How To Remove Mannequin From Photo (5 Steps)

Removing a mannequin from a photo is a process of ghost mannequin photo editing. It is the step to create a 3D look of the apparel products. But the question is, how to remove mannequin from photo?

Well, it is the most challenging task as a photo editor. You need at least two photos to create a ghost mannequin. Then it would help if you had good control over Photoshop image selection tools such as Photoshop pen tool, lasso tool, quick Selection tool, etc.

Moreover, you should know how to place the cutout photos in Photoshop and scale the image. Additionally, shadow adding is necessary to get a realistic look.

So, creating a ghost mannequin requires time and Photoshop skills. Don’t worry. Here, you will get complete guidance on creating a ghost mannequin photo. Listen Podcast

What is The Ghost Mannequin Effect?

The ghost mannequin effect is obtained by removing the mannequin parts of the image. The photo editors remove the mannequin or the model from the photo and then fill the mannequin parts. Thus, they create a 3D effect on the apparel photo where it seems an invisible mannequin wears the cloth. 

The invisible mannequin effect allows you to showcase your products aesthetically. You can catch the maximum details in your photos with fewer distractions. It seems like the clothing is floating in the air. 

However, you need two or more photos to apply this image manipulation to the techniques. You need high-quality photos for the front side and the back side of the apparel product. Then, by applying the image editing methods, you can provide a better product viewing experience to your customers. 

As a result, your customers will visualize better how the garment would look on them. It will influence the purchasing decision, and the sales will get boosted.  

Photography Tips for Ghost Mannequin 

Photos play the most vital role in creating a ghost mannequin photo. You need high-quality front and backside photos of the apparel. So, the photographers must ensure that the photos are in the proper lighting condition with a natural background. Here are some tips for professional ghost mannequin photography and how to remove a mannequin from a photo:

A. Use a Professional Camera

A good quality and professional DSLR camera has settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. So you will have better control over your image quality. 

B. Sturdy Tripod

Always use a tripod while you capture product photos. A tripod makes your camera stable and gives you a high-quality photo. 

C. Lighting Condition

Lighting is also important for a professional photo. Make the best use of natural light. You can also use the studio lights like softboxes, or diffusers. These will help to get soft lighting and will reduce the harsh shadows. 

D. Background

The background of the clothing photos has to be neat and clean. So, use a plain background that is distraction-free.

E. Preparing the Mannequin

Make sure the mannequin is clean. A well-prepared mannequin is important for high-quality photos. You can use clips or pins to stuff the garments. It will help give them a natural shape

F. Camera Settings

You have to be careful about the camera settings. You can use a small aperture for ghost mannequin photography. It means that the entire garment, including details, is in focus.

Following these tips, you can create the required photos for the post-processing. Then, remove all the flaws in the post-processing. 

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Why Do You Need A Ghost Mannequin Effect? 

You need ghost mannequin editing to create a better appearance for your apparel product photos. You have to attract your customers to generate sales. And in online platforms, a ghost mannequin is the best option to display your garments products. 

A perfectly edited ghost mannequin photo sets a high bar about your brand to potential audiences. It makes you credible to them. As a result, they buy your products.

Ghost mannequin editing allows you to create a potential customer base. So, you need this image manipulation service for the following reasons: 

• Ghost mannequin photos look more professional and polished. This is because the photo editor removes any distractions from the product. So, the images got a clean and precise look. 
• You can show off the product’s actual shape with this effect. So the customers can presume how the garment will fit them. This is especially important for clothing and other apparel products. Thus, you can increase sales of your products.
• Apparel businesses also use this effect to create a more consistent look across the platforms. It is also crucial for the product photographers. Your photos get a more cohesive and professional look using this effect. 

These are the reasons that make a business to use this service. Here are some examples of businesses that can benefit from using the invisible mannequin effect:

• Clothing and apparel retailers
• Jewelry retailers
• Accessory retailers
• Home decor retailers
• Furniture retailers
• Toy retailers
• Food and beverage retailers

What Are The Things an Editor Should Consider To Create A Ghost Mannequin Effect?

A ghost mannequin photo editor requires some advanced skill in image editing.  He manipulates multiple photos to create a cohesive effect that looks like an invisible person is wearing a garment. As an editor, you should consider the following factors to achieve the desired look: 

• Consistent Lighting: Ensure the lighting condition is consistent. Any consistency can make the final composite look realistic.
• Proper Background: A plain background can make your photos aesthetic. You just need to know how to implement a proper background with the color combination of the garment. 
• Alignment of the Different Parts of Garment: Make sure that the parts of the clothing are aligned perfectly. For example, the t-shirt photo we will use for creating the ghost mannequin effect looks a little bit distorted in the bottom part. We will fix this issue while editing. 
• Color Consistency: Ensure that the colors match perfectly across the picture. Pay attention to the color combination of the garment and background. Fix these issues while editing the photo
• Shadow: Pay attention to shadows and reflections. Shadows should fall naturally. 
• Editing Techniques: Imply the advanced image editing methods. Make sure all the editings blend perfectly across the image. Always pay attention to details while editing. It will make your image more realistic. 

How Do You Remove A Mannequin from a Photo? 

Here, I have provided complete guidance to remove mannequins from clothing photos with an example. All you need is to follow the steps. Let’s start. 

You will need the following two images for this example. One photo is for the front side of the T-shirt, and the other is for the backside. 

We will start editing by opening these two images in Photoshop. Make a duplicate layer of the Background for these photos. Now, you are set for the next step.

Now, we must use an image selection tool to select the t-shirt. We will be using the Photoshop Pen tool for this tutorial. Photoshop Pen tool allows you to select any object in the image professionally. You can also use the Photoshop masking tool to make the image selection process more accurate. 

Using the Photoshop Pen tool, we will carefully draw a path around the t-shirt. Remember, we will not select any portion of the dummy. So, zoom in on the photo to get the pixel scale view and draw the path around the edges. Hold the pen tool and drag it to create a curved path around the curved areas of the t-shirt. 

Then press ctrl+Enter to clip the selected area. You can also make a selection by the right click of the mouse and selecting “Make a selection” option. 

Press Ctrl+J to take the selected portion to a new layer with a transparent background. 

Then, take a new layer and set the foreground and background color to white. Press Alt+backspace to set the background to white. And your subject will get onto a white background. 

Transforming into Ghost Mannequin Effect

So, we have removed the dummy part from the front side of the t-shirt. Now, we must add the backside image with the front-side image to transform it into a ghost mannequin photo. 

Step: 01

First, we must apply scaling and liquify the image to make it look consistent.  Press ctrl+R to get the scale in Photoshop. Then select the transparent background layer and drag the ruler to a suitable place to fis distortion. Using these four rulers, you can fasten the up, right, left, and downside of the image to set a bar for the scale.

Step: 02

Now click filter from the top options bar and select Liquify from the dropdown. Carefully wrap the distorted part to make it look consistent. 

Step: 03

Now, we have to work on the backside portion of the t-shirt. Select the backside portion to be precise, we need the neck portion. As we removed the mannequin from the front side, the neck part of the t-shirt became incomplete. We will use the Lasso tool to select this portion from the back side image. 

Step: 04

We will copy this portion by pressing ctrl+c and paste it on the front side image by ctrl+v. Drag this new backside layer behind the frontside layer. Then, carefully adjust this layer to fill the neck part of the t-shirt. Using the erase tool, you can remove the leftover area of the back side layer. 

Step: 05

We are almost done. Now, we will add a drop shadow in the interior portion of the garment. To do this, we will create a new layer between the font side layer and the back side layer.

Choose the brush tool from the toolbar and adjust its size. Then, set the foreground to a lighter shade of black and simply darken the inner areas on the neck part, sleeve part, and bottom part of the t-shirt.

Final Thoughts 

Creating a perfect invisible mannequin effect requires years of experience. So, how to remove the mannequin from the photo is just the initiation of creating this effect. You need a lot of practice in this image manipulation technique to create eye-catching effects. 

Moreover, you can hire an expert photo-editing agency like the Clipping World. They provide high-quality photo manipulation services, including the ghost mannequin and neck joint service. This agency offers the most reasonable price in the industry. Check them out now.

Our Related Articles

• Photoshop Edits Guide for Beginners
• How We Do Clipping Path in Photoshop
• Invisible Ghost Mannequin Effect in Photoshop

FAQ | How To Remove Mannequin from Photo

How To Edit Ghost Mannequin Photos?

The ghost mannequin photos have to be natural-looking. So, ensure the lighting condition in the image. Then, cast a realistic shadow to bring a 3D look to the image. 

How Do You Remove Mannequin Arms?

There are two ways you can remove the mannequin arm. One is selecting the mannequin arm and using the content aware fill tool of Photoshop. Another one is selecting the garment, excluding the mannequin. I have discussed this process in this tutorial.

How Much Does the Ghost Mannequin Service Cost? 

The Clipping World offers three packages for ghost mannequin services. The basic one starts at $0.50 per image, the standard package starts at $0.80 per image, and you will cost $1.00 per image for the premium package.