3D packshots are transforming the way brands present their packaging, offering a modern alternative to traditional photography. In an increasingly saturated, competitive market, visual appeal is key, and the right imagery can make all the difference.

Both methods offer unique advantages, but which method of displaying your product online is best for your brand?

Continue reading to explore the key differences between 3D packshots and traditional photography, and which is best for your marketing and product launches.

What are 3D Packshots?

Essentially, 3D packshots are computer generated images created using 3D modelling software. They are generated with speed from your packaging designs and 3D models that correlate with your product type.

3D packshots provide unmatched flexibility, cost-efficiency and speed to brands wanting to catch the consumer’s eye online.

The Benefits of 3D Packshots

There are many benefits to 3D packshots, particularly for brands who need to get their product to market fast.

Time Saving

Getting your product to a photographer, waiting for the product shoot and the retouching of photos take up precious time.

With 3D Packshots, you can apply your design to ready-made templates much earlier in the NPD process – enabling you to see how your product would look instantly!

Adaptability

In comparison to traditional photography, they also have the unique benefit of being adaptable, flexible and scalable. You can capture different angles, alter lighting, and small changes can be made to avoid reshooting and editing processes.

If you go through a rebrand for example, 3D packshots allow you to make these changes much easier than with traditional photos. Therefore, you won’t need to go through the strenuous process of setting up photography every time you need to make a packaging change, saving time and money, particularly if there are a number of SKUs in a product range.

This also helps with consistency and brand recognition for consumers, so that the product they see online on ecommerce stores is consistent with the one they receive!

Interactive Experiences

Innovative visuals and immersive techniques can also be added to packshots, including 360 views, increasing engagement on websites.

Interactive experiences are unique features enabling you to gain competitive advantages through better user experience.

The Ability to Repurpose

The high-quality, professional look and feel of 3D packshots make them great tools to use in dynamic presentations, across websites, and in marketing and print materials.

Don’t forget, 3D packshots are far more cost-effective to create and can be utilised across various platforms and in different forms of content making them a great, flexible investment.

What’s involved in traditional product photography?

Traditional product photography is a great tool for capturing authenticity, but it can come at a cost.

Planning the shoot, setting up cameras, choosing shots, considering the environment (lighting, product positioning, backgrounds), image capture (camera settings, aperture, the potential for external equipment) and editing (contrast, colours, sharpness, imperfections, retouching). It’s a long process to capture authentic imagery. And there’s a lot of small things that could go wrong and take time to rectify.

Compared with 3D packshots, traditional photography is nowhere near as flexible. If there are errors, or you’re rebranding, or you need to alter your labels, it can be very costly and time consuming to change, typically requiring an entire new shoot.

However, when your products include high-end embellishments that you want to show-off, or you have collaborated with a high-profile influencer – you are going to want to invest into product photography to showcase these unique features!

The Benefits of Traditional Photography

While 3D packshots offer speed and flexibility, traditional photography still holds a unique place in packaging presentation. One of its biggest strengths is authenticity. Sometimes, nothing compares to capturing the real, physical product in a carefully designed setting.

This makes photography especially effective for brands that want to highlight premium finishes, tactile embellishments such as foiling, embossing, or textured varnishes, and showcase how their packaging interacts with real-world elements like light and shadow.

Traditional photography can also add emotional storytelling to your brand. Lifestyle photography, for example, allows you to show your product in context. For example on a dinner table, at a party, or in a natural setting—which can help build aspirational connections with your audience. For launches involving high-profile collaborations, influencers, or luxury products, investing in professional photography can elevate your brand image and add credibility.

However, it’s important to consider that while traditional photography is powerful for storytelling and showcasing physical detail, it is best used as a complement to digital assets like 3D packshots, which provide greater efficiency, adaptability, and scalability across platforms.

How can 3D packshots be used across different platforms?

Imagine that you are in the midst of NPD. There are a huge number of assets to create across a plethora of platforms for the big launch, including:

• E-Commerce platforms
• Online and offline marketing materials
• Paid advertising
• Print materials

How do you ensure consistent high-quality across all platforms?

3D packshots.

High-quality, professional digital versions of your product integrate very well across digital platforms, including websites.

It means that customers will have a consistent experience with your brand everywhere they see your product.

Marketing requires stunning visuals. You want to show the best your brand has to offer, so investing in 3D packshots to use across marketing efforts is a great way to be consistent.

Paid ads? Social media? Email marketing? Catalogues? You can utilise 3D packshots across all marketing channels online and offline.

Striking the Right Balance

Both 3D packshots and traditional photography have their place in a brand’s toolkit.

Photography shines when you need to capture physical textures, luxury finishes, or lifestyle-driven storytelling, while 3D packshots excel in delivering speed, consistency, and adaptability across every channel.

In reality, the most effective approach often combines the two. Using photography for high-impact campaigns or special editions, and 3D packshots for day-to-day marketing, e-commerce, and product launches.

By making 3D packshots the foundation of your visual strategy, you gain the flexibility to react quickly to market demands while keeping costs under control, ensuring your brand always looks its best.

Springfield Solutions’ 3D packshot service

Our team of experts work with a fastidious attention to detail to really nail how your products are presented.

Our full service is end-to-end. We can assist at every touchpoint of your product process including design services, asset management, packaging mockups, and 3D packshots.

This means we’re with you, and your products, throughout the whole process. Ensuring consistency and successful launches.

If you are ready to remove the limitations of traditional photography and achieve high-quality results with 3D packshots, get in touch and see the design assets you spent gruelling hours to perfect come to life!