Sound familiar?
- You need marketing images, but the product will not exist for months
- Twelve colour options would mean twelve samples and a long photoshoot
- Customers cannot picture how the machine fits in their factory
- Your CAD screenshots look grey and technical next to competitors' images
- Investors or retailers want to see the product before you commit to tooling
Key facts
- Renders can be made from your existing CAD (STEP, IGES, OBJ, FBX or native files)
- Images supplied as high-resolution PNG or JPG, with transparent backgrounds on request
- Every colour, finish or variant can be rendered from one model without a new photoshoot
- Exploded views and cutaways show what a camera cannot
- Turntable or 360 sequences for websites and marketplaces
- £45 an hour + VAT, or a fixed quote for a defined set of images
Why render instead of photograph
Rendering produces product images from a 3D model using simulated lighting, materials and cameras. It wins over photography when the product does not exist yet, when there are many variants, when you want views no camera can take (inside, exploded, cut in half), or when a large machine is impractical to light and shoot.
Photography wins when the product exists and texture, food, fabric or people matter. Many clients use both: renders for pre-launch and configurators, then product photography once stock arrives. Because the model already exists, a new colour or a revised part can be re-rendered without booking another shoot.
What we can render
- Consumer products: pack shots on white, lifestyle scenes and colour ranges.
- Machinery and equipment: clean views for brochures and tender documents, cutaways to show internals.
- Packaging: boxes, labels and bottles rendered from your flat artwork, useful for retailer sign-off. See packaging design.
- Exhibition stands and shopfronts: a visual of the finished space before it is built. See exhibition stand design.
- Assembly guides: exploded line art and numbered steps for instruction leaflets.
From CAD model to render-ready model
Engineering CAD is built for accuracy, not looks. Before rendering we usually check and prepare the model: tessellate it finely enough that curves are smooth, add small edge fillets so highlights catch real edges, separate parts by material, and apply surface finishes such as brushed steel, anodised aluminium, powder coat, textured or gloss plastic, glass and rubber. Logos and labels are applied as decals from your vector artwork.
If you do not have a model, we build one through 3D CAD modelling. Visual-only models can be simpler than manufacturing models, which keeps the cost down. Very large assemblies may be simplified (hidden fasteners and internal parts removed) to keep render times practical.
Resolution, formats and marketplace use
For websites, a long edge of 2,000 to 3,000 pixels is usually plenty. For print, we work back from size: an A4 page at 300 dpi needs about 2,480 by 3,508 pixels. Transparent PNGs drop straight onto catalogue layouts. Marketplaces set their own rules for main images, often a pure white background with the product filling most of the frame, so check the current requirements for each channel, and whether it accepts renders in place of photographs, before we finalise the brief.
Animations are delivered as MP4 for web and social, or as numbered image sequences for an interactive 360 viewer.
How to brief a render
A clear brief is the difference between one round of changes and five. Tell us:
- Where the images will be used: website, marketplace listing, brochure, exhibition graphic or investor deck. This sets size, crop and background.
- How many images: angles, variants and close-ups, ideally with reference images you like from other brands.
- Materials and colours: Pantone or RAL references where you have them, and a physical sample or photo if the finish is unusual.
- Setting: plain white, a coloured backdrop, or a lifestyle scene such as a kitchen worktop, workshop bench or office desk.
- Branding: logos and labels as vector files (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF).
We send low-resolution previews to agree angles and materials before the final high-resolution renders, so changes are made when they are quick and cheap. Matching an exact colour on screen and in print depends on the screen and the printer, so for critical brand colours we recommend checking a printed proof against your physical sample.
Price
3D rendering is £45 an hour + VAT. Most render jobs are quoted at a fixed price once we know how many images, angles and variants you need and whether a model already exists. Building the model is quoted separately if needed, and simpler visual-only models cost less than full manufacturing models. See prices or get a quote.
What you get
- Still renders as PNG or JPG at the resolution you need for web or print
- Transparent background PNGs for catalogues and websites
- Exploded and cutaway views with optional labels
- Turntable animation as MP4 or an image sequence
- Colour and finish variants from the same camera angles
- The cleaned-up render-ready model, on request
How it works and what it costs
Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.
Tell us the brief
What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.
Fixed price
We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.
First designs
We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.
Refine
We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.
Final files
You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 3D product render cost?
dijitul media charges £45 an hour + VAT for rendering. If you already have a usable CAD model, extra angles and colour variants are quick to add once the first scene is set up. We give a fixed quote per image set once we know the number of images and variants.
Can you render from my SolidWorks or Fusion files?
Yes. A STEP export works well for most products, and native files are fine too. Tell us which parts are which materials and colours, and send any logos as vector files (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF), so labels and branding render sharply.
Can renders replace product photography?
Sometimes. Renders suit products that do not exist yet, configurable products and technical cutaways. Photography often reads more naturally for textiles, food and lifestyle shots with people. Some marketplaces have rules about main images, so check each channel's current requirements first.
Can you render packaging before it is printed?
Yes. dijitul can wrap your flat packaging artwork onto an accurate 3D box, bottle or pouch, so retailers and your team can approve the look before print. It also catches artwork that falls across a fold or glue flap.
Do you make animations?
Yes. dijitul makes simple turntables, exploded assembly sequences and camera fly-arounds from the same 3D model, delivered as MP4 for websites and social media. Longer explainer videos that combine animation, voice-over and filmed footage are quoted as video production.
Related
Get a fixed price
Send a rough brief. You'll know exactly what it costs before we start.