Best Flat Lay Background For Clothes- Pick Your Favorite!!

Flat-lay is the most basic form of product photography in E-commerce business. But at the same time, you must put extra thought while picking the background. That’s the only thing the viewer will notice apart from the clothes. So, which one is the best flat-lay background for clothes?

White has always been considered the most professional backdrop color. If you want to keep things simple, stick with white. However, matte black and off-white have recently become quite popular in flat-lay photography.

We would like to say art has no rules. But still, we would like to warn you regarding certain don’ts and dos when it comes to picking a background for your flat-lay fashion photography.

What’s The Best Flat Lay Background For Clothes?

The best backdrop comprises an ideal color and material. Both are equally important. Let’s start off with the ideal backdrop color.

Recommended Background Color For Flat Lay Fashion Photography

Ideal backdrop colors vary depending on the type of product you are photographing. For example, is it food, cosmetics, or clothes? Keeping that in mind, we have found what veteran fashion photographers recommend. Check them out and take inspiration for the fashion girl inside you.

• Pure White

Most fashion entrepreneurs choose a white background for flat-lay product photography. Now, it’s not by chance. There’s a clear reason behind this.

Normally, white as a background is easier to edit. It is important if you don’t have professional editors to do the job. A white background will make your job ten times easier to edit using apps. 

You can easily manipulate the lighting and erase or add shadows if the flat-lay background is white. If you usually take pictures of bright or dark clothes, white backdrop will provide high contrast. It will make the clothes stand out even better compared to other backdrops.

Another important reason is restrictions on certain marketing platforms. For example, Amazon only allows product photos with a clear white background. So, if you plan to sell the clothes on amazon as well, it’s wiser to use a white background.

• Matte Black

Black has the opposite effect of white on the photos. As a flat-lay background, it sparks a story within the image. The clothes look more sophisticated and classy.

While a white background was simple yet professional, black is dramatic and unique. Most online flat-lay clothing images have a white background. Choosing a black background makes sense if you want your brand to stand out.

• Gray Or Off-White

You need high-quality cameras and other lighting equipment for flat-lay photography. But if the background is pure white, you need to hire a skilled editor.

 See, the problem is when you turn on too many lights around the set for a clear picture, it gets rid of any kind of shadow. If not edited carefully, the final output looks like the clothes are floating in the air. 

To be honest, it looks highly edited or fake. You don’t want to lose your potential customers over some missing shadows, right?

That’s why many photographers recommend using an off-white tone in the background instead of a bright one. The best part is that it doesn’t look like “nothing.”At the same time, the color doesn’t distract you from the clothes on the surface.  

Recommended Background Material

Once you pick a color, you have to identify what type of material you want in the background. For example, if your color is black, will it be black contact paper or black vinyl board? Let’s take a dig through the most sought-after materials for clothing flatlay pictures.

• Wrapping Paper

The number one material used by flat-lay photography is wrapping paper. You can choose any color of paper you like. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s assume you are using plain white paper. 

Get a large sheet. Put it on top of a table or board. Use painter’s tape to secure it. Don’t use a fan while handling the paper. It would make sure the clothes or the paper itself is in its original position.

Now, many photographers opt for foam material instead of paper. The reason is that you can use the foam board more than once. Plus, it’s harder to remove every dark spot from wrapping paper. 

You can use that method as well. But, we won’t recommend you because of the texture, which is visible even inside the photos. 

But here are some things you have to consider:

• Make sure the edges don’t show in the final picture.
• Erase any kind of blemish from the paper with the help of a white marker.
• The paper should be placed on top of a smooth surface.
• If you don’t have a studio yet, take advantage of sun rays for the clothing to look natural.

If you want some graphic resources for flat-lay fashion photography, check out this tutorial below.

• Vinyl Backdrops

Vinyl is an affordable material and easy to recycle. That’s why it’s available in almost any shape, color, or pattern. Moreover, vinyl tiles are lightweight, easy to move around, and last a long time. No doubt you will save a ton of money and hassle by choosing a customized vinyl board.

You can even customize a vinyl tile to like faux marble. The only thing you have to consider is whether the material is glossy or matte. For fashion photography, we prefer matte backdrops as they don’t reflect light. A glossier finish might interfere with your vision.

• Marble Tiles

Marble tiles are the most popular choice for high-end flat-lay photography. But the only problem is its price. Authentic marble tiles can be super expensive per piece. Not to mention, you will need more than one tile for fashion photography. 

Also, very few of us actually own a marble table or flooring in our studio. Even if we own something made of marble, it might not be large enough to accommodate your clothes and accessories.

Here’s a solution to that. You can buy faux marble tiles for less than $30 per piece. The pattern looks almost identical to the real ones in the picture. 

Second, you can get printed paper that gives off a marble vibe. This is the cheapest option we have for you. With $30, you can get enough paper to cover a decent-size MDF board. 

There you go! You are giving marble-vibe in your flat-lay clothing photography without actually investing hundreds of dollars. Isn’t that genius?