Product references
Product references are the images that define how a garment looks, such as packshots, detail shots and back views. In generated fashion imagery they are the source of truth for colour, shape and detail.
Product references are the images a production team, human or machine, treats as the truth about a product. In generated fashion imagery they decide most of the outcome: a garment can only be as accurate as the references it was made from.
What a good reference set contains
- Front and back packshots, evenly lit, without a colour cast, the garment fully visible.
- Detail close-ups of fabric, print, hardware, labels and anything small that sells the product.
- Inside views where they will be shown, such as the inside of the collar for a ghost mannequin image.
- A colour reference: a physical sample under controlled light, or a packshot whose colour has been checked against it.
Where colour and detail come from
Colour, texture and visual detail come from reference images of the product, never from a written description. "Navy" covers hundreds of shades, and "washed denim" describes a thousand different washes; only the product image shows which one is meant.
What happens when a view is missing
A generator asked to show a part of a garment nobody photographed will invent it: the back of a jacket, the inside of a neckline, the other side of a bag. The invented part may look plausible and still be wrong. When a view matters for the product page, photograph it once, even if everything else is generated.
Common problems
- Colour casts in packshots, which then carry into every image.
- Several products in one reference, which leads to reference confusion.
- Low resolution on details, which leads to logo distortion and texture hallucination.
Reference quality is one of the biggest levers on acceptance rate.