Every new colour, every capsule, every sales channel needs its own photos. For many brands the catalogue grows faster than photo production: variants go live with a single flat shot, or wait weeks for the next shoot. Either way, the product page sells less than it could.
This guide looks at where AI-generated images make sense, where a traditional shoot is still the better choice and how to organise the workflow starting from the photos you already have.
The problem is not one photo, it is scale
A studio shoot works well for the key pieces of a collection: there is creative direction, a photographer, models, retouching. The problem starts when the same process has to cover everything else: colour variants, continuity items, marketplace images, vertical formats for social. Each variant means setting the machine up again, with fixed costs that stay high even for a handful of items.
Where AI really helps
- Colour variants. The garment has already been shot in one colour: the other variants can be produced without setting up a new shoot.
- From flat lay to on-model. A ghost or flat shot becomes an on-model image, useful for every item that today only has a packshot.
- Backgrounds and settings. The same product in different contexts for seasonal campaigns, newsletters or different markets.
- Formats for every channel. Different crops and ratios for the website, marketplaces and social, from the same image.
Where a shoot is still the better choice
Iconic pieces, main campaign images and everything that defines the brand's visual identity still deserve a carefully produced shoot. Many clients work this way: traditional shoots for the pieces that matter most, AI for variants and secondary content. It extends catalogue coverage without giving up control where it counts.
How the workflow is organised
- Upload the packshots. You start from the ghost or flat shots already in your catalogue, in bulk if needed.
- Choose the style. Model, setting, palette and mood are defined on the platform, consistently across the collection.
- Generate the content. E-commerce photos, editorial images, social content and video.
- Approve and publish. Every image is reviewed before going live and downloaded in the format you need (JPG, WebP, MP4). Export to PIM and DAM can be set up.
What to check before publishing
A generated image has to represent the product faithfully. Before a variant goes live, always check three things:
- that colour and fabric match the real garment, compared against the physical sample;
- that details such as seams, logos, buttons and zips are correct;
- that the fit shown is plausible for that style, so it does not set expectations that lead to a return.
A beautiful but unfaithful photo just moves the problem from the product page to the returns warehouse.
How to measure whether it works
The cleanest way is a comparison: pick a group of variants that only have a packshot today, add on-model images to half of them and compare conversion and returns between the two groups over the same period. That shows the effect on your catalogue, not a market average.
The full workflow is on the AI Studio page.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI product photos replace photo shoots?
No, they work alongside them. Many brands keep traditional shoots for iconic pieces and the main campaign and use AI for colour variants and secondary content.
Which photos do you start from?
The packshots you already have: ghost or flat shots from your catalogue, which can be uploaded in bulk.
How do you make sure the image is faithful to the product?
Every image is reviewed before publishing: colour and fabric are checked against the physical sample, along with details such as logos and seams and how plausible the fit looks.