# Turn one product image into a complete campaign with Ideogram Ideogram publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://ideogram.ai/agents/agent-access. Source: https://ideogram.ai/blog/ai-product-photography-workflow/ Source observed: 2026-11-03T18:37:01.821Z Last checked: 2026-11-08T15:45:18.491+00:00 Indexed: 2026-11-03T18:40:47.453+00:00 --- # Turn one product image into a complete campaign with Ideogram **Workflow guide · Zeyad Genena · Oct 26, 2026 · Last updated: Oct 26, 2026 · 16 min read** We show how to create product heroes, lifestyle scenes, retail mockups, website banners, and social ads from one clear product reference while keeping the product recognizable. The example uses an invented oat-crunch product in a cream-and-lavender carton. Its name, package, campaign, and imagery are fictional demo data, not a real customer campaign or generated result. ![Illustrative workflow for a fictional oat-crunch carton moving from product reference to retail scene to campaign layout](https://storage.googleapis.com/ideogram-static/website/images/2e4336ab044d0d26.svg) The workflow separates product identity from campaign decisions. Product identity includes the wordmark, flavor, front-panel artwork, and carton proportions. Campaign decisions include the table, lighting, props, and camera framing. ## Workflow at a glance 1. Define the campaign and product. 2. Prepare a reliable product reference. 3. Choose reference-based generation or compositing. 4. Create and review a first product scene. 5. Build campaign variations. 6. Refine the image and copy. 7. Adapt layouts for each format. 8. Review and export. ## 1. Define the campaign and the product A short brief establishes the audience, setting, camera, hierarchy, deliverables, and review standard. The fictional example is a calm breakfast campaign featuring maple-and-cinnamon oat clusters, warm daylight, simple surfaces, cream backgrounds, and lavender accents. Deliverables are a product hero, breakfast-table image, shelf concept, portrait social ad, and wide banner. | Decision | Fictional example | |---|---| | Product identity | Tall cream carton, lavender lower panel, sunrise symbol, product wordmark, and short flavor line | | Campaign setting | Quiet breakfast at home with natural light and few props | | Visual priority | Keep the package front visible and readable; food supports rather than obscures it | | Copy plan | Reserve clear space for a short, editable headline | | Review standard | Compare every depiction with the source reference before selecting a scene | ## 2. Prepare a reliable product reference Start with a sharp image of the complete package, visible front panel, minimal obstruction, and even lighting. A straight-on packshot suits a front-facing composition; a three-quarter photograph helps when the scene should show the side. - Use the current package version and exact flavor or variant. - Keep box edges inside the frame and remove distractions. - Add another angle when it clarifies the product, and identify what each reference contributes. - Keep the approved source image beside generated results during review. For a concept product, resolve the main design choices in a mockup first. A printable package still needs its own production process, including the correct dieline, approved copy, and print specifications. ## 3. Choose generation or compositing ### Use a reference to explore the scene In the Image app, choose [Ideogram 4.5](https://ideogram.ai/models/4.5/) or Auto and add the package under **Reference images**. These options accept product references; standard Ideogram 4.0 and 3.0 do not. A reference can guide camera angle, environment, lighting, and art direction, but small words, logos, edges, and repeated packages can still change. See the [reference images guide](https://docs.ideogram.ai/create/reference-images). ### Composite the original package when artwork must remain intact Generate the background separately, remove the approved package image's background, and place the cutout as an image layer in Studio. Match camera angle and light direction, then check edges, scale, contact shadow, and perspective. An unchanged label can still look misplaced in an incompatible scene. Follow the [background replacement workflow](https://docs.ideogram.ai/edit/remove-backgrounds-and-objects#put-a-subject-on-a-new-background). ## 4. Create the first product scene Begin with a clean studio hero: one carton, a soft shadow, and room beside it. 1. Open the Image app, select Ideogram 4.5, and attach the approved product reference. 2. Describe the setting, package placement, camera view, lighting, and empty space. 3. Choose **Size** options such as Auto, Source image size, or Custom. 4. Generate several directions and compare each with the original package. 5. Save the selected version and record its prompt, reference, and layout decisions. Review the product first: name, flavor line, artwork, silhouette, and object count. Then review light, surface, shadow, camera angle, and space for copy. Return to the same approved reference for subsequent scenes rather than repeatedly passing one generation into another. ## 5. Six campaign prompts Attach your product reference before using these prompts. Replace the demo product and scene details with your own brief, and visually check the result. ### 1. Clean product hero > Place the referenced oat-crunch carton upright on a warm ivory studio surface, front panel facing the camera, soft daylight from the upper left, gentle contact shadow. Keep the carton proportions and front-panel design consistent with the reference. Leave open space on the right. No additional lettering or props. Review the silhouette, wordmark, flavor line, lavender panel, edges, and any rewritten label. ### 2. Breakfast-table lifestyle image > Place the referenced carton on a pale oak breakfast table beside a small ceramic bowl of oat clusters. Quiet morning light from a window on the left, cream linen napkin, a simple spoon, restrained styling. Show the package front clearly and leave the upper right uncluttered. No added text. Check the food, bowl, portion, spoon, box scale, and light direction together. ### 3. Retail shelf concept > Show three identical copies of the referenced carton in one neat row at eye level on a clean grocery shelf. Keep the front panels visible, carton sizes equal, and lavender-and-cream identity consistent. Surround them with softly blurred, unbranded cartons in neutral colors. Natural store lighting, straight-on camera. No price labels or promotional signs. Inspect every carton, including edge and background packs. This is a visual direction demo; a real shelf test needs real dimensions and neighboring products. ### 4. Portrait social ad > Create a portrait campaign scene using the referenced carton in the lower half, standing on a pale lavender plinth. Warm cream background, soft sunlight, a few oat clusters beside the base. Leave the upper third calm and empty for a headline and leave clear space below the product for a small call to action. No generated headline or extra lettering. Keep the product clear of interface and safe areas. Add approved copy separately and check the ad at phone size. ### 5. Wide website banner > Create a wide breakfast campaign image. Put the referenced carton and a small bowl of oat clusters in the right third on a pale stone counter. Soft morning light, cream and lavender palette. Keep the entire left half a simple, softly lit wall for website copy. Keep the product fully inside the frame. No additional text. Preview the real heading, button, responsive crop, and narrow-screen result. ### 6. Seasonal variation > Use the referenced carton in a warm autumn breakfast setting. Keep the carton design unchanged. Add a rust-colored linen cloth, a plain ceramic bowl of oat clusters, and soft late-morning light. Use restrained seasonal styling with no extra ingredients or decorations on the package. Leave open space above the product. No added lettering. Check for unintended flavor changes or claims. Seasonal props should not imply another product or formulation. For compositing, turn the scene prompt into a background brief, leave a clear place for the package, and add the original cutout afterward. ## 6. Refine the image and copy Make one intentional change at a time. On an image page, **Edit** opens Precise Edit; use a mask for a local problem such as an unwanted prop or background area. See [Edit Images](https://docs.ideogram.ai/edit/edit). Open **More → Studio**, upload the scene, and add images as layers. Keep the original package cutout separate. Add headline and call to action as editable text. For the fictional demo ad, “MAKE ROOM FOR MORNING” is sample copy. [Studio guide](https://docs.ideogram.ai/edit/studio) [Layerize text](https://ideogram.ai/features/text-layers/) can reconstruct detected text as editable layers, but it is beta, may miss decorative or embedded text, and does not support custom font uploads. Preserve original package artwork when exact lettering matters. See the [text and layers documentation](https://docs.ideogram.ai/edit/text-and-layers). ## 7. Adapt the layout for each format | Composition | Example working canvas | Layout decision | |---|---:|---| | Square | 1024 × 1024 | Center or deliberately offset the product; keep the wordmark readable in a small preview | | Portrait, 4:5 | 1024 × 1280 | Put the product below the headline area and leave space for the call to action | | Vertical, 9:16 | 864 × 1536 | Build space around the product and check top and bottom interface areas | | Wide, 16:9 | 1536 × 864 | Put the product to one side and reserve the other for website copy | These are example working canvases, not universal advertising specifications. They use multiples of 32 for 4.5 Custom size controls. Check destination dimensions, file limits, crop behavior, and safe areas. Recompose each format rather than tightly cropping a portrait asset. Use approved translations for other languages and verify line length, hierarchy, legibility, and the correct market package version. ## 8. Review and export Review every asset beside the source package and in its intended placement. - **Product:** wordmark, flavor, shape, colors, artwork, and quantity. - **Food:** texture, portion, ingredients, and relationship to the real product contents. - **Scene:** camera angle, scale, lighting, shadows, and object placement. - **Copy:** approved wording, hierarchy, spelling, and contrast. - **Placement:** dimensions, crop, safe areas, format, and file size. - **Handoff:** clearly named final export, original sources, and editable Studio version. Use **Download** on an image page or **Export** in Studio. Use PNG for a transparent cutout and the destination's accepted format for a flattened asset. See the [download guide](https://docs.ideogram.ai/organize-and-share/download). Upscaling increases dimensions but does not verify packaging or repair words; inspect edges and lettering afterward using the [Upscale documentation](https://docs.ideogram.ai/edit/upscale). A sample handoff name is `oat-crunch-maple-portrait-kitchen-v03`. ## Common problems and what to change | Problem | Check | Next step | |---|---|---| | Label changes between images | Original packshot beside every result | Return to the approved reference; use the original cutout when exact artwork is required | | Box looks pasted into scene | Light, viewing angle, edges, scale, contact shadow | Choose a compatible background and refine before adding copy | | Food looks like a different product | Shape, texture, ingredients, serving reference | Use a clearer food reference or approved serving photograph; simplify | | No room for headline | Composition before text | Recompose with empty space and fewer props; keep headline separate | | Shelf contains inconsistent boxes | Every repeated front panel | Reduce repetition or use a controlled layout with the approved asset | | Wide version crops product | Website container and mobile breakpoint | Create a dedicated horizontal or mobile layout | ## Frequently asked questions **Can we use a real product photograph?** Yes. Use an image you are authorized to work with, choose Ideogram 4.5 or Auto, and describe the new scene. If the label must remain exact, composite the package cutout over a separate background. **Will a reference preserve every word?** Inspect every result. Small text, logos, and repeated packages can change. Preserve essential labeling in a layered composition and proofread the final asset. **Can we create the package concept first?** Yes. Explore carton, palette, typography, and hierarchy, then use a coherent concept as a scene reference. A generated mockup is a visual concept, not a printable packaging file. **Do we need a custom model?** No. Start with a product reference and the tools described here. [Custom Image Models](https://ideogram.ai/models/custom-models/) are a separate option for broader brand-specific workflows. **Can every step be done on the free plan?** Check [current plans](https://ideogram.ai/pricing/) and **Settings → Usage costs**. Generation, precise editing, background removal, upscaling, and export have different access and credit requirements; Studio uses credits without showing a price on Generate buttons. Free generations are public. Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise keep new images private until publication; Legacy Basic behaves differently. See the [plans and credits guide](https://docs.ideogram.ai/plans-and-billing/available-plans). Start with one product and one strong scene, then build the campaign from the approved package, lighting, and composition decisions. [Try Ideogram](https://ideogram.ai/signup?intent=app&source=blog-product-photography-end) · [Explore Ideogram 4.5](https://ideogram.ai/models/4.5/) Article by [Zeyad Genena](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeyadgenena/), technical writer for Ideogram. 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