Guides5 min read
What Is a Mockup? (And Why Clients Approve Designs Faster)
What is a mockup? A realistic preview of your design on a real product or screen. See how it differs from a wireframe and prototype, and when to use one.
Start here
New to mockups? These answer the questions people ask first.
Tutorials5 min read
How to Use a PSD Mockup in Photoshop (Without Breaking It)
How to use a PSD mockup in Photoshop: find the smart object, place your design, fix blurry artwork and export a clean version for your client.
Branding4 min read
Branding a Small Food Business: What You Need Before Launch
Food business branding checklist for bakeries, cafés and dessert brands: logo, labels, packaging, stickers and social templates, and how to test them first.
Browse by topic
Tutorials6 articlesStep-by-step walkthroughs for Photoshop, Figma and Canva: replacing designs, fixing problems and exporting clean results.Guides6 articlesExplainers that help you make better decisions: free vs premium, licenses, choosing scenes and presenting to clients.Branding2 articlesPractical advice for small businesses testing logos, labels and packaging before they print.Tools2 articlesHonest comparisons of the software and online tools people use to make mockups.
Latest articles
All articles →Tools4 min read
Free Photoshop Alternatives That Open PSD Mockups
Open PSD without Photoshop: how Photopea, GIMP and Affinity handle PSD mockups and smart objects, what each does well, and which free editor to choose.
Tutorials4 min read
How to Make Your Own Mockup from a Photo
Make your own mockup from a product photo: shoot it on your phone, build a displacement map, set up a smart object and save a reusable Photoshop template.
Tools4 min read
Photoshop vs Figma vs Canva for Mockups: Which to Use?
Best software for mockups: Photoshop, Figma and Canva compared on realism, learning curve, cost and file types, with clear picks for each type of user.
Tutorials4 min read
How to Export Mockups for Instagram, Behance and Dribbble
Mockup export sizes for Instagram, Behance and Dribbble: dimensions and formats to use, cropping without losing the design, and Photoshop export settings.
Branding4 min read
How to Test Your Packaging Design Before You Print
Use a packaging mockup to test your design before printing: readability, colors on kraft or black, folds and the back panel, plus when to order a proof.
Guides4 min read
Common Mockup Mistakes That Make Your Work Look Cheap
Mockup mistakes that make good designs look cheap: flat pasted logos, wrong scale, mismatched light, overused scenes and low resolution, and how to fix them.
How we write
01
Tested in the real tools
Steps are written with Photoshop, Figma or Canva open, using real menu names and real export settings, not vague tips.
02
Clear about licenses
When we recommend a mockup, we say whether it's free for commercial work, personal use only or paid, and link to the creator's own page.
03
Kept up to date
Software changes. We revisit guides when menus, prices or features move, and show the update date on every article.