Let’s Talk Tissue Paper Mockups: Highlighting What Works (and What Doesn’t)

[Susang6]

Hi everyone, With Zazzle’s latest tissue paper mockups now live, I wanted to open up a friendly conversation about what really works when it comes to showcasing these products and what doesn’t. As sellers, many of us rely on visual storytelling to connect with customers, and tissue paper deserves a presentation that enhances its beauty and potential.

Just to share a bit of context before shifting into digital design, I spent 10 years as an Area Visual Merchandiser for the Fang Brothers Group (parent company of Episode), based in Hong Kong. I oversaw retail stores throughout Florida and Atlanta, where visual presentation strategies were essential in connecting customers to products. Much of what I recommend for mockup styling today is drawn from that experience in large-scale fashion retail especially when it comes to showcasing texture, clarity, and emotional appeal.

From my perspective, the new Zazzle mockups unfortunately fall a bit short. Rather than elevating the designs, they often flatten clarity and dull the resolution especially when framed. For intricate seasonal patterns or woodland-inspired motifs, a frame mockup doesn’t convey the richness or purpose of the product. Plus, when the most compelling part of the design is minimized or cropped, it’s unlikely to inspire a purchase.

A few mockup alternatives to consider: First, try showing the tissue paper as a lightly folded sheet with a small gift (like a tie set) placed in the center. Add a gift bag off to the side with the same tissue paper peeking out from the top. This visual pairing tells a powerful story how a wrapped gift and matching bag come together as a complete presentation. It subtly encourages customers to buy both at once.

Second, for craft and decoupage audiences, lay the tissue paper perfectly flat on a white background to preserve clarity and color accuracy. Around it, include crafting elements like scissors, Mod Podge, and a brush to evoke the creative process. Off to the side, show a completed craft such as an ornament, plate, or decorated jar featuring the same tissue paper. This creates a strong visual link between inspiration and execution.

In my experience, Zazzle's frame mockups rarely do justice to tissue designs. They compress detail, dull vibrancy, and rarely connect to how the product is actually used. At best, they can highlight a small swatch but they’re not ideal for selling a seasonal or decorative product intended for wrapping or crafting.

Thinking ahead, before creating your mockup, take a moment to consider what you want to achieve. Are you promoting a singular product like tissue paper on its own or are you trying to show the customer’s need for a coordinated set, such as tissue paper paired with a matching gift bag? That decision shapes everything: the layout, the props, the emotional tone. A bundled visual often encourages duplicate purchases, while a focused shot may highlight design detail. Both have value it just depends on your goal.

If you're ready to create your own visuals, here are some free platforms that make it easy: Pixelied’s Free Mockup Generator (https://pixelied.com/mockups), Canva Mockup Generator (https://www.canva.com/create/mockup-generator/), Freepik Mockup Generator (https://www.freepik.com/mockup-generator), FlexClip Mockup Tool (https://www.flexclip.com/tools/mockup-generator/), and DesignHub’s curated list of mockup tools (https://designhub.co/best-mockup-websites/).

I’d love to share my visual vision with all of you, if you're open to it. After all, helping each other is one of the surest ways we open doors to success

[Sara_H]

@Susang6  You can create your own mockups and present them any which you like

[Susang6]

I appreciate the exchange, and I understand not everything I shared resonated that’s totally okay. I know that not every perspective will land for everyone, and such is life. I always aim to offer ideas rooted in experience, with the hope they might help someone else down the line.

Wishing you continued creativity and a blessed day

[Windy]

I love this! You have inspired me with your thoughts. At first I thought you were writing to Zazzle. (You know, the company which thinks it's a great idea to market a shower curtain with a great big toilet front and center in the shot). But now I see that your shared expertise can really help some of us who want to market our papers in a much more effective way. I appreciate this!

[Susang6]

I wasn’t sure how the post would land, but I’m really glad it sparked some helpful ideas for you.

I know Zazzle’s mockups can be quirky sometimes (toilet-fronted shower curtain, anyone?), but it’s nice when we can take what’s available and still shape our store presentation in ways that actually work.

[Boki]

What happened to Tissue Paper?
Exactly, I agree, the visual for the customer is the first thing that attracts him to the product, and that is definitely not possible here now for all my Tissue Papers. Now that the changes have been made, some of my Tissue Paper looks very messy, like scattered and disorganized ideas. This is terribly wrong.
OK, you changed the dimensions, but why didn't you leave it in the dimension in which the Tissue Paper was created? Put it back in the dementia in which it was made (the most logical and best organized), because you still have them on offer and make it to our mutual satisfaction that we have a profit. Do not repel customers, but attract them to the orderliness of the design in the overall sense. If someone wants to change from customers, let them, as always, do it themselves (with available options), and not skim over Tissue Paper and see that it is not properly presented, give up the purchase. On some designs it falls out of the frame, on some there is excess, on some "tails",...
And also, I can't redesign and leave it in your first dimension and keep the number of views, the number of likes,... But, unfortunately, I am forced to publish it from the beginning. Which is certainly not in favor of doing, because they are already shared.
But, you can return my (our) Tissue Paper to the dimensions they were before (of course), they are current in the new offer and beyond, and thus help to mutual satisfaction, to make a profit.
Thank you for understanding and returning to the original state.

[Susang6]

I've seen the same thing happening with some of my tissue paper designs since the layout changes. The image suddenly looked cluttered, off-center, or just not how I originally envisioned them. And for a product that relies so much on visual impact.

I recently upgraded a few to premium tissue paper, which switched the format to 20" x 30". That shift definitely threw off some older designs that were set up for different dimensions and like you mentioned, when the layout falls out of frame or shows weird borders or "tails," it doesn’t exactly invite a sale.

What's especially hard is not being able to redesign without starting fresh. Losing all those views, likes, and momentum is frustrating especially when the product was already shared or doing well.

Zazzle should give us the option to display designs in their original format.  If customers want to tweak things, great the tools are there.  our products should at least look clean and intentional in their default view.

[Sea-Change]

I struggle a bit with the different dimensions, since they all don't share the same aspect ratio. Expanding an image to "Full" doesn't enable a smooth switch between certain sizes if the customer changes them. I don't see a way to constrain the size choices either.

I've found a few workarounds to avoid blank edges, but no ideal solution, since two of the sizes from what I remember -- are shorter and wider than the others.

[Susang6]

Going forward, it’s best to create your tissue paper designs at the largest size 20" x 30". From there, you can easily size down without losing layout integrity. But sizing up from a smaller format doesn’t always work the way you’d expect. What you end up with is a larger sheet where the design doesn’t fill the space properly, and you lose control over how it fits the canvas.  I am going through my tissue paper and seeing which size fits best.  If I can enlarge great if not, then I opt for premium 18 lb paper  That alone raises the base price. 

[Susang6]

This morning when I checked this tissue paper I saw that the customer had bought in the larger size and that the artwork was not full .  I thought "Its going to go pink" then tonight i checked and found that I could increase the the weight and the size and the artwork was full.  So check your tissue paper to see if its true for you also.  I guess Zazzle is actually reading the posts...and if they are I would like to say "Thank You Zazzle" .  @Sea-Change  @Boki  @Windy   (Also Zazzle did a gift bag with tissue paper mockup) 

[Boki]

At my place, they haven't returned the tissue paper to normal dimensions yet, it really looks bad. I hope that soon they will return to the old way, to mutual satisfaction. 😕

[Sea-Change]

Thanks for sharing your insights and expertise. I agree the visuals are important for enticing cutomers, giving them inspiration and ideas about how they might use a product.  I usually use Canva -- I used PixelCut for a while -- and I've been planning to check out other tools.

I often show decoupage gift boxes and furniture in my tissue paper mockups, as well as a view with fancy scissors and coordinating ribbon aganst a contrasting wood table. I'll sometimes add a flower or a few petals if it's floral tissue paper.  I like your idea of showing tissue paper with a coordinatng gift bag or gift wrap -- I think I'll experiment with that next time.