You’ve got an amazing idea for a product. You’ve agonized over the functionality, the materials, the marketing, the branding, the celebrity endorsement – the so-bad-it’s-good pun slogan. Everything. But before you present your concept to your client or sign off with a manufacturer, you need to see how your product is going to look out there in the real world – and that’s where product mockup templates come in. 

Product mockup templates let you create an ultra-realistic 3D projection of your product in a matter of seconds. Whether you’re designing a smartphone case, a hoodie, a flyer, perfume packaging, or a novelty mug, seeing your creation alive and kicking in its natural environment can give you and your colleagues the confidence to finalize that order with the manufacturer. It can also point you in the direction of crucial tweaks and optimizations before it’s too late. Either way, a mockup is an essential step on the journey a product takes from the drawing board to the marketplace.

All this talk of templates have you reaching for the beta-blockers? Have no fear. Endless tutorials for complex bits of kit like Adobe Photoshop are by no means necessary to get started with product mockups. We promise.

In fact, getting started with mockups could not be simpler thanks to our friends over at Placeit. With Placeit, creating a mockup of your product is as straightforward as uploading a photo to Instagram. No additional software is required, the magic happens right then and there in your browser.

There are only two steps to the Placeit process.

Best of all, product mockup templates let you bring your design to life without the need to commission an expensive, time-consuming physical prototype. This means there’s no need to get all your ducks in a row before you start prototyping. Getting a feel for your product in 3D need not be the penultimate step on the rocky road to a completed product, it should be part of the design process itself. You can use mockup templates to refine your concept, try out the newest trends for size, pinpoint design flaws, and avoid color clashes you might otherwise only notice when there are thirteen cardboard boxes of product in your living room.

Now we’re up to speed on what product mockups are all about, it’s time to get experimenting with a selection of the finest free templates available over at Placeit. Every single one of these templates are absolutely free, so this is the perfect excuse to get stuck in and see what product mockup templates can do for your brand.

Promote public health while putting your brand (quite literally) on everybody’s lips? Sounds like a win-win situation to us. Try out this free mockup of a Woman Wearing a Facemask on a Night Out on Placeit.

Can you think of anything better than a big plate of cookies and a steaming mug of coffee? How about an animated plate of cookies and a steaming mug of coffee with your brand name on it? Now we’re talking. Try out this Parallax Video of an 11 oz Coffee Mug Next to Some Chocolate Cookies on Placeit.

Project your hoodie design into a gritty urban scene where it can shine as streetwear or ath-leisure. And with an immense palette of colors from which to choose, you’re sure to find the exact vibe you’re looking for. Try out this Back View Mockup Featuring a Man Wearing a Hoodie and on a Metal Staircase on Placeit.

This simple T-Shirt mockup is perfect for streetwear brands, novelty shirts and even band merch. Try out this Streetwear Styled T-Shirt Mockup Featuring a Man in an Urban Setting on Placeit.

Jean-Luc Godard once said that “all you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun.” If this T-shirt template is anything to go by, what works on celluloid works even better in polyester. Throw in a dash of neon pink, Japanese cherry blossom, and a chunky media player, and you’ve got an unforgettable template for all your branded merch. Try out this T-shirt Design Creator With a Media Player Featuring a Tough Woman on Placeit.

Acquired a taste for product mockups? We thought you might! There’s a reason they hand out free olives at the farmer’s market. Now you’ve tasted the benefits, it’s time to take a look at the premium options. The selection that follows are mockups that the folks here at Envato keep on the top shelf. These ones aren’t free, but with the quality on display, you’ll soon see why. 

Looking to demo a new website or application for Mac or PC in a realistic and uncluttered setting? This mockup template projects an image of your choice onto a laptop in a serene, white room. An elegant way to showcase your brand.

A perfect mockup template for someone who needs to demo an iPhone app but doesn’t have time for a manicure. Includes light and dark color schemes, portrait/landscape orientations, and fully editable and movable elements.

See your design mapped onto every fold and crease in blistering 4K with this collection of easy-to-customize T-shirt mockups. All the fidelity of a real shirt, none of the ironing.

From snapbacks to trucker hats, there’s something for every cap connoisseur in this easy-to-edit mockup template. Not only does this mockup effortlessly map your 2D designs onto complex concave embroidery, but you can also even add stickers to the hood. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Display your book in its best light with the shadow, reflection, and fill effects that come bundled with this mockup template. Pulitzer-worthy.

From coffee shops to the kitchenette, showcase your portfolio on a MacBook Pro situated in natural but sophisticated settings. Standard and matte effect screens included.

Showcase your packaging with these endearingly delicate product boxes, perfect for cosmetics and beauty brands.

A tote bag will last you a lifetime if you take good care of it. And with the sheer number of shadow effects, customizable backgrounds, striking angles, and color variations on offer here, this mockup template should last you a lifetime of tote bag variations, too! 

Make the jump from the world of online shopping to a brick and mortar high street safe in the knowledge that your company logo looks as killer on the wall of a boardroom as it does on a backlit panel.

Vehicle advertising is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to local audiences while you’re shopping for groceries. It’s also a serious commitment. Before you make any hasty decisions, why not test drive your new paint job with a fully customizable photorealistic 3D render? 

Whether you’re at the early stages of designing a product or right at the finishing line, use mockups to help you invent, refine, and present your products in all the splendor they so richly deserve. Have an inkling as to how product mockups could work for you? Get unlimited access to each and every one of the themes featured in our list with a subscription to Envato Elements.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Envato YouTube channel.

Still hungry for more? Why not check out our guide to the hottest graphic design and mockup trends for some inspiration?