Shadows of your e-commerce photos can help customers jump from the product page to direct order. To create shadows all you need is Photoshop – no fancy or expensive lighting equipment. We put together details here how to add drop shadow in photoshop

The real shadows around the object make the photographs professional and believable. But, you may not have the ability to create photographs in the right settings to achieve the shades you need.

You can add natural look shadows to how to add drop shadow in photoshop your product photos in Photoshop with patience and free. The process takes time, skill, and understanding of how shadows work.

How to add drop shadow in photoshop?

The object has two types of shadows: cast Shadow and form Shadow. What casts a shadow? You are thinking. Cast shadows are objects that you will find on the floor or around another object. Forms are shadows that appear within objects. Both types of shadows are on determination by direction, distance, and several light sources. You can use shadows in the form of your object to explain how real cast shadows will appear. 

Before you create your shadows in Photoshop, understand how shadows work. Cast shadows become lighter and fuzzy when they grow further from the object. In this topic, you can learn how to add drop shadow in photoshop. You will learn a combination of Drop Shadow Layer Style, Transform Tools, Gradient Tools, Blurs, Layer Masks, and Alpha Channels. 

Isolate your object from the image background. This time, you need to create a new background behind your isolated object. Set the color of your cast alloy Shadow. Create a layer from your drop shadow. Distort the drop shadow and create an alpha channel. Create a gradient in your alpha channel vague selection a layer Make masks. You can find the detail process of how to add drop shadow in photoshop cc here in this article.

Step 1: Remove your object from the background

Open the image you want to change. When you get to the new file, go to Windows> Layers and open your Layers palette. Cut the object in your photo and put it on a new level. Give your new Layer a unique name that indicates that the backgrounds are already removed. It needs to avoid confusion with other layers and create your Shadow. You can use our tutorial to use Magic Wand to differentiate it from any background.

Click the icon next to your background layer to make the background invisible. That way, you will see your object against a specific, transparent image background.

Step 2: Create a new background on the detached object

Select your hidden background layer in your layer palette. Go to Level> New Level. Type SHIFT + CONTROL + N or (SHIFT + COMMAND + N). This command will help you to create a new layer. Save this Layer and it will serve as your new background. Go to Edit> Fill and fill in the new Layer with color.

By choosing a color from the dropdown menu, you have the option to choose the color you want.

Step 3: Determine the color of your cast shade.

The Shadow has a color. You can look at your object’s form’s Shadow to determine your cast shadow’s color. Find a form shadow in your object and use your eyedropper tool to select Shadow. The selected color will appear as your nozzle’s color at the bottom of your tool palette—Double-click the new nozzle’s color to bring up the Color Picker Adjustment dialog box.

Adjust your chosen color to a darker. A less saturated one lowered the selection and left the color field. Click OK. 

Step 4: Create a drop shadow

Select your isolated object layer. Click the fx function button at the bottom of your layer palette. And then select the Drop Shadow option.

The Drop Shadowbox will pop up on the screen. Pop-up will help you create a drop shadow by setting the color of your Shadow on your forehead’s color. The levels of opacity, distance, spread, and size aren’t as important right now. As you’ll adjust them all later, you can use the screenshot values below as a starting point.

If you satisfy yourself with the drop shadow settings, then click OK.

Step 5: Create a layer from drop shadow

This time, go to Layer> Layer Style> Create Layer to separate your drop shade from the Layer. This Layer will allow you to change the Shadow separately from the object. A warning dialog box may pop up when you create layers; If so, click OK.

Step 6: Distort the drop shadow.

In your Layers palette, select the recently created Drop Shadow Layer. Go to Edit> Convert> Distortion to drag your drop shadow to the floor.

Artistic knowledge comes in handy here. Consider where the objects in the form are in your object. It will help if you determine how to cast shadow reduction normally. And think about the invisible point of your image to determine exactly how your Shadow will destroy.

If necessary, you can select a few sections of the Shadow. Convert them separately to ensure that the Shadow connects to all parts of the object touching the floor. Save time, and let’s start with just $ 0.25 / figure and enliven your products with our shades.

To do this, the blend mode of your shadow layer is normal, and set it to 100%.

Draw a selection around your shadow field. You need to change using the rectangular marquee tool and then go to Edit> Convert> Distortion to edit the shadow part.

Once you are going satisfied with your change, apply the conversion. Use your paint brush and eraser tools to “fix” any edge of your Shadow. Then return the layer blend mode of your drop shadow layer to multiplication and fill that Layer back to 75%. 

Step 7: Create an alpha channel

This Shadow is starting to look realistic. But keep in mind that shadows become more or less blurred from objects in real life. Using alpha channels is an easy way to control blurred and light shadows.

To create an alpha channel, you should go to Windows> Channels to open your channel palette. Click on the palette menu to select the new channel.

A new channel box will pop up on the screen. Keep the name as its default, alpha1. You need to indicate the color and make sure the selected area radio button is selected.

Step 8: Create a gradient in your alpha channel

In your Channel palette, select your new Alpha 1 channel, just as you would a layer. Make sure the icon to the left of the channel name is toggling for all channels—select Gradient Tools from the Tools palette. At the bottom of the tool palette, make sure the nozzle is set to black.

The background you can set to white in the Options Palette. You will find it at the top of your application shadow. Ensure the gradient is set from black to white. The gradient type always is linear. When your gradient settings are correct, set your cursor at the farthest point of your Shadow.

Draw the gradient toward the nearest shadow piece of the object. 

Step 9: Vague selection

Once you’ve created your alpha channel gradient, you’ll see a red gradient at the top of your image. It will show how the channel’s interior mask interacts with your photo. And then toggle the eye icon next to Alpha 1, it will help you make the red gradient disappear, so it’s not confusing. Click the top channel in your Channels palette. Select your color channels. Deselect your alpha channel (RGB or CMYK, depending on your image’s color mode). 

Go to your layer palette to make sure your drop shadow layer is still selected. Go to Filter> Blur> Lens Blur. A dialog box will appear, giving you significant control over your opacity. Make sure the box next to the preview is on to the checking. You have to select Alpha 1 from the Source dropdown menu under Depth Map.

Set the obscure focal distance to 0 and check the box next to the reverse. Slide the radius to a higher number (for example, set to 67). Leave all other values ​​to their defaults. Click OK.

Step 10: Create a layer mask

Select> Load Selection. Select Alpha 1 from the Channel dropdown options. Ensure the radio button next to the new selection is on the checking.

Click OK. You will now see a selection around the gradient’s dark regions created in your alpha channel. Click the Layer Mask icon. The icon you will find at the palette’s bottom in your Layers palette. When the mask you are applying, the Shadow will “fade” as the distance decreases. Ensure the thumbnail you need for the layer mask matches the next thumbnail of Alpha 1.

Step 11: Consider the light source and clear the shadows.

Finally, make sure that there is no part of your Shadow pointing to the wrong side of your object. There is no example of a shadow in front of an object. As the light source pushes, the Shadow is thrown behind the object. Remove the shadows using the eraser tool. Also, note that the shadows on the chair image’s front legs should hit the chair’s back legs. 

We assure you that the easiest way to recreate these shadows is to create a new layer on top of your object. Use the brush tool to draw shadows over your object using your shadow color. Multiply the layer mixing mode and adjust the opacity until it matches the surrounding shadows. It uses a variety of shades.

Shadow variations technique

If you are placing your object in another photo, you may need to create cast shadows. It needs to match the other shadows in the new background. After finalizing your first cast shadow, you can add additional shadows in different directions. You can make it by repeating the steps above to mimic the extra light sources.

You can easily adjust your Shadow to appear on a wall behind your object. After distorting your drop shadow (step)), select the shadow area above. You have to do it with the rectangular marquee tool. Go to Edit> Convert> Distortion to drag the Shadow over the wall.

When you create your own alpha channel, adjust your colors. Ensure that the foreground color is a grayish gray (instead of black). Start the gradient at the wall base so that your opacity and fade are uniforms against the wall surface.

When to use drop shadow in e-commerce?

Placing the product in different settings can help buyers connect with the product at a sensitive level. But if you are using Photoshop to merge the product in that setting, you need to give that product a realistic drop shadow to make it look believable. 

Even if you’re displaying a product against a white background, adding a realistic shade helps your product pop up over the background. And create more realistic professional-looking photos. The structure lends itself, especially to the drop shadow technique. You can add dimension and depth to your product photos without the shoot’s technical lighting aspects. Here’s an example from The Mood Store: Drop shadows in a few pictures:

You will often find it in fashion, clothing, and accessories. For example, Kobashi adds a drop shadow to baseball caps’ product photos to add dimension to an otherwise flat figure.

The difference between a drop shade and a cast alloy shade

Creating a shadow for reality is a much more complex and fruitful process than simply applying a drop shadow to an object. Drop shades by themselves are almost the same size and dimensions as the object. Rarely in real life will you encounter a shadow that looks like an unforgettable drop shadow? Adjusting your shadows to three-dimensional shadows already described above. It is necessary to give your shadows a realistic look.