title: "5 Basics of Photo Editing and Why You Need Photo Editing Services" date: 2024-09-02 slug: /basics-of-photo-editing word_count: 3200 images: 6

5 Basics of Photo Editing and Why You Need Photo Editing Services

What Is the Importance of Photo Editing for Products?
Is Photo Editing Hard?
5 Basic Photo Editing Techniques for Better Product Photos
How Can I Edit My Photos Like a Professional?
eCommerce Photo Editing Service from Pixel by Hand
FAQ

Crafting a solid eCommerce brand relies on top-notch product images. Sharp, high-quality photos can make or break a buyer's decision to purchase. Without excellent visuals, it's difficult for customers to understand how your product works or what it's intended for — and many will simply move on.

Your online store needs to replicate the in-store experience as closely as possible. Since customers can't physically touch or feel the product, your photos must give them a clear, accurate sense of what they're buying.

Whilst we believe every eCommerce business should invest in professional photography, we understand it's not always feasible — especially for smaller businesses or those just starting out.

With product photo editing, you can turn good-quality photos into great ones. Even professional photographs benefit from editing — ensuring consistency across your catalogue gives your store a more polished, trustworthy appearance.

In this guide, we'll discuss the techniques our product photo editing experts use to enhance our clients' images, the impact on customer experience, and whether you should consider outsourcing to a professional product photo editing company like Pixel by Hand.

Want to see what professional editing can do for your images? Start your free trial — send us your photos and we'll return polished samples at no cost.

What Is the Importance of Photo Editing for Products?

Before diving into techniques, let's cover why photo editing matters for product imagery.

Photo editing is crucial for eCommerce because it transforms plain product photos into images that persuade shoppers to buy. It also strengthens your branding and ensures a consistent look across your entire catalogue.

Here are four key reasons to invest in photo editing:

1. Create Professional-Looking Product Photos

One of the biggest benefits of photo editing is the ability to create professional-looking images — even without a background in photography.

First impressions matter. Shoppers base their purchasing decisions heavily on how your products look. Unprofessional photos signal an unprofessional business. Polished images, on the other hand, convey credibility and trustworthiness.

2. Consistently Brand Your Store

When shoppers see a consistent look and feel across all your product photos, they begin to associate that visual identity with your brand. Even when they encounter your products on other websites, they'll recognise them as yours.

3. Save Time and Money

Photo editing saves time and money in the long run. For example, if you've had backgrounds removed from your product images, you can reuse those photos across marketing assets — social media posts, newsletters, and even print materials — without staging a new photoshoot each time.

Outsourcing to a professional company means they handle consistency and quality, freeing you to focus on other areas of your business.

4. Improve Your Customer Experience

Imagine a shopper who's interested in your products but decides not to buy because the display image is blurry or lacks detail. With proper editing, you can ensure all your product photos are high-quality and informative.

Photo editing also enables zoom views, lifestyle images, text overlays, and infographics — all of which help shoppers feel confident in their purchase.

Is Photo Editing Hard?

Both yes and no. If you're a beginner, it will be challenging at first. But with practice, it becomes easier and even enjoyable.

At Pixel by Hand, our editors have years of experience in product photo editing. We've refined our techniques and processes to deliver high volumes of work quickly and consistently. We've been doing this for over a decade, and our passion for the craft shows in every image we deliver.

5 Basic Photo Editing Techniques for Better Product Photos

Whether you're editing yourself or working with a service like Pixel by Hand, understanding these five fundamental techniques will help you know what your business needs.

1. Cropping

One of the most basic but essential techniques. Cropping removes unnecessary elements from the photo so the focus remains on the product.

If there's excessive empty space or distracting background elements, crop them out. You can also use cropping to highlight specific product details — texture, material, or craftsmanship.

Cropping is also useful for creating different versions of the same image (square, vertical, horizontal) for use across various marketing channels.

How to crop: Open your image in Photoshop, Lightroom, or GIMP (a free alternative). Select the crop tool, choose the area you want to keep, and apply.

2. Resizing

The size of your product photos directly affects how they appear on your website. Too small and they'll look pixelated; too large and they'll slow down page loading times.

Resize your product photos to the correct dimensions for your platform to ensure they look sharp and load quickly.

How to resize: Open the file in your editing software and go to Image > Image Size. Enter the desired width and height in pixels.

3. Colour Correction

Colour correction adjusts hue, saturation, and brightness to make colours accurate and appealing. This is essential because inaccurate colours lead to customer disappointment and increased returns.

For clothing, electronics, or any product where colour is a key attribute, accurate colour representation is non-negotiable.

How to colour correct: Open the image and go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Adjust until the colours match the real product as closely as possible.

4. Clipping Path

Clipping path isolates the subject from the background. This is particularly useful for photos with complex backgrounds — multiple elements, busy patterns, or uneven lighting.

With a clipping path, you can remove the background entirely or replace it with a different colour or image. This technique is widely used in eCommerce to create clean, professional product photos.

5. Background Removal

Background removal takes clipping path a step further by completely eliminating the background. This is commonly done when product photos need a clean white background — as required by platforms like Amazon.

If your photoshoot produced images with coloured or busy backgrounds, background removal saves you from costly reshoots.

How to remove a background: Open the file in your editing software, create a new layer, use selection tools to isolate the product, and delete the background layer.

These are the foundational techniques. Professional editors like our team at Pixel by Hand use additional advanced methods depending on your specific needs — vignettes, perspective correction, colour matching, lookbook creation, and more.

Your business requirements and intended use dictate the approach. Product page images should be clean and accurate. Social media campaign images can be more artistic, with a strong brand identity.

How Can I Edit My Photos Like a Professional?

If you're not familiar with the technical jargon or don't have access to advanced software, achieving professional results can be difficult. Here are some practical tips:

Use the Right Tools

If you don't have access to Photoshop, free alternatives like Canva, PicMonkey, or GIMP offer solid editing features. Canva includes filters, cropping, resizing, and background removal tools. Whilst these won't match Photoshop's output quality, they're a good starting point.

Find Inspiration

Browse product photography from businesses in your industry for ideas on styling, angles, and presentation. Pinterest is an excellent resource — search for terms like "product photography" or "eCommerce photo styling" to get started.

Set Up a Mini Studio

You don't need anything elaborate. A simple white backdrop — a roll of white paper or a white bedsheet — is sufficient. Position it behind your product with adequate lighting.

Use Natural Lighting

Whenever possible, use natural light. Set up near a large window for soft, diffused lighting that produces professional-looking results without expensive equipment.

Choose the Right Background

The background can make or break your product photo. Avoid cluttered or busy backgrounds. A plain wall or simple fabric works well.

If you're selling on platforms like Amazon, be aware of their specific requirements — main images must have a pure white background with no shadows.

Rather leave it to the experts? Send us your images for a free sample edit — our team of experienced editors will show you what's possible.

eCommerce Photo Editing Service from Pixel by Hand

There are compelling reasons to outsource your product photo editing to professionals like Pixel by Hand:

Platform compliance: We ensure your photos meet the specific requirements of Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and every other major marketplace.
Time savings: Let us handle the editing whilst you focus on running your business.
Consistent quality: With over 10 years' experience and 380+ clients, we deliver reliable, professional results every time.
Scalability: Whether you need 10 images or 10,000, we handle volume without compromising quality.
Fast turnaround: We deliver edited images on schedule so you can get products live quickly.

Our services include:

Background removal
Colour correction
Photo enhancement
Image retouching
Clipping path
Ghost mannequin editing
And more

FAQ

What software do professional photo editors use? Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are the industry standards. At Pixel by Hand, our editors primarily use Photoshop for its unmatched precision and feature set.

How much does product photo editing cost? Costs depend on the type and volume of edits required. At Pixel by Hand, we offer competitive per-image pricing with volume discounts. Start with a free trial to evaluate our quality.

Can photo editing fix a poorly taken product photo? Editing can significantly improve most images — correcting lighting, removing backgrounds, and enhancing colours. However, extremely blurry or low-resolution originals have limitations. Starting with a well-lit, in-focus source image always produces the best results.

How long does it take to edit product photos? Turnaround depends on the volume and complexity of edits. Simple background removal can be completed within 24 hours. More detailed retouching typically takes 48–72 hours.

Should I edit my own product photos or outsource? If you have the skills and time, DIY editing works for small volumes. For larger catalogues or when consistency and speed matter, outsourcing to a professional service like Pixel by Hand is more efficient and cost-effective.

basics-of-photo-editing