To photograph fabric for selling online, create a consistent set of images: one full view, one close surface detail, front and reverse, a scale reference, and the material folded, draped, stretched, held to light, or shown at the edge when those qualities matter. Use soft neutral light, a stable camera or phone, a simple background, and restrained colour correction. Always pair the images with the article number and written specification.
A photograph cannot replace a physical sample or calibrated technical measurement. Its role is to help a Designer understand enough about the material to decide whether a sample is worth requesting. Accuracy, consistency, and useful detail matter more than an elaborate campaign image.
01
Prepare the material before the camera
Use a representative cutting from the article and lot being offered. Remove dust and loose threads, press or steam only as the material would normally be presented, and do not hide natural variation that a buyer needs to understand. For pile, brushed surfaces, leather, handmade material, or irregular deadstock, show the real variation rather than selecting one unrealistically perfect area.
Label the sample outside the image area with Supplier, article number, colour, lot, composition, and date. This prevents files from being separated from the material record later and makes it possible to retake or compare images consistently.
02
Build a simple, repeatable setup
Direct sunlight can create harsh shadows and false contrast, while automatic phone processing may increase saturation or texture. A controlled setup makes different colours and articles easier to compare. Photograph a neutral grey reference or recognised colour target when colour accuracy is commercially important.
- Use indirect daylight or soft artificial light with a neutral colour temperature
- Avoid mixed lighting from windows, warm room lights, and coloured walls
- Place the material on a clean neutral background that creates clear separation
- Keep the phone or camera steady and parallel for flat specification views
- Use the same distance, crop, background, and sequence across related articles
- Clean the lens and capture at sufficient resolution before compressing for the web
03
Capture the essential shot list
- 01
Photograph a full flat view that shows the overall colour and surface.
- 02
Move closer for weave, knit, grain, pile, print, embroidery, coating, or finish detail.
- 03
Show the reverse and any edge, backing, selvedge, thickness, or construction detail.
- 04
Add a ruler or stated scale for motifs, repeats, trims, hardware, and texture size.
- 05
Demonstrate movement through a consistent fold, drape, bend, or hanging view.
- 06
Show stretch, transparency, reflectivity, or colour change only when it is relevant and clearly explained.
- 07
Photograph shade or finish options in the same lighting, then provide individual labelled views.
04
Show physical behaviour honestly
A fabric can look very different flat and in motion. Lightweight cloth may need a drape or light-transmission image; coated material may need angles that reveal sheen; stretch fabric may need a before-and-after scale; leather may need a bend and reverse; thick material may need an edge view.
Do not pull, pin, light, or style the material in a way that suggests performance it does not have. If the photograph demonstrates stretch or recovery, state the direction, method, and written specification. If colour changes with angle or light, include multiple views and explain the effect.
05
Correct colour without inventing it
The most attractive image is not always the most accurate. A listing should set a reliable expectation for the sample. Editorial or lifestyle images can be added separately, but they should not replace neutral material evidence.
- Use a consistent white balance and exposure across the product family
- Correct for the camera and lighting, but avoid filters and dramatic contrast
- Do not remove slubs, grain, specks, mottling, or variation inherent to the material
- Check images on more than one screen before publishing important shade ranges
- State that screen display varies and require a physical colour approval for production
- Retake a poor image rather than forcing it through heavy editing
06
Write captions that make each image useful
File names and captions should carry the Supplier, article, colour, view, and date or version where practical. A caption such as CP120 black, face, close weave detail is easier to manage than IMG_4831. Add alt text that describes the material and view for people using assistive technology; do not stuff it with unrelated keywords.
- Identify whether the image shows face, reverse, detail, drape, stretch, scale, or shades
- Keep the article and colour names identical to the sample card and product listing
- Add dimensions when a visible ruler is not appropriate
- State when an image shows a development sample rather than available production stock
- Pair photographs with composition, weight, width, finish, minimum, and availability in text
07
Create one photography workflow for the team
Write a short shot list and keep the background, lighting, camera position, crop, naming, and export settings consistent. Store original files separately from web versions. When an article, colour, or finish changes, create a new dated set instead of silently replacing images that may already be attached to a previous sample or quotation.
A brief video can supplement still images for drape, stretch, sheen, or hand movement, but it should remain steady, neutral, and labelled. Do not rely on a video alone when Designers need to compare surfaces or download a clear reference.
08
Use photographs to earn the next step
Connect allows Suppliers to publish visual Posts and profiles so Designers can discover materials and capabilities and begin direct conversations. A consistent technical image set makes those Posts easier to assess. Connect does not make a screen colour accurate or replace sampling; the Supplier should still send a labelled physical sample and reconfirm specification, stock, price, and terms before an order.
- Do not publish only mood images with no clear material view
- Do not use filters that change the shade, texture, or finish
- Do not crop out the scale of a print, trim, or surface feature
- Do not mix photographs from different lots without labelling them
- Do not show a development quality as current stock without saying so
Questions
Frequently asked
What photos should a fabric Supplier include online?
Include a full view, close surface detail, front and reverse, a scale reference, and relevant fold, drape, stretch, transparency, thickness, edge, or shade views. Label every image to the article and colour.
Can a phone photograph fabric accurately?
A modern phone can create useful listing images with controlled neutral light, a steady position, a clean lens, and restrained processing. It still cannot guarantee colour accuracy across screens, so physical samples remain necessary.
Should fabric photographs use a white background?
Use a neutral background that separates the material without contaminating colour. Pure white can work, but exposure must be controlled so pale fabric is not washed out and dark fabric keeps visible detail.
How should fabric image files be named?
Use a consistent structure containing Supplier or collection, article number, colour, view, and version or date, such as CP120-black-face-detail-2026-08. Match the names used in samples and listings.