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lil cactus

How to create a mockup from a photo

Intermediate6 minutesUpdated

Quick answer

Open a front-facing frame photo in Lil Cactus, add the design with File then Place Image as Layer… and choose Layer then Smart Objects then Convert to Smart Object. Use Edit then Free Transform to fit it: for the sample, set linked W to 55.7%, choose the Center reference point, set X to 770 and Y to 415, then click Commit transform. In Layers, change Blend mode from Normal to Multiply. Export with File then Export then PNG… and keep the reusable layout with File then Save As then Lil Cactus Project…

The same wooden frame, first empty and then holding a SUNDAY CLUB coffee print
The sample frame before and after adding the design. Drag the handle to compare.
Time
6 minutes
Level
Intermediate
You need
A front-facing frame photo and artwork. Both sample prints are 1536 × 944 px.
Works with
JPG or PNG photos and designs
Open the sample in Lil CactusUse your own photo

Free, no sign-up. Your photo stays on your computer.

A mockup places artwork in a photographed setting so you can preview how it looks. This example uses a front-facing frame. A Smart Object keeps the unscaled artwork inside a layer, so fitting it into the scene does not change that source image.

Make a framed-print mockup in six steps

  1. Open the frame and place the print

    Open the sample from this page, or choose File then Open… for your photo. Download the sample coffee print, then choose File then Place Image as Layer… and select it. In Layers, select coffee-print above Background.

    Layers panel with the complete coffee-print row ringed above Background
    Keep the artwork layer selected.

  2. Convert the artwork to a Smart Object

    Choose Layer then Smart Objects then Convert to Smart Object. The Properties panel now says Smart object. If that panel is hidden, show it with Window then Properties.

    Properties panel header and complete Smart object heading, with the layer kind ringed
    Check the layer kind before resizing. The Width and Height rows below this heading describe the whole document, not the print.

  3. Resize the print

    Choose Edit then Free Transform. On the options bar under the menus, make sure the chain link beside W and H is on (highlighted green) and set W to 55.7%. Press Tab: the linked H follows.

    Whole W field showing 55.7 percent and the chain-link button ringed beside H at 55.7 percent
    The chain links the two scale values.

  4. Position it inside the frame

    Click the middle point (Center) in the small 3 × 3 grid. Set X to 770 and Y to 415. These are the artwork center’s coordinates on the photo. The print now meets the inside edges of the wood.

    For your own front-facing frame, adjust W, X and Y until the artwork fits its opening.

    Center reference point and complete X and Y fields ringed, showing 770 and 415
    Select the center reference before entering the position.

  5. Commit and blend with the paper

    Click the checkmark (Commit transform) on the options bar. In Layers, change the dropdown showing Normal to Multiply. A blend mode controls how the layer’s colors combine with the photo underneath. Multiply lets darker areas of the paper darken the print.

    Whole Commit transform checkmark ringed on the right of the transform controls
    Apply the size and position.
    Complete Blend mode dropdown showing Multiply and selected coffee-print layer ringed
    Apply Multiply to the artwork layer.

  6. Export a copy and keep the mockup

    Choose File then Export then PNG…, enter framed-print.png in File name and click Export.

    Use File then Save As then Lil Cactus Project… to keep the photo and Smart Object editable. After that, File then Save updates the project. While working from the original JPEG, File then Save writes the flat mockup back into the JPEG you opened; the first JPEG save opens Save Image. Export makes a separate image copy.

    PNG export controls with the whole File name field showing framed-print.png and Export button ringed
    Export the photo preview.

Swap the design without fitting it again

Open your saved project and select its coffee-print layer. Choose Layer then Smart Objects then Replace Contents… and pick the alternative sample print, or your own design.

The size, position and Multiply setting stay with the layer. Export each version as in step 6.

The wooden frame now holds a canyon sunset print, fitted to the same opening
Replace Contents changes the artwork in the fitted layer.

Fit artwork to an angled flat surface

For an angled frame or screen, keep a Smart Object backup before converting the working layer to pixels. Choose Layer then Duplicate Layer, then click the eye beside the original coffee-print layer to hide it. Leave the copy selected.

Choose Layer then Rasterize then Rasterize Layer. In Rasterize Layer Appearance, review what will be removed and click Convert to Pixels. Then choose Edit then Transform then Perspective or Edit then Transform then Distort to fit the corners to the photographed surface. Click Commit transform to apply it. The converted design is no longer replaceable with Replace Contents; the hidden original keeps that option.

Layers panel with the original coffee-print visibility button and selected working copy ringed
Hide the original and work on its duplicate.
Right side of the Rasterize Layer Appearance footer, with the entire Convert to Pixels button ringed beside Cancel
Confirm the pixel conversion before using Perspective or Distort.

What to do next

Photo mockups: questions and answers

Can I use an angled frame photo for a mockup?

Yes, after converting the design to pixels. In Lil Cactus, Distort, Perspective and Warp are unavailable for a Smart Object, so duplicate the layer and hide the original. Then choose Layer › Rasterize › Rasterize Layer on the copy and fit it with Edit › Transform › Perspective or Distort.

How do I edit the artwork inside a Smart Object?

In Lil Cactus, select the artwork layer and choose Layer › Smart Objects › Edit Contents. Make changes in the new tab, then choose File › Save Contents to Parent to update the mockup.

Can I use my own photo for a mockup in Lil Cactus?

Yes. A photo with a flat, front-facing surface works with this Smart Object method in Lil Cactus. Place your design, convert it to a Smart Object and fit it with Edit › Free Transform.

Does a Smart Object make a small design sharper?

No. In Lil Cactus, a Smart Object preserves the detail already present in the source. Enlarging a small file cannot restore detail it did not contain.

Does Replace Contents keep the size and position in Lil Cactus?

Yes, when the new design has the same pixel dimensions as the first. A larger or smaller file is scaled by the same transform, so fit it again with Edit › Free Transform.

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