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What Are Mockups?

A mockup is a photo or 3D scene built so you can drop your own design into it. Think of a blank T-shirt, a coffee bag or a phone screen that you can “dress” with a logo, a label or an app screen in a couple of clicks. The result looks like a real product shot, without the product or the photographer.

Why designers use them

Clients react to a label on a bottle far better than to a flat PDF. A mockup shows scale, material and context, and it helps catch problems early. Text that looked fine on screen might be unreadable on a 5cm sachet. They’re also the backbone of most portfolios on Behance and Dribbble.

Common formats

  • PSD: the standard mockup format. You edit it in Adobe Photoshop using smart objects.
  • Smart object: the layer you double-click to place your design. The mockup keeps the shadows, light and texture on top.
  • Adjustment layers: most files add layers for background colour, shadows and highlights so you can match your brand.

Ready to try one? Here’s how to use a PSD mockup step by step.