Shadow creation service, built by hand.
Drop, natural and reflection shadows that make your products sit on the page, not float. Built in Photoshop, matched to your light, delivered on their own layer.
25+ years in production · Trusted by 1,000+ brands · 200+ retouchers · 1-hour rush available
What is shadow creation?
Shadow creation is the retouching step that gives a cut-out product a believable shadow. After the background is removed, the product has nothing to rest on. A hand-built shadow puts it back on a surface, so it looks shot on set instead of pasted on white.
Search demand for shadow creation is up roughly 1,000% year on year. More brands now want product images that look photographed, and they want the same look on every SKU.
Shadows are usually added to a cut-out. Need the cut-out first? See clipping path service ›
Three shadows. One for every product.
Pick the style, or send a reference image and we match it. Every shadow is built to your product's angle and light.
Clean and grounded
A soft, controlled shadow under the product on pure white. The standard for marketplaces, catalogs and product grids, and the same on every SKU.
Best for: Amazon, Shopify, footwear, bags, accessories.
The shadow your photographer shot
Lit it right on set? We cut out the product, keep its real shadow, and clean the background around it to pure white. No flat, lifeless cut-outs.
Best for: Studio-shot products, furniture, homewares, lifestyle sets.
The glossy studio-set look
A mirror reflection that follows the product's shape and fades naturally, as if it sits on a glass tabletop. It makes premium products look premium.
Best for: Watches, perfume, jewelry, electronics, glossy packaging.
Not sure which one fits? Send the image and we'll tell you. Test us on 3 images ›
Why a real shadow sells.
A cut-out on flat white looks pasted on, and shoppers feel it even when they can't say why. A believable shadow fixes that.
Products look photographed
Contact with a surface makes a product feel real. Listings stop looking like clip art and start looking like a studio shoot.
Shoppers trust what they can judge
Depth, weight and scale are easier to read when the product has a shadow. A product that looks real is easier to trust and easier to buy.
One look across the catalog
Same direction, same softness, same opacity from the first SKU to the last. Your store reads as one brand, not a mix of suppliers.
Ready for every channel
The background stays pure white and the shadow sits on its own layer. Keep it for your store, or switch it off for a channel that wants none. Amazon image requirements ›
Flat cut-out
With shadow creation
Built for the products that need it most.
If your product has a base, a sole, a strap or a glossy surface, a shadow is what makes the listing work.
Also apparel and bags, electronics, toys, and sellers on Amazon, Shopify, eBay and Etsy. Product retouching ›
Three steps. Nothing to learn.
Send your images
Choose drop, natural or reflection. Add your spec, or send a reference image and we'll match the light direction, softness and opacity.
We build and check
A trained retoucher builds every shadow by hand on its own layer. Each image passes a 3-step quality check before it leaves us.
Download, ready to list
Layered PSD or TIFF with the shadow on its own layer, or a white-background JPEG. Your choice, no extra cost.
Overnight is included.
Shadows go back in 20 hours at no extra cost, so a full catalog can go live the next morning. When a launch can't wait, rush delivery is ready around the clock.
Drop shadow and keep-original-shadow are +$0.50 per image on top of your clipping path. See full pricing ›
The same shadow on the first image and the ten-thousandth.
Approve the style on your first images and we hold it across every batch: same direction, same softness, same opacity. Footwear, fashion, jewelry and furniture teams send us seasonal launches and daily SKU drops.
78,066+ projects. 1,000+ brands.
For over 25 years, eCommerce brands, photographers and enterprise teams have trusted us with the images that sell their products.
Trusted by 150+ Large Enterprises
Shadows are one step. Here's the rest.
Clipping path
The hand-drawn cut-out your shadow sits on. Add a shadow to any clipping path order.
Clipping path ›Multiple clipping path
A separate path for each part, so you can recolor or edit them one by one.
Multiple clipping path ›Shadow creation questions, answered.
Read the full FAQ ›What is shadow creation?
We build a realistic shadow under a product after it has been cut out, so it sits on a surface instead of floating on white. Drop, natural and reflection are the three main styles.
Drop, natural or reflection shadow: which do I need?
A drop shadow suits clean white catalogs and marketplaces. A natural shadow keeps the one your photographer shot. A reflection suits glossy, premium products like watches, perfume and electronics. Not sure? Send the image and we'll tell you.
How much does shadow creation cost?
A drop shadow or keeping your original shadow is +$0.50 per image on top of your clipping path. Reflection shadows are priced by product shape, so send a few images for a quote.
Are the shadows made by hand or by AI?
By hand. Our retouchers build every shadow in Photoshop and match it to your product's angle and light direction, so it looks photographed rather than generated.
Can I get the shadow on a separate layer?
Yes. Ask for a layered PSD or TIFF and the shadow comes on its own layer, so you can change its opacity or place the product on a new background.
Will my images meet Amazon and Shopify rules?
Marketplace rules vary by category and change over time, so tell us the channel and we build to its spec. We keep the background pure white (#FFFFFF) and the shadow soft, so the product stays the focus. See the Amazon image requirements.
Can you keep the shadow style consistent across my catalog?
Yes. Approve the style on your first images and we apply the same direction, softness and opacity to every image in every batch.
How fast can you deliver?
48-hour and 20-hour overnight delivery are included. Rush options are 10 hours (+70%), 4 hours (+200%) and 1 hour (+300%).
Can I test the service first, and who owns the files?
Yes. Send 3 images through the free trial and judge the shadows on your own products. Revisions are free, and you own 100% of every delivered file.
Test us on 3 images. Pay nothing.
Send three products and see them grounded with drop, natural or reflection shadows before you commit to a batch.
NDA on request · Free revisions · You own every file