Graphic-aid

Product photos for online stores, fashion shoots and jewellery catalogues often need hours of careful editing, and Graphic-aid does that editing for photographers, studios, brands and agencies. The company began with clipping paths, the hand-drawn cut-outs that separate a subject from its background, and says it has worked in digital image editing for more than ten years. It has since added graphic design and web services.

Cut-outs and masking

Clipping paths are drawn by hand with the pen tool. The company also does multiple clipping paths, where colours or items in one image must be separated, and background removal that keeps fine edges and the original quality of the product. Image masking covers channel, layer and soft masking, and the company singles out hair masking as one of the hardest tasks in graphic design, one that it says its designers handle pixel by pixel and for which it claims a reputation in European and American markets.

Retouching for retail and fashion

Retouching services include colour correction and enhancement, shadow making, drop shadows and reflections, photo restoration and headshots. Fashion and beauty retouching smooths skin and corrects makeup while keeping a natural look, and jewellery retouching brings out the cut of stones and fine design detail. For clothing, the ghost mannequin or neck-joint service joins the inside of a garment to produce a clean image without a model, which the company presents as a way to avoid the time and expense of full photoshoots with models and studio hire. It also edits car images, including clipping paths and background removal.

Ecommerce consistency

For sellers on marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify and Walmart, where each platform has its own image requirements, the company standardises framing, background, lighting and colour so every product listing looks consistent. It describes taking on bulk jobs when a shoot leaves hundreds of images to process before a deadline.

Graphic design and web work

On the design side it makes logos, banners, flyers and posters for special offers, and magazine and newspaper layouts, using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. The web team handles PSD to HTML conversion, static and animated HTML5 banner design, web design and development, app interfaces and email templates, and the firm says it also works on digital marketing and campaign strategy.

Working method

Work follows five steps: planning, design, testing, client approval, and delivery of the final files over FTP. The company says it staffs jobs around the clock, offers a free trial, and keeps client images confidential.