Share your tools for creating cover photos - masks, actions, templates etc.

[PenguinPower]

After I saw Cols thread for a mug template I thought I'd create a general thread for sharing cover photo related tools. 

I'm happy to start this out with some masks for Photoshop. These files can be used to quickly and easily select your product from a downloaded Zazzle mockup. 

To use open the mask file and your mockup file, Go to the "Select" menu, choose "Load Selection", choose the mask file and voila, you'll have a selection on your mockup image that you can now copy and paste into your new background. 

I've made a few to this point and I'll post new ones as I create them. Feel free to post your own - to make simply create your original selection and then reverse the process - go to the "Select" menu, chose "Save Selection" Choose "new", this will create the mask file. Save the mask file as a .psd - you, can now use that file as above.

So far I've done drinking glasses (the beer glass/American pint glass) I believe this will work on all of the views for this item except the ones with the lemon wedges.. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ey6HTh0S-J7N3Ts3Hkxy9zhvf3sYridD/view?usp=sharing

Round Pillow - front view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cVY8azH5ONMDW6Z_SgKdVoakFyKvl15i/view?usp=sharing

Square pillow - this works for the large (20") size, isolated front view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kaIoMDGbHKYgu8udzQNNwoM3CCF-aUIO/view?usp=sharing

Beach Towel - for the vertical preview
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gb0cIbF-6aCABiW938HK_TSCT5wOmO5b/view?usp=sharing

Can cooler - isolated front view (the one with the silver unmarked can)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19LMoBJSQDRCbDUS2wxrXHhL3lsYPJPNg/view?usp=sharing

[BKMuir]

In PHOTO SHOP ELEMENTS it has been noted that smart objects do not work. I have tried the downloads that ColsCreations have provided and found it very confusing.

I have been using PSE's MAGIC EXTRACTOR that removes unwanted portions of your image fairly easily. A fellow user of PSE did not know what I was talking about, so here is how to find the Magic Extractor. 

1. open Photo Shop Elements
2. Under IMAGE tab choose bottom of list MAGIC EXTRACTOR
3. use the Foreground tool to mark areas to keep
4. use the Background tool to mark areas to delete
   (Note that you do not have to mark entire area, but be certain you have marked all of the colors/shadows that you want to add/delete )
5. Preview
6. Use the Add/Remove tools and others to clean up the final image
7. OK to save.

I use the full PSE editor to make any fine adjustments necessary. 

[PacifierCity]

I found myself an AI background removal tool that is free to use online....  I haven't done many product mock ups with it yet, but the few products I've used it for came out great.

There are quite a few places that offer the service.  Some completely free, some require a sign up but are still free, some limit # of d/s and some the size of the free image.  I think I've seen some that even offer bulk processing.  Haven't tried this feature yet....

I have a few bookmarked and if one doesn't do as well as I'd like, I try another...

Seems a lot easier than making masks... once you have found a few that work for you.

Happy hunting...

PC

...........................................

[PenguinPower]

My experience with background removal is that it always needs some touchup... Once I make a mask I can use it over and over and over again with just a click or two... 

[Cat]

Well, I use GIMP because I'm too cheap to pay for PhotoShop. Here are a few discoveries that I've found useful.

1) Save selection as Path - under the Select menu. I've done this on almost all products where I have to download a mockup rather than the artwork - even cards where it won't download the back as artwork. Once you've saved the selection, all I have to do is paste the new item in as a new layer and copy it from the selection to get a clean copy without the background. For some bizarre reason, sometimes I have to select none before I paste the new layer or it pastes it in the wrong place - no clue why. Sometimes choosing "paste into selection" works, but on other files no. Anyhow, if you have to de-select to get it to paste correctly, then you have to go to the paths list (on the right hand panel next to the layers list) right click on the path and choose "path to selection." I have xcf files for each product with selections saved as paths to make life easier. 

2) You don't have to do drop shadows by hand! Who knew? For years I've created my own drop shadows by right clicking on the layer, choosing "alpha to selection," creating a new layer, filling it with black, gaussian blurring it, then setting the opacity and moving it as appropriate. BUT - there's actually a tool that does all that for you under Filters < Light & Shadow. The only disadvantage to doing it that way is that the shadow now becomes an integral part of the layer, so if you're using it for things that you want to put on top of your product, where you're gonna want to move them around and/or change the color, it might be better to make a copy of the layer before adding the shadow so you've got a clean copy to mess with in the future.

3) Re-sizing and rotating will make your text blurry. I still haven't exactly cracked this nut yet, but basically the more you mess with a layer, the more information is lost and the blurrier it gets. So if you have a layer that you keep moving around, rotating, and re-sizing to get in the correct position, it's best to undo between attempts rather than just keep rotating it around because each time you do, you lose some resolution. If you end up with a blurry layer you can fix it using unsharp mask - Filters < Enhance < Sharpen - but use caution with this tool as it can sometimes change the color of the text or leave artifacts. Decreasing the radius can help.

Those are my big GIMP discoveries since I've been cranking out covers. Hope something in there helps somebody!

[PenguinPower]

A few more masks available for upload 
Combo mug front view, smaller size
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h_noZuFSiQ0ugCP8nSiqIo3VuCLfn4p8/view?usp=sharing

Rectangle shaped pillow, front view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RTxmXBTtMvFcXO2YJdNpvr8dkD0WKtqX/view?usp=sharing

Apron, Medium sized female model facing front
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OyHY8fJZEhDplKa6ibjoHi_AeCjJ5MNX/view?usp=sharing

[Barbara]

I don't know about other image editors, but for anyone using Photoshop, and if you have a group of downloaded product mockups on which to use a mask, create an "Action," which is like the old Windows macros. It's a list of functions to use so you no longer have to perform the individual functions one by one on each product. I'm currently using one such action to mask the front and back of postcards, then resize them and tilt each side to a specific angle. They can be done in a batch for the template I created, saving a modicum of sanity.

Colorwash's Home

[eclecticrose]

Hi, I am new to the group and have been trying different tools. For any of you that have artwork such as canvas prints, posters or even the wall tapestries with wood tops, I want to mention a tool that  I have been using to create mockups called Canvy. I believe it has a free version but I am using the paid so I have more options. Although it has a limited amount of room settings to work with you can change elements within the photo in most mockups. It gives you wall patterns and colors to choose from and sometimes you can change the color on the furniture. I haven't been using it long but when I do I am happy with the results. If you try it please let me know what you think of it. I know a lot of you can probably do this in another graphic design program like Photoshop but this is for anyone who wants to try it. I really enjoy using it. My store is not open but I learn a lot from others reading the forums so I wanted share something that I thought others might find useful.