Gift box mockup - there are a lot of them around, but most mockups are 3D models. I'm not knocking 3D models, but you can kind of tell, or I can, they are just too perfect. And as I keep saying—perfection is overrated.
Gift Box but with Real Photography
My aim here was to photograph a real gift box mockup in perspective. But I wanted all the sides of the gift box, the surfaces to be smart object enabled. So that you could just edit a few smart objects and add in your pattern design.
That sounds quite simple, but smart objects are only easy when the sides of the object are perfectly flat. Here I was dealing with real wrapping paper, with all the creases and crumples that involves. You can only edit a smart object with 4 points i.e. square or rectangle. At first, I had 5 smart objects for each side, meaning that you would have to edit each of the objects and paste in your pattern. This was too complex. I needed a more simple solution.
Craft Stores Are Strange Places
I took a visit to my local Haberdashery store in Balham High Road. Looking at all the professional crafters, I knew I was out of my depth. I had old grannies looking at me with eyes that said: "You don't belong here." They were like a pack of wolves, circling their prey.
They were right; I'm no crafter. I quickly grabbed a basket and threw some double-sided sticky tape in—a cunning ploy to throw them off the scent. I scoured the shop for ribbons; I'm sure they thought I was going to steal something—eyes everywhere.
I decided to ask the shop assistant for help. She pointed me in the right direction and even helped me tie a bow! I think she felt sorry for me as she smelled the fear of a novice crafter.
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.