What Is Product Visualization?

Product visualization is the art and science of creating 3D representations of products for marketing, branding, and presentation. From cosmetics to tech gadgets, brands rely on high-quality product visuals to tell a compelling story—without the cost of physical photography.

By learning how to create product display mockups, you unlock opportunities in freelancing, e-commerce, digital advertising, and branding. And Blender makes this not only possible—but exciting and creative.

Starting Your First Product Visualization Project

Today, we’ll be modeling a serum bottle as our first product visualization project. Here’s how to get started:

1. Open Blender and clean the default scene (A → Delete).
   
2. Enable the shortcut display using N, so you can view which keys are being pressed.
   

We’ll be working with a reference image to keep proportions accurate—this is a core technique in realistic product visualization.

Step 1: Setting Up Units for Realism

To ensure your product display mockup has real-world proportions:

• Go to Scene Properties > Units
  
• Change the unit system from meters to centimeters
  

This step is crucial in product visualization, where every millimeter counts—especially in packaging design.

Step 2: Importing a Reference for Accurate Modeling

• Add a Reference Image via Add > Image > Reference
  
• Choose your serum bottle image
  
• Scale and position it properly using S and G keys
  

In product visualization, working with references ensures visual accuracy and production-ready designs.

Step 3: Creating the Base Model of the Bottle

Add a cylinder and:

• Scale it to around 8–10 cm in height
  
• Use Edit Mode to manipulate the shape with E (Extrude), S (Scale), and G (Grab)
  
• Use X-ray mode (Alt + Z) to select through the model
  

By tracing the silhouette, you’re building a highly accurate product representation—core to effective product visualization.

Step 4: Building a Realistic Bottle Structure

Model the neck, inner cap area, and detailed grooves using:

• Loop cuts (Ctrl + R)
  
• Inset faces (I)
  
• Subdivision Surface Modifier for smooth curves
  
• Solidify Modifier for realistic thickness
  

These are staple tools in any product visualization workflow, especially when developing product display mockups that clients expect to look photorealistic.

Step 5: Designing the Cap and Parenting the Model

Add a new cylinder for the cap:

• Shape it using Edit Mode tools
  
• Add appropriate thickness and smoothness
  
• Parent it to the bottle using Ctrl + P > Object
  

Organize your scene by creating a Collection and naming your objects. Clean project files are a hallmark of professional product visualization work.

Step 6: Modeling the Dropper for Enhanced Detail

Add another cylinder and:

• Shape it into a dropper tube
  
• Use Bevels (Ctrl + B) for rounded tips
  
• Add solidify modifiers for realism
  
• Use Subdivision again for softness
  

Including fine details like this elevates your product display mockup and showcases mastery in product visualization.

Step 7: Applying Basic Materials

Head to the Material tab:

• Assign light grey to the bottle, and dark grey to the cap
  
• Adjust roughness and metallic values for realism
  

These steps set the base for future texturing, lighting, and rendering. Remember, material control is a critical skill in product visualization.

Step 8: Lighting with HDRI for Realism

In the World tab:

• Use an HDRI image for natural lighting
  
• Choose an indoor or studio HDRI to simulate product photo shoots
  

Proper lighting defines the visual tone and clarity of your product visualization. It’s what turns a basic 3D model into a polished product display mockup ready for client delivery.

Step 9: Rendering with Cycles Engine

Switch from Eevee to Cycles for higher-quality rendering. Then:

• Preview in Render View mode
  
• Adjust sample counts and lighting to refine your look
  

You now have a fully modeled and shaded serum bottle—your first complete product visualization ready to impress.

Why Product Visualization Is a Valuable Skill

Here’s why learning product visualization is a career booster:

• Freelancers are charging $100–$300 per high-quality mockup
  
• Brands and agencies are constantly seeking packaging designers
  
• E-commerce sellers need digital versions of packaging before production
  
• Marketing teams want animated 3D views instead of plain 2D images
  

When you master product display mockups, you unlock opportunities across industries like cosmetics, food & beverage, electronics, and more.

From Modeling to Marketing: The Road Ahead

This was the first tutorial in our product visualization series. In upcoming parts, we’ll model more containers, apply labels, textures, and even animate your product mockups for professional presentations. If you want additional resources for product visualization, head over here.

If you continue to follow along, you’ll develop an end-to-end workflow for product visualization—from modeling to material rendering to final marketing-ready visuals.

Tools Recap

• Blender 3.6.2
• Subdivision + Solidify Modifiers
• HDRI Lighting
• Reference-based Modeling
• Organized Collections & Parenting
• Real-time Render Previews

These are your foundation blocks in the world of 3D product visualization and product display mockups.

Final Thoughts

With just a basic understanding of Blender and a reference image, you’ve now created your first realistic serum bottle. This is more than just a modeling project—it’s a stepping stone into the high-demand world of product visualization.

So keep practicing, explore more packaging styles, and soon, you’ll be able to create a full set of product display mockups for any client in any industry.

Want to see what we build next? Subscribe to the blog or follow along in the video series. And if you have questions—drop them in the comments. Let’s grow your product design skills, one model at a time.

The Tool That Changes the Game for Product Display Mockups

In this tutorial, we’re focusing on a website called Pacdora, which allows you to create unlimited product display mockups quickly and easily. All you need are three things: a mockup, a dieline, and a design. And guess what? This website gives you all of them.

You’ll get access to a huge library of packaging mockups, including:

• Box mockups
  
• Bottle and jug mockups
  
• Food packaging mockups
  
• Pouch mockups
  
• Jar, can, tube mockups
  
• And over 2900 dielines
  

What Is a Dieline in Packaging?

If you’re unfamiliar, a dieline is the layout or outline of a package when it’s unfolded. It’s what designers use to craft their package design accurately. Think of it as the blueprint of your box or pouch.

The beauty of the Pacdora platform is that it allows you to use these dielines and wrap your designs around them using 3D visualization. You can even create scenes that place your product in real-life settings.

Let’s Create a Product Display Mockup from Scratch

Head over to the Mockup Generator section of the website. You’ll find various categories: boxes, bottles, jars, food pouches, cans—you name it. Choose one according to your needs and click “Edit.”

You’ll then be taken to a 3D workspace where you can rotate the mockup, view it from different angles, and tweak it however you like.

Customize Sizes and Materials

On the sidebar, you’ll find options to change the size of your product display mockups. Each change instantly reflects in your workspace. You’ll also find material settings that determine the lighting and texture of your product. From matte to glossy to metallic—each material impacts the design’s look and feel.

Background and Animation Settings for Maximum Appeal

Head over to the “Background” tab to change your 3D environment. You can choose from:

• Gradients
  
• Solid colors
  
• Uploaded images
  

And yes, you can even animate your mockup. Just click the “Video” tab and pick from predefined animations to bring your product display mockups to life.

Uploading Your Design to the Mockup

To apply your own design to the product mockup, click on the Upload option. You’ll see the dieline on one side and a preview of your design on the other.

Import your custom design, adjust it to the dieline properly, and save it. The 3D view will now show your design wrapped around the product display mockups!

You can continue tweaking the design in 3D view, including its size, position, and perspective.

Take It Further: Create Realistic 3D Scenes

Now let’s get creative. Click on the 3D Design section to create custom scenes with your product. Choose a scene template, and the tool will automatically place your designed product into it.

Want to add more models? Use the Models tab to insert additional products and arrange them to create your ideal composition. Move, rotate, and transform each item to build visually impressive product display mockups.

Add Props, Assets, and Lighting Effects

In the Assets section, you’ll find props like cubes and platforms that you can add to your scene. These are perfect for placing products or adding dimension.

There’s even an option to use a transparent background, allowing you to export your mockup as a clean PNG image.

Then comes the Lighting tab. Here, you can switch between various light modes:

• Moonlight
  
• Skyfire
  
• Sunlight
  
• Snow World
  

And in the Advanced Lighting settings, you can control the direction, intensity, and warmth of your light sources—ensuring your product display mockups look stunning in any environment.

Rendering and Exporting Your Mockup

Once you’re satisfied with the design, click Super Render to download your mockup as a JPG or PNG in different orientations.

Want to keep the dieline for your next design? Use the Super Export feature to download it in three formats:

• PNG
  
• AI (for Adobe Illustrator)
  
• DFA (for AutoCAD)
  

There’s even an option to export the animation as a video—great for client presentations or Instagram content.

Designing with Dielines: The Right Way

Let’s talk about creating designs using dielines. Choose a dieline PDF and convert it to JPG using any free online tool.

Each dieline uses three color codes:

• Green – Bleed Area: Keep all design elements inside this boundary.
  
• Blue – Safe Area: Place your important content (logos, text, etc.) within this space.
  
• Red – Crease/Fold: This is where the box will fold.
  

Once you understand these areas, you can start adding design elements using tools like Canva. From patterns to brand logos, arrange everything precisely within the dieline.

Download the final design as a PNG (with transparent background), and upload your product display mockups back into Pacdora. Adjust it over the dieline in the mockup editor—and boom! Your design now wraps perfectly around the product.

If you want to know more about product display mockups, click here.

Inside and Outside Design Capabilities

Not only can you design the outer part of the package, but the platform also allows you to customize the inside of the box as well—offering a complete product display mockup experience.

Real-World Earning Potential with Product Display Mockups

With a tool like this, you can start offering packaging design services on freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.

Brands and agencies often pay $100 or more for quality mockups. You can even reach out to local businesses, as every product-based business understands the value of packaging—sometimes, they’ll pay your quoted price without negotiation if the design meets their expectations.

Bonus: No After Effects or Complex Software Needed

In the past, people used to create packaging designs manually, then animate them using After Effects. Now, with platforms like Pacdora, you can do all of this in 5 to 10 minutes—no extra software or animation skills required.

All the features mentioned in this blog are available in their $1 per month plan (about ₹50), and their annual plan costs approximately ₹500.

Final Thoughts: A Goldmine for Aspiring Designers

If you’re a graphic designer—or planning to become one—this website is a goldmine. From dielines to mockups to 3D scenes and animations, it offers everything you need to create professional-grade product display mockups in minutes.

Start practicing, create a portfolio, and begin charging clients for something that’s both creative and profitable. The market is ready. Are you?