How to Use Graphic Design Mockups in Photoshop. A video tutorial to showing how to use JPG, PNG, and PSD Smart Object Mockups.
How to Use Graphic Design Mockups in Photoshop
If you’re not using mockups, you’re going to love this little graphic design “secret”. They help improve your workflow. Read: They save you time. A lot of it. Not only that, but they look super professional as well. I often use them here on the blog, in the Kimber Dawn Co Etsy shop I run with a friend, and on Instagram.
I purchase most of my mockups on Creative Market and Etsy but I also create and photograph my own. This post includes the use of one mockup I purchased (the coffee mugs two pics down) and one mockup I styled and photographed myself (the clipboard below).
The photo below was taken with a blank sheet of paper on the clipboard. The “Your Design Goes Here” was done on my iPad and added to the clipboard digitally with the magic of graphic design.
What is a Mockup?
A mockup is a file that allows you to create a sample of your product or show your work in a real-world setting without actually having to create a physical product.
The below image is an example of a “product” I made using the magic of Photoshop and a mockup. The only things I used to “create” these mugs are:
- a mockup photo of blank mugs
- PNGs of my hand lettered designs
This allows me to create realistic looking mugs (that only took minutes to whip up)! This allows my customers, clients, and/or readers get ideas for how my designs might be used.
What are the main types of mockups?
The three main types of mockups I use are in the following formats: JPG, PNG and PSD with Smart Object.
How Do I Use Them?
I’ll show you how to do this with a video lesson. This video, How to Use Graphic Design Mockups in Photoshop, will teach you how to create mockups in the three formats I mentioned above.
I’m so glad you asked! Tomorrow I have a post going up sharing a bunch of my personal favorites!
Happy creating!
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Ashley Collins says
October 14, 2016 at 9:38 amHi. Great article! I have just started digital lettering on an iPad with the procreate app? Is there a way to use mock ups on that platform? Thanks!
Dawn Nicole says
October 14, 2016 at 10:23 amHi Ashley! Thanks! I export the lettering from the Procreate app as a JPG or PNG and then open it in Photoshop and follow the video steps. You could also open the mockup photo in Procreate and then letter right on the photo. I do that when I create some of my site graphics!
Jen says
October 14, 2016 at 10:10 pmHi Dawn
Thank you for this great post! I have a question about the lettering itself. When you create a mockup, does the lettering that you add have to be done on a tablet or an iPad pro/ipad or can you letter it on paper and then get it into a file to use in the mock up. If so how do you do that? Hope this question makes sense.
Thank you for being a creative inspiration!
Jen
Dawn Nicole says
October 15, 2016 at 2:35 amHi Jen!
The “Wild + Free” Lettering I used in the video was done with a marker/paper. I digitized it in Adobe Illustrator and exported as a PNG to use on mockups. You could also just take a photo of your work and clean it up on Photoshop and do the same thing essentially.
This post shows how to digitize in Photoshop: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242631498657238703/
This video show how to digitize in Adobe Illustrator: https://youtu.be/26MdKdxvV6s
Hope this helps! 🙂
Pam says
October 27, 2016 at 3:00 pmLove the mugs! What is the font you used? Or one similar?
Dawn Nicole says
October 28, 2016 at 2:05 amHi Pam, thank you! They aren’t fonts actually. They’re hand lettered which means I draw them by hand and then digitize them. 🙂
Pam says
October 28, 2016 at 9:45 amThanks, Dawn. I should have known that!
Sigrid says
March 21, 2017 at 9:24 amHi Dawn, thank you for this video-tutorial. I alwas wanted to try Mockups, but never did. With your help I will try it now! Thank you very much. Greetings from Germany – Sigrid
Dawn Nicole says
March 21, 2017 at 10:31 amHi Sigrid! Bitte schön! I’m so happy you found it helpful. Mockups are such a fun and easy way to showcase your work and save time. 🙂 Have a great rest of your day! -Dawn
Darcy Ringgenberg says
March 24, 2017 at 12:13 amDawn I adore all of your creations!! I do not have Photoshop so how could I utilize mockups?? I work on a MacBook Pro and am obsessed with my Cameo Silhouette!
Dawn Nicole says
March 27, 2017 at 4:10 amHi Darcy! My friend Melissa at Silhouette School has a tutorial for that! 🙂 You can check it out here: http://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2016/04/creating-mockups-in-silhouette-studio.html
Kay says
November 20, 2017 at 8:00 amCan this be done on an ipad?
Dawn Nicole says
November 21, 2017 at 7:01 amHi Kay! Yes, it can (using Procreate and an iPad Pro). I have a video tutorial on this coming soon. Keep an eye on this page for when it goes live: https://bydawnnicole.com/ipad-lettering-101-use-procreate/