A retouching instruction should explain what the editor is expected to change, what must remain accurate, and what file the studio needs back.
Use:
- Remove temporary dust and fingerprints.
- Keep the permanent material texture.
- Match the approved color reference.
- Do not alter label text or package geometry.
- Export the current approved output.
Avoid relying on:
- Clean it up.
- Make it pop.
- Make it premium.
A retoucher can interpret those phrases in several reasonable ways.
The checklist below keeps the scope, product truth, visual treatment, output, and handoff visible.
Do not force every job into one retouching tier
Studios can use internal service tiers when those tiers are defined in the agreement or price list.
There is no universal four-level product-retouching standard.
Instead, define the actual dimensions of the work.
Use:
- Global correction
- Local cleanup
- Background treatment
- Edge and transparency work
- Product-surface treatment
- Color matching
- Geometry change
- Shadow and reflection construction
- Compositing
- Focus stacking or multi-exposure assembly
- Output preparation
A job can use different combinations for different products or views.
Do not call one combination `standard` for every ecommerce job.
Start with the current row and brief
Before editing, identify:
- Job
- Product or SKU
- Variant
- View or asset
- Source file or capture
- Current brief
- Current shot-list row
- Style-guide reference
- Approved visual reference
- Retouching instruction
- Output specification
- Delivery filename
Do not begin from the filename alone when the filename does not identify the product.
Define product truth before cleanup
Record what must remain accurate.
Examples:
- Product shape
- Visible quantity
- Included accessories
- Variant color
- Label text
- Package claims
- Required marks
- Material texture
- Surface finish
- Transparent or reflective material
- Disclosed condition
Retouching should not silently:
- invent a product feature;
- remove an included or required item;
- change a label;
- change a package claim;
- change the visible quantity;
- imply an accessory is included;
- turn one variant into another.
A client-approved composite or product change should remain recorded as an exception or explicit instruction.
1. Global correction
Review:
- White balance
- Exposure
- Contrast
- Overall tonal range
- Lens correction
- Straightening
- Base crop
Use the current approved visual target.
Do not make every image brighter, warmer, or more saturated merely because a preset allows it.
2. Temporary cleanup
Review the current instruction for:
- Dust
- Lint
- Fingerprints
- Sensor spots
- Temporary scuffs
- Loose fibers
- Set residue
- Support material
- Temporary label wrinkle
Do not remove a permanent product characteristic unless the current instruction authorizes it.
A damaged sample can require a client decision.
Do not silently reconstruct the intended product.
3. Product surface and texture
Check:
- Fabric texture
- Stitching
- Grain
- Glass
- Metal
- Glossy plastic
- Matte coating
- Food texture
- Skin or model treatment when present
The edited surface should remain believable under the approved treatment.
Avoid repeating or fabricating texture merely to hide a cleanup area.
4. Color
Use the approved reference.
Possible references include:
- Physical sample under agreed review conditions
- Approved earlier image
- Documented visual target
- Current client reference
- Current color-managed proof process
A typed RGB, HEX, CMYK, or Pantone value is not automatically a complete visual approval reference.
Record the review conditions when color is critical.
Do not reuse one variant's color correction across another variant without checking it.
5. Product geometry and label integrity
Check:
- Verticals and perspective
- Product outline
- Cap, lid, or closure
- Package shape
- Label position
- Printed text
- Logos
- Symbols
- Required marks
Do not use warp, liquify, clone, or perspective changes to create an unapproved product shape.
When the physical sample is distorted or damaged, use the current client decision.
6. Background and edges
Review:
- Required background color or surface
- Transparency
- Mask quality
- Halos
- Missing edge material
- Hair, fiber, or transparent detail
- Canvas edge
- Unwanted border
- Color spill
- Gray or colored corners when a uniform background is required
White is required for some outputs.
It is not a universal product-photo default.
Use the current brief and destination requirement.
7. Shadows and reflections
Review:
- Direction
- Density
- Softness
- Position
- Product grounding
- Reflection shape
- Required detail visibility
- Set or equipment reflection
- Consistency across related views
A visible set reflection can sometimes be corrected through editing and sometimes requires another capture.
The decision depends on the file, brief, and approved treatment.
Do not declare every reflection a reshoot.
8. Composite and synthetic elements
When the final image combines captures or adds an element, record:
- Source captures
- Element added or replaced
- Reason
- Client approval
- Disclosure requirement
- Shadow or reflection source
- Mask or edge review
- Product-truth check
Do not hide a composite behind a generic retouching instruction.
Do not imply that an element was physically present when the client or destination requires disclosure.
9. Cross-view and cross-variant consistency
Compare related images where the job requires consistency.
Review:
- Crop
- Scale
- Orientation
- Exposure
- White balance
- Shadow
- Background
- Product height
- Variant mapping
- Retouching intensity
Consistency does not mean forcing visibly different products into an identical appearance.
The current style guide and references control the comparison.
10. Output preparation
Confirm:
- Pixel dimensions
- Aspect ratio
- File format
- Color profile
- Transparency
- Compression
- File-size limit
- Metadata policy
- Delivery filename
- Alternate crop or format
Use the current approved requirement.
Do not make sRGB, JPG, pure white, or one dimension universal.
Open the actual export.
Do not approve a settings panel without testing the file.
11. Retoucher self-check
Before handoff, the retoucher checks:
- The file matches the current instruction
- The product remains accurate
- The requested cleanup is complete
- No unapproved edit was introduced
- Related views are consistent where required
- The export matches the current output
- The review or delivery filename is correct
- Open questions are visible
Record:
- Pass
- Question for studio
- Correction needed
- Client decision needed
This is the maker's self-check.
It is not the studio's final client approval.
12. Studio handoff
The handoff to internal QC should identify:
- Files completed
- Brief and shot-list versions used
- References used
- Known limitations
- Questions
- Accepted exceptions
- Output location
- Review filename
- Delivery filename when known
Do not send the studio a folder with:
- final
- final2
- final-new
as the only version information.
This handoff is one stage in a longer pipeline. The post-production workflow shows where this handoff sits relative to internal QC, proofing, and final-file release — this checklist owns the retouching stage itself.
Copyable retouching checklist
- RETOUCHING HANDOFF
- Job:
- Product or SKU:
- Variant:
- View or asset:
- Source file:
- Current brief:
- Shot-list row:
- Style-guide reference:
- Approved visual reference:
- Retouching instruction:
- Output specification:
- Review filename:
- Delivery filename:
- PRODUCT TRUTH
- Shape and scale preserved:
- Variant correct:
- Quantity correct:
- Included items correct:
- Label and package text accurate:
- Material texture preserved:
- Disclosed condition handled:
- Approved composite recorded:
- GLOBAL CORRECTION
- White balance:
- Exposure:
- Contrast:
- Lens correction:
- Straightening:
- Base crop:
- CLEANUP
- Dust:
- Lint:
- Fingerprints:
- Sensor spots:
- Temporary scuffs:
- Loose fibers:
- Set residue:
- Temporary marks:
- SURFACE AND DETAIL
- Texture:
- Stitching:
- Glass or metal:
- Gloss or matte finish:
- Food or skin treatment:
- Edge detail:
- COLOR
- Reference:
- Review conditions:
- Variant mapping:
- Color limitation:
- GEOMETRY AND LABEL
- Perspective:
- Product outline:
- Package shape:
- Label position:
- Printed text:
- Logos and marks:
- BACKGROUND AND EDGES
- Background:
- Transparency:
- Mask:
- Halos:
- Missing edge detail:
- Color spill:
- Canvas or border:
- SHADOW AND REFLECTION
- Direction:
- Density:
- Softness:
- Position:
- Grounding:
- Reflections:
- Equipment reflection:
- COMPOSITE
- Source captures:
- Added or replaced element:
- Approval:
- Disclosure:
- Edge and shadow review:
- CONSISTENCY
- Related views:
- Related variants:
- Crop:
- Scale:
- Exposure:
- Shadow:
- Retouching intensity:
- OUTPUT
- Dimensions:
- Aspect ratio:
- Format:
- Profile:
- Transparency:
- Compression:
- File size:
- Metadata:
- Alternate output:
- SELF-CHECK
- Pass:
- Question for studio:
- Correction needed:
- Client decision needed:
- Known limitation:
Correction, requested change, and new requirement
Use these distinctions operationally.
When a client request arrives after proofing, decide whether it stays in retouch or goes back to set with the product photography revision policy decision tree — this checklist is the retouch-stage artifact inside that path.
Correction
The current file does not meet the approved brief, shot row, reference, or output requirement.
Requested change
The client asks for a change to the current proof.
New requirement
The request changes the approved requirement or adds work that was not recorded.
The client agreement controls:
- included work;
- additional fee;
- timing;
- revision rounds;
- responsibility.
Do not state that every correction is free.
Do not state that every change is billable.
Do not publish a universal number of revision rounds.
In-house and external retouching
The same written handoff can support:
- staff editor;
- photographer;
- freelance retoucher;
- retouching service;
- specialist composite artist.
Do not claim one model is cheaper, faster, or more scalable without the studio's own evidence.
Use the operating model that fits:
- current capacity;
- skill;
- security;
- communication;
- turnaround;
- agreement;
- file-access policy.
External collaborators should receive only the files and client information they need.
Repeat work
Use the prior approved instruction as a starting point.
Review:
- Current product
- Current packaging
- Current variant
- Current reference
- Current style-guide version
- Current output
- Current decision maker
Do not assume:
Same as last time
is complete.
Repeat work remains studio initiated in the current Lenso product.
How this fits in Lenso
Lenso can keep the current brief, shot rows, references, proof versions, requested changes, approval, and final-file context attached to the job.
Lenso does not perform the retouching or automatically inspect the visual result.
A qualified person reviews the file.
Questions about product photo retouching
Does every studio need retouching tiers?
No. A studio can define internal packages when they match its services. The working instruction still needs to state the actual treatment.
Should every product use the same retouching level?
No. Different products and views can need different treatments.
Is retouching self-check the same as QC?
No. The self-check confirms the editor's handoff. Internal QC reviews the current proof or release set against the full job requirement.
Is sRGB always required?
No. It is common for web use, but the current client or destination specification controls the output.
Who decides whether a change is included?
The client agreement and current job record define the commercial and legal treatment.