, save it as a GIF file. This format supports animation and can be viewed in most web browsers.

To save your 360 product photo in Photoshop, go to “File” > “Save As” and select the desired file format from the drop-down menu. Be sure to choose a suitable file name and location for your file, and adjust any settings as needed before saving.