Mockup standards?

[upgather]

It seems that Zazzle encourages designers to use mockups that come from outside of Zazzle to make the marketing more interesting than just using the standard Zazzle mockup. I say this because there is a "media" upload task and I have heard others promote this idea. But the mockups I find or purchase may not be the exact same product that is sold through Zazzle. For example, if I find a nice mockup picture for a tote bag, but the mockup is using a slightly different product (maybe slightly different fabric, slightly different size, etc) then isn't that a bad sales tactic to show the customer a mockup with a slightly different product? I think customers can tell the difference and should expect to get what they see in the sales picture. In other words, I am confused about why Zazzle encourages this as it seems like false advertising --  or if they are expecting designers to purchase all of their products and take their own photos or videos of the actual Zazzle product.  Does anyone know of a mockup store that uses Zazzle's products?  I would not want to pay extra for this, but might consider if it would help get more sales. 

[PenguinPower]

Here’s the latest guidelines https://www.zazzle.com/creators/playbook/media+manager

To briefly answer some of your questions- no, you shouldn’t use products that don’t match exactly and Z does not encourage it.. it is on their list of don’ts. You do not necessarily have to buy items to create custom mock-ups, but it does often require some image editing skills and some creativity. 

[Photocrazy6]

It is not a good idea to use a different item than what the customer will receive, but Zazzle does not take it down if it isn't correct. There is a store full of Editor's picks with beautiful mockups but they don't match the actual product. There has been a couple of times where I was like, when did they start selling all over color mugs? Then realize it was just the mockup and not the actual product. Weird they say not to do this but have tons of Editor's picks that do it. I suppose those products stand out to compared to others since others aren't using the mockup since it isn't the same product.

[upgather]

Thank you - this is very helpful. I'm very good with photoshop. I have downloaded the standard Zazzle mockup and removed the background. But the photography is the part where I struggle. I would prefer to take the Zazzle mockup and place it into a pre-made photograph, but it is challenging to find good photos for some products.  Stationery and wall art are very quick to mockup, but things like tote bags take a lot of time to photoshop into existing images. I can do it, but just need to weigh how much time I spend on mockups versus making new products. I am glad to see Zazzle does not want generic/non-Zazzle products in the cover photos. If anyone knows a place to get Zazzle product mockup photos, that would be helpful to all. Maybe I am not looking deep enough, but I don't see where Zazzle tells you the actual product they source. The descriptions are generic such as men's basic t-shirt.  So I don't know how I would go about finding a mockup provider with that exact product because I don't really know what product Zazzle is using.  Thank you so much for the answers.

[chefcateringbiz]

Some designer at Zazzle is missing a money-making opportunity by providing easy-to-use mockups for popular products, just sayin'. However, it isn't necessary to go nuts on backgrounds. Sometimes just a light wood or cementy background or "shelf" to sit the product on with appropriate shadowing and non-intrusive background color is a relief from all the crazy/busy backgrounds showing up now.

[Connie]

I got some good tote bag mockups from Etsy. I don't know if they are EXACTLY the same kind that Zazzle sells, but I can't see any difference, so I doubt a customer would be able to. The main thing I watch out for is how the handles are attached, and their color.

[terryjstudio]

I'm suffering from Mockupitus. I nearly fell over when I understood that Zazzle now desires that we make a "cover photo" for every product but I dutifully subscribed to a Mockup generator site. I can see how this is a great, very time consuming way to make a Zazzle T shirt or mug ot tote bag or phone cover look special. However, have you tried to find a mockup of a Christmas tree skirt? How about a beautiful photo block or personalized binder? I haven't found much I find agreeable even for stationary. I like to think Zazzle's recent zero to 10,000 uptick in demands on designers to create marketing materials and vigorous self promotions is a way to shake out the abundance of hobby designers and abandoned stores and up Zazzle's marketplace status. However, I had no holiday sales for 3 months of generating fancy pins and mockups of my new products so I am discouraged. I have new designs in my mind that I cannot get to for all the time I spend jumping through the new hoops. How does this benefit Zazzle or me?