How to Do Ghost Mannequin Editing in Photoshop (Step-by-Step Guide)

When it comes to an ecommerce business, product images have the ultimate power to make or break. And here, the ghost mannequin is the technique that the apparel businesses use to show the real style and shape of the garment.

On top of that, ghost mannequin editing is not a very hard nut to crack. However, a little bit confused as you’ve never done it before? Don’t worry! If you want to try the ghost mannequin editing for your online business, we are here to help you out. 

In today’s beginner-friendly guide, we’ll comprehensively discuss ghost mannequin editing in Photoshop. Just read on!

First of all, we will need the images and the right equipment before starting editing. Let’s go through everything you will need for ghost mannequin editing.

1. Equipment and Setup Requirements

Equipment	Recommended Type	Purpose
Camera	DSLR or Mirrorless	You should use manual mode to ensure good exposure
Lens	50mm or 85mm Prime	You should avoid wide-angle distortion.
Tripod	Sturdy and adjustable	You should keep the camera fixed for correct framing
Lighting	Two softbox lights or LED panels	Ensure shadow-free lighting on both sides of the garment
Backdrop	White or light grey background	It makes it easier to remove in Photoshop later
Mannequin	Plain torso mannequin	It helps capture the natural shape of the clothing

2. Recommended Camera Settings

Setting	Recommendation	Why It Is Important
Mode	Manual	It keeps brightness and color consistent
ISO	100–200	It reduces image noise and grain.
Aperture	f/8 – f/11	It keeps the entire garment in focus
Shutter Speed	1/125 – 1/160 sec	It prevents motion blur
White Balance	Daylight or Custom	It keeps accurate colors between shots

3. Capture the Right Shots

You’ll need at least two or three photos of each garment for the ghost mannequin editing. For instance, 

• Front view: It shows the main design of the garment. 
• Back view: It shows the back structure or tags.
• Inner or Neck view: It is taken from above or behind to show the inner collar.
• Optional detail shots: Sleeves or cuffs.

Now, let’s learn about some basic but essential things about Photoshop. It will help you out with your ghost mannequin editing. Check it out below.

1. Layers

In Photoshop, layers are like transparent sheets stacked on top of each other. Here, the bottom layer can be your inside-neck photo, or the top layer can be your main clothing image. You can hide or move layers to get the precise result.

2. Masks

When editing, you’ll need to remove parts of the mannequin or background. Here, you can use the Eraser Tool. However, it can permanently delete pixels. That’s why you should use Layer Masks. You hide or reveal parts of a layer without deleting anything from it.

                             

Color on Mask	Effect
Black	Hides pixels
White	Reveals pixels
Grey	Partially hides pixels

3. Pen Tool

The Pen Tool gives you total control when you are selecting or cutting out your mannequin.

How it works:

• Select the Pen Tool.
• Click around the outline of your garment to create anchor points.
• Close the path >> right-click >> choose Make Selection.
• Feather the selection slightly.

4. Selection Tools

Tool	Shortcut	Best Use
Quick Selection Tool	W	For large, well-contrasted areas
Magic Wand Tool	W	Selects similar colors
Lasso Tool	L	For rough, freehand selections

5. Adjustment Layers

During editing, when you combine two images, sometimes the lighting may not match perfectly. In such cases, you can use adjustment layers. Here you can use:

• Brightness or Contrast to match light levels.
• Curves to control shadows and highlights.
• Saturation to balance colors.
• Levels to fine-tune exposure

You can save your file with a different file type in Photoshop.

File Type	When to Use	Notes
.PSD	During editing	It keeps all layers intact.
.PNG	For transparent background images	It is perfect for online stores
.JPG	For solid white backgrounds	It offers a smaller file size for faster uploads

Now we are all ready with our preparation. Let’s move ahead to ghost mannequin editing in Photoshop. Here we will discuss step by step for your easy understanding. Just follow the steps carefully.

Step 1: Set Up Your Photoshop Project

First, open your Photoshop and create a new document. If you have eCommerce images, you should have a large canvas with 300 DPI resolution. As for the beginning,  3000 pixels wide and 4000 pixels high will work best. Next, you have to import all your garment photos as separate layers.

You should rename each layer clearly. In that way, you will not become confused later. If you want, you can also convert each layer into a Smart Object. It will help you to resize or adjust layers without losing quality.

Step 2: Align Layers

Now you should first try to auto-align your layer. Here, you have to select all your layers. Then go to Edit → Auto-Align Layers → Auto. Photoshop will try to match edges and angles automatically.

However, if the auto-align doesn’t give perfect results, you can fine-tune the layers manually. Here is what you need to do. 

• Nudge layers into place with Move Tool (V) 
• Resize or rotate slightly with the Free Transform tool. 
• Now you should zoom in closely to check that the important points line up perfectly.

We have come to our most important step. Now we have to remove the mannequin from the garment to create the floating effect. You have to be careful with the tools and approach to the professional results.

I) Choose the Right Selection Tool

Photoshop offers you different ways to select the area you want to keep. Here is a quick overview.

Tool	Shortcut	Best Use	Notes
Pen Tool	P	Precise selection of complex edges	Best for fine detailsIt is slower but accurate
Quick Selection Tool	W	Large and contrasting areas	Faster for simple garmentsIt may need edge editing
Magic Wand Tool	W	Uniform color areas	It works for a plain background
Lasso Tool	L	Freehand rough selection	You should use it only for simple rough outlines

II) Make a Clean Selection

Now, you have to make a clean selection. You should zoom in closely to see the edges clearly. Next, you have to use your chosen tool and outline the garment carefully. If you are using the Pen tool- 

• Click along the edges to create anchor points.
• Curve the line to follow fabric folds.
• Close the path and choose  Make Selection.

Next, you have to feather the selection slightly. For instance, it can be 0.5–1 pixel for high-resolution images.

III) Use Layer Masks

Your selection is ready, right? Now, let’s move ahead to create a Layer Mask. It will hide the mannequin without deleting any pixels. Here is what you need to do. 

• Click the mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
• You will see that only your selected areas are visible. All other things will be hidden. 
• Now, you have to use a soft brush (B) on the mask to refine edges. You can paint black to hide areas and paint white to reveal areas.

IV) Refine Edges with Select and Mask

If your edges need extra smoothing, you can use the Select and Mask tool in Photoshop. Here is a quick overview:

Slider	Effect	Recommended Setting
Smooth	It reduces jagged edges	1 to 3 px
Feather	It softens the transition	0.5 to 1 px
Contrast	It sharpens selection	10 to 20%
Shift Edge	Expands or contracts the selection	±1 to 2 px

V) Clean Small Areas

If your image has remaining spots even after masking, you should use 

• Brush Tool on the Mask to paint carefully and hide or reveal areas.
• Clone Stamp Tool (S) to fix inconsistencies in small textures.
• Spot Healing Brush to remove dust or stray marks.

Well, we are done with the front of the garment. Now it is time for the collar or neckline. Let’s get started. 

First, you have to place the interior image into your Photoshop project. You have to make sure that this layer is under the front garment layer. 

Next, you have to resize and position the interior layer. You can use the Free Transform tool to adjust the size and rotate slightly. Ensure it aligns naturally with the neckline. 

However, if the interior image doesn’t match the angle of the front layer perfectly, you should Warp or Puppet Warp tools. It will let you bend or adjust the interior layer with the natural curves of the garment. Here, you should take your time with small adjustments.

Coming for the next. You should blend the edges naturally by adding a soft layer mask and gently painting with a low-opacity brush. Feather the mask slightly to create a smooth transition.

Finally, you have to check the color and lighting. You can use Curves, Levels, or Saturation adjustment layers to match tones. 

Adjustment	Purpose	Tip
Curves	It adjusts brightness and contrast	It works on individual RGB channels for color matching
Levels	It corrects shadows and highlights	It focuses on midtones for realistic lighting
Saturation	It adjusts the color balance	It slightly reduces saturation if the interior layer looks too vivid

At last, you should zoom out and inspect the garment as a whole.

II) Add Shadows for Realism

You can add shadows in different ways in Photoshop. 

Method	How to Apply	Notes
Drop Shadow Layer Style	Go to Layer >> Layer Style >> Drop Shadow	Quick and adjustable. However, it may look artificial if you use it too much.
Brush Tool on New Layer	Create a new layer >> Soft black brush >> Paint shadow areas	It gives full control over shadow shape and opacity
Gradient Tool	New layer >> Gradient from black to transparent >> Position under folds	It is perfect for good shadow transitions

III) Adjust Depth and Highlights

You have to create a new layer and set it to Soft Light or Overlay blending mode to adjust depth. You can use a soft white brush to lightly brighten areas and a soft black brush to deepen natural folds.

IV) Final Touches

We are all done with our ghost mannequin. Now we just need to have final checks before saving. Here is what we need to do. 

• Inspection for any visible mannequin remnants.
• Ensure all edges are smooth.
• Adjustment to shadows and highlights for a natural look.
• Zoomed out to see the garment as a whole.

Step 6: Export The Images

Let’s save our editing now.

I) Save Your Master File

First, you have to save a master PSD file with all layers intact. It will allow you to revisit and edit the image later if needed.

II) Choose the Right Export Format

You should choose the format according to your needs. 

Format	Best Use	Notes
PNG	Transparent backgrounds	It is perfect if the garment needs to overlay other backgrounds
JPG	Online stores with a white background	Smaller file size and widely supported
TIFF	High-resolution print	It maintains full detail and offers a larger file size

Conclusion

As you see ghost mannequin is not an impossible task. You just need to follow professional steps carefully and practice them again and again. If you don’t want to take all this hassle, you can just outsource ghost mannequin editing for speed and precision. So, take your time and consider what will be best for your image editing needs for your ecommerce business.