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Mockup generators - presenting and selling products

Generate product mockups in seconds

Prepare how your product is presented once, then use it to show new prints and color variants. A mockup generator stores the view, background and how graphics are applied to the product. A finished mockup combines these settings with your customer's current design or your own design in Designer.

You can use the generators available for the selected model or create your own in Product Generator's Mockup mode. Below you will find use cases, 3D scene and photo settings, mapping tests, visual downloads and their use in the WordPress + WooCommerce plugin.

Screenshots show actual Alter Product tools, some with an English interface. You can open every screenshot at full size.

Need your own 3D model first?Go to the Product Generator guide: sewing patterns, Easy Creator, sizes, simulation, materials and export.

The model, the generator and the finished mockup

A generator stores how the product is presented. A finished mockup is an image of a specific design created using that generator.

Start with a prepared model or available generators

If the selected model already has mockup generators, you can use them immediately in Product Designer. Select a view in the Mockup window to preview the graphics and colors of the current design.

To create your own generators, open the model project in Product Generator and switch to Mockup mode. You need a prepared model and surfaces on which to display the graphics. Custom patterns, simulation and model materials are covered in the separate 3D model creation guide.

One generator, many finished visuals

For example, prepare the front of a T-shirt against a light background. For the next print, you do not need to set up the camera, lighting or collar outline again. Open Mockup in Designer, and the saved generator shows the current design in the same frame.

What you prepare once and what changes with each design
ComponentWhat it controls
3D modelThe product's shape and the surfaces on which you place your design. A single model can have several generators, such as front, side and back views.
Mockup generatorFraming, background, lighting, part mapping and layers. Edit it when you want to change how the product is presented.
Design in Designer or CustomizerGraphics, text and selected product colors. Changing the design creates a new mockup using the prepared generator.
Downloaded PNG mockupA finished image of a specific design and view. Use it in a listing, catalog or promotional material.

Three mockup workspaces

Choose the stage that matches what you want to refine. 3D composition and photo fitting offer two ways to prepare the base image.

3D composition

Build a visual from a prepared model.

  • Set the camera, framing scale, lighting, shadows and background.
  • Generate the base image and the layers needed to display subsequent prints.

Photo fitting

Use your own product photo as the basis for the presentation.

  • Match the model to the photo using position, rotation, scale and the available deformation tools.
  • Generate layers from the prepared fit.

Mapping

Refine the outlines of the parts and how the print appears on the image.

  • Edit vector points and handles, masks, shadows and highlights.
  • This stage requires a prepared base image and vector paths.

From a prepared view to new designs

Create the composition once, then reuse the generator as the graphics and colors change.

  1. Choose a model and add views in Mockup mode.
  2. Prepare a 3D composition or fit the model to a photo, then generate the layers.
  3. Check print mapping on every part and save the project with its generators.
  4. Use the saved views in Designer or make the product available to customers in Customizer.

Examples: from catalogs to customer personalization

Choose how to prepare the generator based on where you will show the product. You can use the same tools for the following scenarios by changing the composition and print design.

How would you like to present your product?

Start with your goal: comparable variant images, a recognizable brand style or a visual based on your own photo.

A consistent product catalog

A T-shirt against a light background, at a consistent scale and with a subtle shadow. Each new print appears in the same view.

  • Use 3D composition to prepare front, side and back views.
  • Refine the framing before downloading subsequent designs.
  • Result: customers can compare the designs and colors in your collection more easily.

A composition that matches your brand

Use a background in your collection's color, a gradient or your own image. Adjust light and shadow so the product fits the setting.

  • Save these settings as a model view.
  • After changing the background, generate an updated base image.
  • Result: subsequent designs retain the same visual setting.

Your own product photo

Have a photo of a T-shirt in your chosen setting? Use Photo fitting to match the model to the photo and prepare it for subsequent prints.

  • Match the silhouette, sleeves and camera to the photo.
  • Check mapping with a test print and correct the outlines.
  • Result: your own photo becomes the basis for repeatable mockups.

The customer's design in the cart

The customer changes graphics, text or color in Customizer. The generators available for the model create visuals of that specific design.

  • Link the design to a product in the WordPress + WooCommerce plugin.
  • Images are created when the personalization is added to the cart.
  • Result: the thumbnail beside the cart and order item shows the customer's design.

The same print on a white and a green T-shirt

The application captures below show the same fruit-themed design in two product colors. The framing stays consistent, and the mockup shows how the print combines with the selected T-shirt color.

  1. Prepare the print in Designer and select the product color.
  2. Open Mockup and choose the front view.
  3. Change the product color, then open the same view again.
  4. Download individual PNGs or a variant package if matching color presets are available for the design.
A white T-shirt with a fruit-themed print in the Mockup Generator window, with thumbnails of four views and download settings.
The white product version. The same design and front view; side and back views are also available in the adjacent panel.
A green T-shirt with a fruit-themed print in the Mockup Generator window, with thumbnails of four views and download settings.
The green product version. The same design and front view; side and back views are also available in the adjacent panel.

Create a product mockup generator

With your model ready in Inspector, switch to Mockup mode. Here you prepare a shared composition for subsequent graphics and product variants.

Front, sides and back in one command

In the Project mockups panel, choose Create automatically to prepare four views: Front, Left, Right and Back. You can also use Add new to add a custom view, rename it and change its order. Each generator retains its own framing and settings.

Four product views panel in the mockup editor: front, left, right and back.
Automatically prepare the four basic views. Each frame can be refined individually afterward.

Camera, background and lighting

In 3D composition, you position the product as the basis of the image. Match the framing and lighting to the style of your catalog or brand.

For a catalog, start with a simple background and a clearly defined product silhouette. Use an orthographic camera for a restrained presentation without perspective foreshortening. Perspective makes the spatial shape more prominent. Leave room in the frame for sleeves, the bottom of the product and its shadow.

A floor shadow helps ground the product in the composition, while a wall shadow adds depth. You can adjust their position, size, opacity and softness independently. Use exposure and curves for highlights, midtones and shadows to keep details visible. Keep the print sharp for catalog images; tailor Bloom and depth of field to more atmospheric shots.

  • Document and model: set a name and the master image width and height, from 64-2048 px per edge.
  • Camera: choose perspective or orthographic view. Adjust rotation, target point, distance and field of view or framing scale.
  • Lighting: select an environment from the library and set its rotation, intensity and black point. Control floor and wall shadows separately, including softness and opacity.
  • Background: use a color, gradient, environment background or your own image. Adjust how it fills the frame, its transformation and transparency. This is where you create a setting that matches the product's branding.
  • Post-processing: tone mapping and exposure, color curves, ambient occlusion, Bloom, depth of field, sharpening, vignette and grain. MSAA/FXAA anti-aliasing helps refine edges.
Mockup editor with a background library and a T-shirt against leaves in the 3D scene preview.
Selecting a background changes the scene composition on the right. Generating refreshes the base image shown on the left.

Fit the model to your own photo

Photo fitting mode lets you use your own JPG, PNG or WebP. Adjust the camera and scale of the overlaid model, and control its opacity and position. For clothing, bone tools, sleeve position presets and soft deformation with adjustable radius and strength are available. Use the prepared fit to generate the mockup layers.

For supported clothing, you can create an automatic rig and adjust bones by moving, rotating and changing their length. Mirroring helps preserve symmetry, while sleeve presets let you start from the original position, slightly lowered or alongside the body. Soft deformation and soft rotation work locally: choose the radius, strength and falloff - smooth, linear, spherical or sharp. A wireframe preview helps you assess the shape.

  1. Load a JPG, PNG or WebP photo and use it as the basis for fitting.
  2. Adjust the model's camera, position, rotation and scale. Overlay opacity helps you compare its silhouette with the product in the photo.
  3. For clothing, use the available rig, sleeve positioning and soft deformation. Work from the overall shape to local corrections.
  4. Choose Generate from fit, then go to Mapping and check the edges and test print.

Refine mockup mapping and layers

The base image, print mask, shadows and highlights work together so the graphics follow the product's appearance and shape. Preparing them correctly lets you reuse the same visual.

Generate and inspect layers

In 3D composition, choose Generate all layers; when fitting to a photo, choose Generate from fit. Then inspect the individual layers and the result on the product.

Mockup generator output layers
LayerWhat you control
Base imageProduct framing, background and scene appearance. Regenerate it after changing the composition.
Print maskThe visible graphics area, threshold, edge softness and offset, and edge smoothing.
ShadowsStrength, gamma and white point, so the print preserves the product's shading.
HighlightsThreshold, strength and gamma of bright areas in the composition.

Check the generator with a test print

Before working with the final design, open the test print tool. You can assign a pattern separately to the available parts and, where color changes are supported, also test the color of the whole product or individual parts.

UV checkerboard

The colored grid helps reveal stretching, changes in direction and discontinuities in the graphics. Pay particular attention to the collar, sleeves and side edges.

"Your design here" placeholder

The markers and central graphic help you judge where the print lands and whether an outline or mask clips it.

Repeating text

A pattern with the Alter Product text helps assess letter legibility, proportions and direction on a given part.

Product and part colors

Compare light and dark variants. This makes overly strong shadows, blown highlights or a light fringe around the print easier to spot.

Part outlines and detail corrections

Go to Mapping, select a product part and adjust its outline points and Bézier handles. You can precisely correct the collar, sleeve and edges, then recalculate the layers. The generation menu also lets you recreate outlines or refresh only the base image while keeping the existing vectors.

First correct the outline geometry if the print extends onto the background or falls short of the edges. Then refine the mask and its softness. Adjust shadows and highlights last, comparing the result on light and dark product colors.

T-shirt collar with outline points and handles, and the layer panel for the base image, print mask, shadows and highlights.
Correcting the vector outline around the collar in Mapping mode. The panel shows the layers used to apply the print.

What should you regenerate after a change?

Choose what to update so that manual corrections are preserved where they are still needed.

Generation commands and when to use them
ScopeWhen to use it
All layersAfter preparing the scene or making a major composition change, when the base image and mockup layers need updating.
Layers from saved vectorsAfter manually correcting an outline, when you want to recalculate the result while keeping the refined paths.
Recreate outlinesWhen you want to derive outlines from the model again. This rebuilds the geometry, so it may replace previous manual corrections.
Base image onlyWhen you need to refresh the image without overwriting existing vectors. After changes that affect shadows or the mask, check the relevant layers too.

Save generators with the model project

After refining the views, save the Product Generator project. The generator collection belongs to the model and its revision used by Designer. In the application, the project is saved on the server; in the WordPress plugin, it is stored locally.

After changing the camera, background, lighting or fit, refresh the relevant layers and check the result before saving. Downloading a PNG from Designer creates an image of the current design; saving the model project preserves the generator for further editing.

Use mockups in Designer and WooCommerce

The prepared generator becomes part of working with the model. While designing, you use ready-made views and the current personalization.

Your finished artwork in a consistent frame

Open Mockup in Product Designer. In the Mockup Generator window, select the front, side or back thumbnail. The preview uses the graphics and colors of the current design. Prepare the camera, lighting and background beforehand in the model generator's Mockup mode.

Mockup Generator in Designer: a black T-shirt with gold artwork, four views and image download settings.
The finished design in the Mockup Generator window. Use the thumbnails to select a view and the panel below to prepare the download.

Download a PNG or color variants

Select a view and an Image size: Thumb 256, Small 512, Medium 1024 or Large 2048 px. The value specifies the longer edge; the proportions come from the generator. Download images saves a PNG of the currently selected view.

  • With at least two matching presets, Generate images for all color presets creates a ZIP containing the same view in different color variants. With fewer presets, you download a single PNG.
  • The available presets depend on the currently selected material, print technique and size. Custom colors outside the presets are not included in this package.
  • If you need other sides of the product, select the next thumbnails and download their images.

Personalization visible in the cart and order

In the WordPress + WooCommerce plugin, you use a local project and its linked model revision. For a product with available mockup generators, the application creates personalization images when the design is added to the cart. Once the files are saved, the plugin displays them beside the cart and order item.

  • You do not need to open the Mockup window manually for each customer order.
  • The results include the design and selected product colors. Generators and assets must be available for the model revision in use.
  • Thumbnails are supported in the classic cart and WooCommerce Cart/Checkout blocks. If a saved mockup is unavailable, the standard product thumbnail remains.
  1. Prepare and save the generators with the model used in the design.
  2. Make the design available in a product supported by the WordPress + WooCommerce plugin.
  3. The customer personalizes the product in Customizer and adds the design to the cart.
  4. The application prepares mockups of the available views for the selected design and colors. After the images are saved, the plugin uses a personalized thumbnail beside the cart and order item.

A visual for your store and a file for production

A mockup presents the product's appearance: the finished artwork, its shape, shadows and background. Use it in a listing, catalog or to show customers their personalization.

For production, prepare print area files in Printing Manager. This also applies to AOP designs where artwork covers different parts of the product. The Print-ready files guide explains production file settings and downloads.

Check the finished generator before using it in your store

Test several different prints and product colors. A generator prepared with one simple motif should also correctly show small text, graphics near an edge and a larger AOP print.

A quick test from editing to the cart

Follow the same path that you or your customer will use later.

  1. Review all saved views. Check product framing, shadows and margins.
  2. Enable the checkerboard or test text on the parts to be printed. Check outlines, the mask and the graphics placement.
  3. Compare light and dark colors and the final print in Designer. Download a PNG and inspect it at the intended size.
  4. Save the model project after making changes. In the plugin, check a design using the correct model revision and test adding the personalization to the cart.

What should you adjust when the result does not look right?

Start with the stage responsible for the problem. Not every correction requires setting up the whole scene again.

Common symptoms and where to correct them
What you seeWhat to check
The print extends beyond the product or disappears at the collarThe part outline in Mapping, Bézier handles and print mask settings. Recalculate the required layers after the correction.
The grid or letters are excessively stretchedThe model's fit to the photo and the mapping of the part. Correct the shape before trying to hide the problem with an overly soft edge.
The graphics are too dark or too brightShadow and highlight layer settings. For 3D composition, also check scene exposure and lighting.
The old image remains after changing the backgroundUpdate the base image with the appropriate generation command and save the project. Selecting a background changes the scene but does not replace the previously generated image.
The ZIP package contains no side or back viewsThe variant package covers the selected view. Select the next thumbnail and download images for that side of the product.
The all-color package option is missing, or only one PNG downloadsCheck the number of matching presets for the material, print technique and size. At least two are required.
The cart shows the standard product photoCheck that saved generators and their assets are available for the model revision used by the design, and that the mockups were saved successfully.