About the founder
Paul Lloyd, founder of Pixel By Hand.
Paul Lloyd founded Pixel By Hand in the UK in 2006 and has spent 20 years retouching fashion images. He still runs the studio, stays involved in client relationships and oversees the quality of the finished work. Pixel By Hand edits product photographs for fashion brands and photography studios, and nothing else.
Founder, Pixel By Hand · Paul on LinkedIn
In the UK, by Paul Lloyd
Apparel brands and photo studios
Companies served
No inside shot required
Role
What does Paul do at Pixel By Hand?
Paul owns and runs Pixel By Hand. The studio is founder-led, which in practice means the person who started the business is still the person responsible for its standards. He stays involved in client relationships and in quality oversight of the finished images.
The work itself is fashion image post-production: ghost mannequin, background removal, retouching, colour correction and shadow work for apparel. Pixel By Hand does not take on other product categories. The full list is on the services page.
Paul is also the named author of the expert assessments on this site, such as the comparison of human editing and AI tools on the ghost mannequin page.
Editing standard
How does Paul judge a finished fashion image?
- First Time Right
The standard Pixel By Hand works to is that delivered images should need zero amendments. That is the target on every batch, and unlimited revisions are included for the times it is missed.
- A written specification
Each client gets an editing specification shaped around their brand, so backgrounds, colour and detail have a clear reference. The brief then stays consistent from image to image and batch to batch.
- The garment comes first
A good edit keeps the shape, the pattern and the detail, and removes the distractions. For ghost mannequin work that means a natural 3D garment rebuilt from a single photograph.
- Honest about AI
AI tools are already good enough for basic background removal. For ghost mannequin compositing, Paul's assessment is that human editing still gives a noticeably better result. The reasoning is set out in the review of AI background removal tools.
Paul's assessments on this site
Where can you read Paul's view?
Quick answers
About Paul and the business.
Who founded Pixel By Hand?
Paul Lloyd founded Pixel By Hand in the UK in 2006 and still runs it. The business is a sole trader, not a limited company.
Is Paul Lloyd involved in client work?
Yes. Pixel By Hand is founder-led. Paul stays involved in client relationships and in quality oversight of the finished images.
What does Pixel By Hand specialise in?
Fashion image post-production only. The speciality is ghost mannequin editing from a single image, with no separate inside shot required.
How can I contact Paul Lloyd?
Email ask@pixelbyhand.com or connect with Paul on LinkedIn. Enquiries are usually answered the same working day, Monday to Friday.
Proof before commitment
See the standard on your own images.
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Start your free trial ↗Page reviewed 17 September 2026.