Packaging Photography Problems and How to Fix Them
Glossy film, foil bags, shrink wrap, and printed labels all fight the camera, and each one fails in its own way. The fix is almost always the same idea: control what the surface reflects, not the light that hits it.
Quick reference
Problem
What you see
The fix
Glare on glossy packs
A white hot spot that hides the label
Large, soft light sources placed so the reflection falls off the label, plus polarizing filters on the lights and lens
Foil or metallic bags
Dark, muddy or uneven color; wrinkles show
Soft light that wraps the pack, shaped with white cards to fill the foil, and careful pack prep
Shrink wrap and clear film
Wrinkles, distortion, shiny streaks
Tighten or reset the wrap, use even soft light, and retouch only the film, never the label
Wrinkled or dented packs
Waves in the label, uneven edges
Fresh samples, careful filling or support from behind, and gentle steaming where appropriate
Labels that look dull
Color that does not match the real package
Color-managed workflow and a match to the brand's printed color
Curved labels (cans, jars, bottles)
Text that curves away at the edges
Straight-on front, lit evenly, with extra views if the label wraps
Clear windows
Product inside is hard to see or reflects the room
Black or white cards to control reflections, and light from the side
Barcodes and small text
Unreadable at web size
High-resolution capture and a sharp, flat shot of the panel
Glossy packs: shape the reflection
A glossy pack acts like a mirror. A bright, hard light creates a hot spot, so instead we use large, soft light sources and move them or the pack until the reflection slides off the label. A polarizing filter takes out much of what is left, and it keeps colors rich.
Foil and metallic: fill the surface
Foil reflects whatever is around it. If a dark studio wall is mirrored in the bag, the color turns muddy. We surround the pack with large white or lightly colored cards so the foil reflects an even glow, and then fine-tune with black cards to keep the edges defined.
Shrink wrap and clear film: start with a good sample
Wrinkles in wrap or film are best fixed at the sample stage. Sending fresh, tight samples saves hours. Whatever is left, we retouch carefully, and we never alter the label, claims or legally required text.
Labels need to be true to the real pack
Buyers, retailers and Amazon expect the image to match what arrives on the shelf. We check colors against your printed pack, keep all text readable and never change claims, ingredients or nutrition panels.
Plan ahead
Ship extra samples of every pack.
Tell us which packs are foil, metallic, clear or glossy so we can plan the lighting.
Send your brand color references.
Let us know about any claims or text that must stay perfectly readable.
[PHOTO: a foil or glossy pack shot cleanly, with the label fully readable]
Have a tricky pack?
Tell us what your package is made of, and we will plan the lighting for it before the shoot.
[LINK: your CPG photography page, contact button]
