Drink Coaster Product Photography

The client sells drink coasters in 3 lines, wooden, cork, and custom-printed, and asked AIMI Visual Media in Guangzhou, China to shoot the range for its online listings. We shot 5 images in our Guangzhou studio: the wooden squares from above with an amber glass cup for scale, the cork wildlife designs standing on a small display block with flowers, and 2 frames of printed promotional coasters arranged upright on stacks of plain cork, all in one warm, bright setup under a full commercial license.

Photography Challenges

1. Flat products look flat. A coaster is a thin disc, and shot carelessly it looks like a sticker on the background. We gave every frame a reason to exist: a real glass on the wooden set for scale, a display stand for the cork line, and stacked risers for the printed collection, so each photo shows use, not just the object.

2. Three materials, one gallery. Wood, cork, and printed card photograph differently: wood glows, cork drinks light, glossy prints glare. One warm soft light covers all three, but the printed frames get a slightly higher light angle so the glossy faces stay even and don't mirror the lamp.

3. Tiny print has to read. Coaster buyers judge print quality from the photo. The collection frames are shot straight and sharp across the whole group, because a blurred logo on one coaster makes the whole printing line look sloppy.

4. Warm scene, true colors. The brief wanted a cozy beige mood, but warm light shifts colors orange. We locked the color at the camera and matched every coaster to the physical piece in retouching, so the wood stays honey and the printed reds stay red, not brown.

Our Approach

Overhead Wooden Frames

The 2 wooden frames shoot straight down on a beige sweep: 4 coasters in a loose grid, one of them working, with an amber glass cup on top. Shooting from directly above keeps the squares honest and the grain readable, and the glass does the size talking so no ruler or text is needed.

Display and Collection Frames

The cork wildlife coasters stand upright against a small wood block with tulips and a tiny ceramic vase beside them, a gift-shop mood. The 2 printed-coaster frames use stacks of plain cork as risers, so a dozen designs stand at different heights in one frame: the fastest way to show a print range without a collage.

Retouching

All 5 frames get one warm, clean finish: backgrounds to a soft even beige, wood and cork colors matched to the physical coasters, print colors kept true under the warm grade. Dust and scuffs are cleaned at 200% zoom. Files went out at 2000x2000px sRGB in JPEG (quality 90) and WebP, ready for Amazon listings and A+ Content.

"A flat product needs one thing in frame that proves it works: a glass on it, a stand under it, or a crowd of its friends. Then it stops being a disc and starts being a product." — June, Product Photography Team Lead

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 5-image set like this cost?

This set came to about $175 at $35 per styled image, props included. Plain white-background shots of each coaster for your main listing images start at $12 each, and 10 or more items get 10% off.

How long does the shoot take?

These 5 images were delivered in 5 business days. The warm set stays built all session, so the time goes into arranging displays and matching colors, not into rebuilding.

Can styled scenes go on Amazon?

Yes, in the secondary slots, A+ Content, and your brand store, delivered at 2000x2000px. Main images must be the product alone on pure white, which we add at $12 per design.

How do you show size for a small flat product?

Put something familiar on it. One amber glass on a coaster tells the buyer the size instantly, with no text and no ruler. It also proves the coaster is doing its job.

How do you show many print designs at once?

With risers. We stack plain cork coasters into pedestals of different heights and stand the printed designs on them, so a dozen designs read clearly in one frame.

Can you shoot new designs later in the same style?

Yes. The set and lighting notes stay on file, so new coaster designs shot later match this gallery: same beige mood, same light, same finish. New designs run at the standard $12 or $35 per-image rates.

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