topic Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools in External Tools & Materials

Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 10:34:35 GMT

Sometimes it's so tricky to create a mockup for a product item offered by Zazzle - especially if no In Situ images are available like with some of the etched glassware as an example. I use different AI tools (which I have listed at https://sanfrancisco.zone/resources/) and the one I use most often is definitely Kittl (https://kittl.pxf.io/SanFrancisco *** this is an affiliate link - remove SanFrancisco if you wish).

But I also use Recraft at times - I'll post a couple mockup examples below. Mockups allow to drag an image on it and get a perfect product image. Well, maybe not perfect but pretty darn close to it. I'm not very good at writing prompts but like with everything else in life: "Übung macht den Meister" (practice makes the master) as the Germans would say.

If you like to give it a whirl go for it - Recraft has a free plan available which allows you 50 free credits. I invite you though to use the following link: https://www.recraft.ai/invite/zLuUM4kUZZ because than you and I both will earn 200 credits when you sign up. ***

*** Heads up: Free credits are only given if you sign up on a desktop. Credits unlock only when you make your first image. They do not expire and can only be used after your subscription credits (free or paid) are exhausted.

Here are a couple of examples I have created using Recraft’s platform and AI tools:

PS: I added the text "AI Simulation - image not of actual product." using Kittl - Recraft didn't do that.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

KeegansCreation — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:09:01 GMT

Wow! Those are very convincing mockups.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:44:22 GMT

@KeegansCreation Thank you. Sometimes I struggle a bit to tell the AI what I wanted exactly but as I said - I will get better at it. And sometimes I cheat too. ChatGPT offers "Glibatree Art Designer" (works only with version 4) and while I don't like the Dall-E AI output much (usually) it (Glibatree Art Designer) writes those awesome prompts which I than copy and enter at other AI platforms (just removing the Glibatree markers) and it brings me closer to what I wanted or needed. I wished I had the cash to buy everything I design on Zazzle so I can just take photos but that would turn me into a super broke hoarder, lol. And I live kinda tiny which spells disaster!!

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

KeegansCreation — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 13:37:51 GMT

HaHa I hear you on wishing I had the $$ to just buy stuff and photograph it (and then I'd have the stuff). I have actually bought stuff but it's discontinued or "sold out" for so long it might as well be discontinued so no photo opportunities there.

However, AI is getting better every day at faking it, as your photos show.

One thing AI can't convincingly fake for a mockup (yet!!) is movies. I've been using Canva to make movies for collections and products. It does have video AI so I asked for a pumpkin patch at night with twinkling stars for an autumn product backdrop and the pumpkins were pulsating. It was gruesome.

There are some Zazzle collection and product videos where a person opens their package from Zazzle and pulls out the product and turns it round and round so you can see every angle. You do have to buy the product to do that one currently. In a few years (5??) I bet AI will be able to fake it if given all the in situ images of a mug from multiple angles but not yet.

For that matter, I wish I had enough money for another subscription because this looks worth it, but between Photoshop, Midjourney, PlaceIt and ChatGPT I'm tapped out. 😑

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

Mariholly — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 14:22:16 GMT

Thanks, everything looks fantastic 😍😍😍! I would love to sell enough to be able to invest in all these subscriptions 😔

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

Jadendreamer13 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 15:32:15 GMT

They are beautiful images. I would crop them more tightly, so the product is the star, and customers can see the product and designs easier when they are viewing thumbnails on their phones.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

Anne — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 16:21:00 GMT

Looks awesome, @MOM !
I am wondering if there are no copyright issues involved?
https://www.kittl.com/terms
(I am looking at point 7 here)
Zazzle has these weird copyright messages when you download a product image (for instance to put on your own website). If you upload a product image to Kittl, it will be available to everyone without limits is my understanding. I could be wrong here of course.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:49:37 GMT

@Jadendreamer13 Valid point most definitely, I usually do. I actually like to post both kinds - close-up’s and photos showing the product more in the “environment”.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:31:34 GMT

@Anne I can partially answer this now but only partially because I have the conversation with Kittl saved on my laptop and I’m right now on my iPhone because I can’t see squat during day time on my laptop - there is to much light in my tiny floating home. But anyhow, Col had asked the same and back then I had posted Kittl’s reply in the Zazzle forum (maybe it pops up if you search for it?). Also Kittl just had a life event which I had attended and they were answering a lot of questions - you can re-watch the life event at https://www.youtube.com/live/iPxyh-LrtZw?si=2y36ZHUsZ9Dt9JsK.

To your other point you have mentioned: this is up to you basically. I have my Kittl set to share nothing with nobody. I could change that but naturally I have no interest in changing those settings of course.

On a side note: I wanted to be lazy and upscale one of my own images posted on Zazzle and I couldn’t so Zazzle is trying to protect our designs a bit. Of course there are always ways around that for dedicated thieves but it will hamper some at least.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:56:26 GMT

@Mariholly I hear you loud and clearly. As of today I’m definitely in the hole but I think it’s starting to get a bit better maybe? I have sold a Palestine button last night (to someone in the Netherlands - yeah!!) and an hour ago I sold two of my etched glasses. I’m giving my self a couple of years (I’m still in my first year right now), if I can’t make it fly by then I guess I have to chalk it up as an honest try but fail. Normal business expenses, sigh.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:14:07 GMT

@KeegansCreation I use Gimp instead of Photoshop. I never was able to sign up for Midjourney because Discord didn’t like me much and forced me to sign up four times 🤦🏻‍♀️ and still didn’t let me access that AI, sigh. I do use Paceit and ChatGPT but I might cancel my ChatGPT subscription because half the time it tells me that to many people are using it. How can that be when I only use it at night and I run on California time. 😳

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:23:36 GMT

@KeegansCreation PS: In the beginning I dabbled a bit in the wedding niche (lol, not really a niche on Zazzle but anyway…) and I created a video using AI and it looked all pretty awesome until I noticed that the bride had an extra arm growing out of her back. 😳 How is that for creepy? 😱 That was the end for me in the wedding niche, lol. I was harmed/damaged for life, rofl.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

KeegansCreation — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:08:31 GMT

Midjourney now has their own website with functionality (took them long enough, used to just be a gallery of images) so now you can subscribe to it through Midjourney.com. They still keep the Discord active but it is no longer mandatory.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

KeegansCreation — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:12:48 GMT

Famed director James Cameron just joined the board of directors of Stability AI. I have a feeling that he wants to help steer the ship of AI video. So I have a feeling that in a handful of years it will be able to fake video as convincingly as it now fakes photos. But for now only people make horror movies would be interested in pulsating pumpkins and three armed brides.

Re: Mockup Creator - Recraft’s platform and AI tools

MOM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 22:56:44 GMT

@KeegansCreation That’s good to know. Thanks a bunch for this.