At a glance:
- Introduction
- What is 3D product rendering?
- 3D product rendering vs. product photography
- How to create 3D product images?
- Benefits of 3D product rendering
- Best practices for 3D product rendering
- Conclusion
- About ARitize3D Configurator by Nextech3D.ai


In today's highly competitive e-commerce landscape, capturing the attention of online shoppers can be quite challenging. While numerous factors influence a customer’s buying journey, one popular trend that has revolutionized this process is undoubtedly 3D product images.

With the holiday season fast approaching, online retailers are scrambling to make the most of this special time of year. As little children everywhere are making their wishlists, retailers - and the broader ecosystem that supports them - have some wishes too. Among them is a better way to make their products come to life for shoppers - and 3D modeling and augmented reality (AR) is what every good online seller is hoping to get their hands on. 

We are living in a golden age of product design and development. Not that there haven’t been amazing and wonderful products in the past, but it has never been easier for designers to engage with lighting, materials, colors, and textures. While there are powerful tools out there for doing these things, they demand steep learning curves, large investments, or are difficult to scale. These limitations are holding back even more exciting designs and products from ever reaching store shelves or consumers' hands. Thankfully, that is starting to change. 

The power of 3D models and augmented reality (AR) is supercharging the world of ecommerce. It is being used by major commerce platforms, such as Amazon, Wayfair, Shopify, eBay, and more. It is being tapped by sellers of every kind - from large direct-to-consumer brands to mom-and-pop sellers. Regardless of the platform, regardless of the product (assuming, of course, that it is a physical object), and regardless of the merchants, 3D and AR can have a huge impact.  

The multi-trillion dollar ecommerce industry is moving to Web 3.0 - and fast! Accelerating the adoption is the growing excitement around 3D models and augmented reality, which increase engagement around the online experience - particularly when it comes to ecommerce.  

In a move that further cements Nextech AR Solutions’ position as the leading integrated 3D/AR environment for Shopify merchants, the company’s ARitize Configurator technology is now fully-integrated into the ARitize 3D app in Shopify.  

When it comes to groundbreaking technology, few things can match the pure “gee-whiz” factor of holograms. Ever since Princess Leia’s flickering form appeared imploring Obi-Wan Kenobi for help in Star Wars, people have been fascinated by the technology. More recently, supergroup ABBA has produced ABBA Voyage, a “live” concert with digital avatars of the band’s members singing and dancing for fans’ delight. 

Shopify product customizers are becoming more and more popular. But why? Here’s an example to illustrate why a 3D product configurator is so necessary and beneficial for both business and customers alike. 

Imagine you’re a furniture business on Shopify and are ready to display a new couch that came in. Customers can choose from a variety of color swatches as well as different design patterns for this single product, so it’s important to provide visuals to help them decide which is best to match their existing décor. The last thing you want is for a high return rate on this product if you’re unable to properly visually show off the variations you’re offering. 

Studies show that consumers demand high-quality visualizations, as they expect an average of 6 images per product so, we’re most likely looking at 50+ photos just in this imaginary scenario alone. More products will understandably have even more customization and personalization options, and we’re quickly seeing how it’s not practical to photograph all these options. Costs quickly rack up as you set up studio space, a photographer, and rent equipment to meet the demand for engaging visuals. 

A Shopify product configurator and customizer is your best friend while running your Shopify store. As a busy vendor, you’ve got plenty on your plate and this type of app is low effort with high rewards! Instead of high photography costs, you can start with a single 3D model to display all your possible variations.