So you’ve taken the time to review your products and our material cutoff dates. Great! But there’s one more aspect you’ll want to consider when polishing up your shop: photography.

Look at your product images: Do they reflect your 3D printing capabilities well? Are the pictures appealing to potential clients? Do they show customers an accurate representation of what they’re ordering? Stellar photography can make or break a sale. It’s simple: People love photos and Shapeways’ audience is no exception. Follow these tips to ensure your images are effectively helping you promote your designs.

Which Images Should You Use?

  1. Use photos of printed products. “Default renders” of unrealized products don’t give shoppers the confidence to make the purchase because they can’t visualize what the actual products will look like.
  2. Use images that show the material options so customers know exactly what to expect when they order the 3D model in a specific material and finish. For example, do you offer your products in both gold and bronze? Have photos that show the difference in the two options.
  3. Use images that are focused and can capture details on your 3D products. If you need help with this, we’ve created a simple tutorial just for you.

Photo Quality and Quantity

  1. In your images, show the actual size of your products. In the past, we’ve heard from confused shoppers who thought that the miniature chair they purchased is one they can actually sit on! Including dimensions in your images will help avoid similar problems.
  2. It’s best to show three types of images: close up, scale, and in-use (for a wearable object, show it on the body; for a toy, show it next to related items). In addition, you may also want to use photos to show how your products can be the perfect gift idea. For instance, if you’re selling jewelry for women, consider having photos of women modeling the products.
  3. Summer is long gone, so go ahead and update the background of your photos to fit the holiday theme. Change that photo you took in the park in the spring to one with snowflakes in the back.
  4. Be consistent with having great photos. If you have great photographs next to bad ones it erodes the overall integrity of the look of your shop.

 

In addition, adding a video alongside your images can help tremendously. Most of the top selling 3D products here at Shapeways include videos, so it’s clear that going the extra mile certainly pays off in the long run.