Cover Photo Functionality

[Caprice]

Has anyone tried this out?  In your view, is it worth the effort?

[PenguinPower]

I was recently regretting not taking advantage of the original cover photo beta, so I was delighted to be included in the newest iteration. I have been creating them, starting with easier items that have no existing in situ views. I’m quite happy with the results so far. It takes some work though and good photo editing skills. I’d post some examples…. But I still haven’t figured out how to get the insert html option on the mobile browser version of the  message board..

[Cat]

I'm totally confused about how it works. I read through the instructions, but it sounds like you're supposed to upload a separate cover photo for each and every product rather than just uploading some sort of template. Is this accurate? Seems like an impossible amount of work to me! And how can that possibly work... like how does the customer see their custom version in the cover photo? And what if they change the size/aspect ratio. I feel like I'm missing something.

[PenguinPower]

The cover photo will be static, but the customer will still be able to see all of the other views, including those that show customization. 

[KeegansCreation]

It isn't the customer's custom version. It's ours. This is the designer uploaded in situ which we've seen pop up previously as this got its' first beta test. To make your own custom in situ, you have to either photograph a Zazzle product you already bought or do a mockup. People with very advanced skills might make their own mockups. I bought a kit at CreativeMarket (a vendor recommended in the email) which uses Photoshop smart objects to warp your design onto a blank in an in-situ setting, much like Zazzle's in-situs. 

There are a number of hurdles that a designer must overcome which is probably why they are slow rolling this rollout.

You have to photograph a Zazzle product of your own which you are also selling or......

You have to make your own mockup via photographing a scene in your home with a product that could arguably be something Zazzle sells which you then have to superimpose your design on in a way that looks organic or you have to fake that you did that with collaging photos or.....

You have to buy mockup kits. That's the route I went. This comes with its own hurdles.

These kits will cost you 15-25$ roughly for the good ones that use smart objects in Photoshop.

Smart objects in Photoshop don't work as such in other programs.

You are limited to mockups that look just like the products Zazzle sells. This is a limit you have to be attentive to before laying down money. They warn about it in the instruction doc with an example of tote bags that don't have straps in the mockup that match what Zazzle sells.

[Cat]

Wait... so I can't just take a screenshot of my invitation or whatever and then use my design software to make it look like it's sitting inside of some pretty scene? I think I'm even more confused now!

At the end of this process, I'm supposed to upload a 2048 x 2048 pixel image, correct? Does it matter how I create it?

[PenguinPower]

Sure you can - if you’ve got the photo editing skills to drop things into backgrounds you’ve found or made do it… with flat products it should be easy. 

[Cat]

Whew! Well that sounds like it might be at least possible! Guess I'll add it to my list of about a bazillion things to experiment with when I have time! 😁

[KeegansCreation]

You absolutely can.  Paper products are the one product where you can probably make your own in situ just fine with a screenshot and software to collage it with other things. It's when you step outside the realm of products that can lie flat on a table that things get complex and cumbersome and that's why I bought a kit for shower curtains.

And then yes, you crop it to 2048 x 2048. It doesn't matter how you create it but what I got from the email was it has to look like a legit in-situ.

[ColsCreations]

store-management/designer-uploaded-mockups 

[KeegansCreation]

Is it worth it? I have no idea. Is it a lot of work? It sure is. So I'm just picking and choosing some products to do it with. In the email they recommended PlaceIt and Creative Market as places to buy mockup kits (unless you have the resources to do it without a kit, or if you just straight up bought products you can photograph which I have but gifted them at Christmas). The PlaceIt mockups looked pretty grim. The CreativeMarket mockups are far better but are expensive and do require Photoshop since they are dependent on Photoshop smart objects. Here is a shower curtain mockup (cover photo) I did from a purchased kit that allowed for changing colors of objects in the room as well. It did require going into Edit>Product Merchandising 24 hours later to change the view to this new uploaded one. Next I will do a couple duvet covers which have no in-situ at all.

It Can't Happen Here WPA Poster
by KeeganCreations

[randysgrandma]

I haven't tried it because I don't have any Zazzle products to photograph. They are way  beyond what my budget allows. 

[Windy]

I hear ya. I have a policy of not getting high on my own supply!

[Cat]

I've only done one so far, and the only thing it cost me was time. I just photoshopped screen shots of the product previews, because I am WAY too cheap to actually buy copies of my own products!

[PenguinPower]

Now that I've figured out how to post html with my phone.... here's a few examples of what I've been up to. These aren't from a kit or real product, just me & my mad photoshop skills 😜 I’ve been focusing on products without existing in situ images The one thing I’d really like is more angles in the Z provided mock-ups. It is a challenge to find many appropriate backdrops shot pretty much straight on and I’m trying to not repeat. 

Personalized Funny Sasquatch Location and Research
by Penguin_Protest

Custom Name and Monogram Celtic Style Ouroboros
by Works_For_Peanuts

Old Map Love Lives In Alaska State Shaped Photo
by Works_For_Peanuts

[KeegansCreation]

Very nice. I don't have the confidence in my Photoshop skills to warp a layer around a curved object in a plausible way. And then there's the matter of shadow.  I might be able to pull off the beer mug since shadow is not required but that Sasquatch mug. Oh my. 

[Cat]

@KeegansCreation I think you're making this harder than it is. Maybe I'm not giving @PenguinPower enough credit, but I don't think she's using photoshop to warp her design around the object, Zazzle's already done that part for you. All you need to do is to take a screen shot of the mug or glass or pillow, put it into your scene and add other objects and shadows in separate layers as appropriate. That's how I'd do it anyhow!

[KeegansCreation]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.😃   

Making things harder than they need to be  is my superpower. Or downfall. One of those.

[PAZP]

I've been making my own so far. I have PhotoShop Elements (the cheap PS version) . I used the "Image > Transform > Distort" option and it allows me to change angles without distorting text or design. I originally kept trying the "perspective" option but it wouldn't work. I think distort is a weird title for what it does but it worked. SHRUG 

[PAZP]

Depending on the angle even on some flat lays you have to "warp" into perspective the objects you are adding. I've had to do that with one of my business card flat lays. Once i figured it out though, it's easy to do. 

[PenguinPower]

It depends- indeed the mugs I’ve done are all screen shots -  I don’t expect I’d ever find that specific model of mug in a random photo, and it needs to be the right one, so they kind of have to be. Pillows, are printed all over, have a malleable form and not much in the way of features that are distinct from other pillows, so I have hand warped those into non-Z provided shapes.  Shadows I usually add on a separate layer and shading usually with the burn and dodge tools. Then there’s fine tuning to do with blurs, opacity and noise, so that the item integrates and doesn’t look glaringly dropped in. 

[PAZP]

Nice job! 

[Caprice]

You guys have done a great job with the ones you've created. It does sound like a tremendous amount of time and effort though.  It would be one thing if I were making $$$ hand over fist with Z (read: worth the effort) - but alas - I am not. 😝

[Malissa]

I have am not in the beta group, but I decided last week that I would like to up my game with mock ups for promotional purposes and practice my skills for the future if this gets adopted for all.  I purchased a few jpg and png elements and mock ups as an investment hoping I can reel in some sales and referrals (that have been nonexistent sadly since November). I am hoping I can present my items in a way that makes them more relatable to the casual shopper.  Like showing you can wear an original art t-shirt and still be stylish without it looking silly.

If you think of it as part of the cost of promotion and start with just a small investment (I know it can be hard to justify the cost without the sales ) as well maybe that could help. I'm starting simple and trying to get a feel for what kind of style I like, but I am not investing yet in the images with smart objects since those are more pricey.  I am currently depending on my rudimentary Photoshop skills and my very old version CS3.

These are some examples that I have made in the last couple of days for my Instagram and Pinterest.  The tote image is too busy to be a cover image, but the others could work as a cover image as well.  Start by making your Pinterest ratio image and then crop it into a square for IG/cover photo so it does double duty.  I also use the long image for my IG stories.  The downfall is that it is time consuming and I won't be able to do it on a daily basis.

[Sandra-]

i do find this feature very useful in some cases, such as for invites that have extra info on the back so both sides can be seen at a glance. This in-situ was created in Canva, which I find quicker than Photoshop for this type of mock-up. It’s not too fiddly or time consuming.  I also use Place It for some of my T shirt designs, but it can sometimes be a challenge to ensure the t shirts match closely those available on Zazzle as some of the mock-up t shirt styles are quite different. The mock-ups seem to have been very beneficial to my sales and handy for promotional purposes. However I use them sparingly for products that truly benefit from them, so as not to over-invest too much time to them.

Budget Pink Florals QR Code Wedding Invitation
by Fotografixgal

[PAZP]

Most of mine have been done where Z doesn't have both sides (with information) showing. Now I have the ability to show both. Happy to have that option. 

[Cat]

OK, I gave it a shot. I think @Sandra- 's idea of using it primarily for products where the current previews are insufficient is a good plan, so in that vein I used it to show different views on an envelope. I'm not sure it was worth the hours it took me to create, but hopefully I can tweak the template and use it for other envelopes/stuff.

Dark Plum Purple Watercolor Floral Elegant Wedding Envelope
by ZingerBug

[Sandra-]

That looks brilliant @Cat 👏 you’ll definitely get much quicker at them the more you do! I have several templates set up in Canva now for variety, and I simply use the snipping tool on my desktop to cut out the invite, then paste it on to one of my templates, add a shadow for a bit of realism, and do the same for the back. 

[MarilynR]

What all of you are doing looks great. We have switched to in situs whereever possible because we figure they will stand out from those images in the MP that aren't using in situs. 

This thread has become creators helping each other create their own in situs with this new feature. So I was thinking of starting another thread but the OP asked if it was worth it. That is what we are considering. I probably shouldn't stick my neck out and get my head chopped off. I will probably be accused of trolling or be told that I am lying when I say these are our real concerns with this new feature and that I am only saying this because creators are spending time that they could be using to design products and in some cases they are spending money.

1. We remember when shopkeepers spent a lot of time creating special looks for their stores only to have it removed. Zazzle changed its mind because it took a lot of bandwidth and they wanted a uniform look.

2. Will the MP end up becoming visually distracting and having images visually fighting each other? Creators and Zazzle will not be controlling what images are on a page. When magazines and catalogs do photo layouts, they carefully coordinate the images on the pages.

3. What happens if someone inadvertently uses something in their image that gets challenged as a trademark  violation? Will the product be deleted like tag violations are?

[KeegansCreation]

1. I sure hope the cover photos don't get erased if they decide to scrap this feature. It's possible they might turn it off and disallow any new cover photos going up but keep the ones already there. It's possible they might delete them all. But it's a gamble I'm willing to take.

2. Most Zazzle products already have a mish mash of thumbnail types because of the many in-situs Zazzle has already made. Paper cups have 3 different in-situ options and wrapping paper rolls have 7 (it's an outlier). There are some that have no in-situ at all like duvet covers and this is changing that but I don't think it's a problem. If divergent in-situ photos were a turn-off to customers, there wouldn't be 7 for wrapping paper.

3. The rules doc does warn against violating IP. They don't say if the entire product will be removed or just the image. But due to the nature of in-situ staging, I think there will be few if any cases of this. You have to try pretty hard to include something that violates IP. If somebody puts a Coke can in their homemade can cooler mockup and the whole can cooler gets removed, that's on them.

[MarilynR]

Hey, that's scary. We were thinking about somebody putting a Coke can in a can cooler as an example.

 Since our stores were abandoned for so long, we really need to add new designs. However, we are thinking about this and visualizing a MP page. We were wondering if with this new function, is it possible to create a background that is a solid color with a border to stand out from the other images, or use a pattern with a possibly reduced opacity. We were also thinking about  creating in situs background that drew attention because of a touch of color in them. We're thinking but we know where we need to spend our time on Zazzle.

[chefcateringbiz]

I literally suck at photo editing, so will have to pass. I'm of an age where I just don't want to learn new tech, I'm tired of it. Also hoping the Sweet Meteor of Death strikes us soon and puts us all out of our misery. C'mon, SMOD!

[Cat]

OMG, I'm laughing so hard it hurts! 😂

[PC11]

Wow, you guys have done some nice work!  I’m wondering if I make a cover photo can I later delete it?  I can’t see how.

[KeegansCreation]

You can. Go to the product page of a product where you have already uploaded your own photo. Then go to the Manage Design tab and you will see a Remove Photo option. This option only appears after you have uploaded a photo. If you haven't done that yet, that's why you don't see it.

I can verify this works since I have already done it. I made a whole bunch of cover photos and went on an uploading spree so of course one of them I uploaded to the wrong product. I removed it but it took 24 hours for the removal to index.

[PC11]

Thanks very much.  Nice to know.

[Connie]

I was in the previous beta group for Christmas, and it worked out great, because I had already bought mockups to make product images for Instagram. I think I got a lot of benefit from it, but I'm not sure if it's from the cover photos themselves, or from Zazzle's promotions. While I was in that test, I also uploaded cover photos for the duvet covers, since they don't have any in situs for those.

It is definitely a lot of work, even with Smart Object mockups. In the future if I ever get the option again, I would probably only do them for the products that don't have good in-situs already. Or if Zazzle has another promotional feature. Maybe I'm just slow with Photoshop, but t takes me long enough that it really isn't worth my time, that could be better spent actually making new products or revamping existing products.

[KeegansCreation]

I bought a mockup kit with Smart Objects for duvets but it sure is a lot of work. The entire mockup bedroom was full of Smart Objects that needed to be color coordinated with the duvet cover or they would stay white and look weird. And there were pictures on the walls that needed art in them or it would be an actual blank canvas. That took awhile to make several of them. But it was kind of fun decorating this faux room to match duvet covers even if it did take some real time.

[shellifitz]

I have uploaded a few so far and the ones that are showing I am happy with.  It is taking days for them to show up though.   I think it is too soon to tell whether it helps with sales or not but I don't see how it could hurt because it makes your product stand out in the sea of sameness. 

I do wish we'd had this option much longer though because of how time intensive it is to go back over old products and make mockups for everything. 

One thing on the bright side, it does give me alot of practice making mockups so if nothing else I might get to be really good at that and join fiver... lol 

[Sandra-]

Hi @shellifitz if you upload your mockup again straightaway, it should show up immediately. Sometimes it may take three uploads, but generally for me it shows on the second upload so no waiting time involved.