Make Your Own Mockup Template Tutorial

You should have Photoshop (you can also use GIMP, CorelDraw, or Photoshop Elements) and a good working knowlege of how to use the program to do this tutorial.

Tearsheets of items showcasing your artwork gives a company or an Artist Representative an idea of your vision.  Mockups with your designs show that you have given some thought to how your work can increase the saleability of their products.  This tutorial will show you how to make your own reusable mockup template.

1. Start with an item that is a solid color, preferably white or very light color.* You want to photograph this item against a dark background if possible and from a mostly full on angle. On my camera, I used the macro setting.

1a. Once you've taken your picture and downloaded it into your computer, open it up in Photoshop. Save the new PS document as "mockuptote.psd" to use again. You don't want to go blowing up a potential customer's inbox with a lot of huge files so resize your photo to 72 dpi and about 5" x 7". A mockup is only to illustrate how your designs can be used; it doesn't need to be high-res.

 2. If you've photographed your item against a solid dark background you should be able to use your wand tool to just select the entire background. If that's the case your job is easy. Select it and then go into select>inverse and cut and paste your item into a new layer named "tote" (or mug or soapdish or whatever.) Magnify and check around the edges for any stray pixels that may have been left behind and clean them up.

2a. If your background is not solid enough to select all, use your pen tool to select the shape of your tote, then cut and paste it into a new layer. Delete the rest of the photo that you won't be using by going to that layer and hitting ctrl>backspace to fill it over with white.

3. Make another new layer and name it "print."

In this new layer, with the pen tool, select the area where you want your design to appear and fill with white.  *At this point, if the subject is not entirely white, go back down to the original photo layer and use your sponge tool to take the color out of the selected area.  

In the upper left of your layers palette select the lock button. I made a similar layer for the handles and bottom of the tote.

 

4. Now you can put your design onto your tote. There are two ways to do this:  

 Open the design you want to use and then drag and drop it into a layer above the "print" layer. Resize, crop and shift it around until it's how you want it.

Go back to the print layer and using your wand tool, select the area around your print templates. Go back up to your artwork layer and hit ctrl>x to remove the excess. I've shown it in red here so it's easier to see.
* Update, you can also use the clipping mask to do this but I am not well versed with the clipping mask tool (yet.) When I have mastered it, I will include those instructions too!

If you've already saved a tiling design into your pattern palette use your bucket tool to pour your design right onto your "print" layer. 

5. Go into your layer palette and change the layer style to "multiply."

 It now looks as if it's been printed on the tote all along. 

 6. Then, when my mockup looks like I want it, I save it as "mockuptotebluefans.jpg" and put in the same file folder that contains that particular design.  That way I can see my mocked-up products grouped together all at once.

If you don't have, or want, to take the time to make your own mockup products, check out Tara Reed's Mock-up Magic software. It looks very user friendly and there are dozens of items from which to make mockups. But since I'm cheap, I do my own templates and I thought I'd share how to with you.  Let me know if this tutorial was useful, thanks!