As a tile manufacturer, you know how hard it is to showcase handmade or custom tiles in interior spaces. And outdoor or pool tile? That’s double the trouble. You need to find a location, wait for the perfect weather, transport everything to the site, and hire a photographer.
The good news is you can get marketing imagery without any of these steps. In this case study, we’ll show you how The Tile Shop used CGI to streamline its imagery production and maintain a strong online presence.
The Tile Shop has been around since 1985. Today, it runs more than 140 innovative stores across the United States. The showrooms offer indoor and outdoor tiles in natural stone. There are beautiful solutions in porcelain, ceramic, glass, travertine, and many more. With over 5,000 products in stock, customers get plenty of ways to update or build new spaces.
3D Visualization for Outdoor Flooring and Pool Tile
Outdoor tiling is a challenge for product photography. It requires renting a villa, then laying the tiles. And let’s not forget finding the right weather, natural lighting, and carefully staging the scene. Furthermore, pool tile is even harder to shoot. In addition to the above, the pool must be squeaky clean and the water crystal clear.
Meanwhile, CGI provides results without this hassle and extra expenses. Take this project with The Tile Shop, where they received photorealistic 3D renderings for their outdoor and swimming pool tiles. The results offer top-level accuracy and striking visual impact. The entire project and its scenes were built digitally.
Custom Tile Rendering
Within this project, our partners got both accurate and striking images to market their gorgeous custom tiles. The trouble is, tiling with complex patterns and textures is notoriously hard to shoot. To convey the details and aesthetics, a photographer must work with light and shadows for a long time. For designs with mixed finishes, the task is even harder. Any complications during the shoot or post-production can spoil the visual effect or reduce accuracy.
None of these problems exist with CGI. We can craft custom scenes in any design style. In fact, you can leave the concept development of the setting to us. Our designers will create the setting for your product based on your preferences.
3D Lifestyle Visualization for Tiles and Vynil
We created a series of images for The Tile Shop’s beautiful products in setting. The task usually involved a lifestyle product rendering and a close-up. Look at the imagery below — aren’t they amazing? Each one helps the product look like a star. Best of all, everything was built digitally.
It matters because 3D rendering saves loads of time. There are no logistics to manage, no locations to rent, and no decor to buy. You don’t even need to send tile samples. All it takes is about 20 minutes to prepare a brief. Just send us the photo of the tile, indicate if it’s matte or gloss, and add a photo of the space. We will build a similar setting with your product in it using 3D rendering software. Basically, you just sit at your desktop and send us a few files. Then you go on with your day while we work on your results.
3D Tile Visualization for Colorways
Getting photos of tiles in different colors in an interior or exterior space is tricky. Within the scope of a client shoot, it is impossible. In contrast, photorealistic tile visualization easily shows color options of the product in any space or spaces.
Furthermore, with CGI for tiles, all factors that influence accuracy and aesthetics are under control. There are no surprises with how mixed or reflected light affects color perception. The 3D artists can ensure that the color looks accurate and the image shows the product at its best. As a result, we created lifestyle renderings to showcase the multiple color variations of The Tile Shop designs.
3D Rendering Services for Collections in Different Materials
We produced photorealistic tile renders that showcase the versatile material options of The Tile Shop products. The designs are show-stoppers. However, conveying that through photography is a complex task. First, each material has its own challenges with installation. Second, each surface behaves differently and requires a custom lighting setup. Otherwise, the imagery will look inconsistent.
With CGI, this is not an issue. All aspects, including lighting, shadows, and camera angles, are under the control of a 3D artist. This way, brands often commission product rendering services to show every option on their websites. Some even use online tools such as a tile layout visualizer.
Product Animations for Video Marketing
Also, our partners from The Tile Shop got a series of 3D animations for social media marketing as part of our collaboration. The animated videos show the products in different interiors that suit their style. Furthermore, some videos show the change of tile in the same setting. This way, customers can see the impact of each color and layout option.
Photorealistic Tile Visualization in Action
The Tile Shop features our 3D product renderings and animations across their website and social media. We’re proud to see our visuals support their marketing and help bring their collections to life. Explore some of the examples below.