# Ghost mannequin guide

## The look

An invisible-mannequin shot shows the garment as if worn, with the body removed. The garment is front-on, centred and symmetrical, filled out with air, and the opening at the neck shows the inside back of the collar and the label.

## Build it in the prompt

- Say "ghost mannequin (invisible mannequin)" and "filled out as if worn by an invisible body".
- Structure: "shoulders structured, sleeves hanging naturally a little away from the torso".
- Hollow opening: "the open collar shows the inside back neck, lining and inner label".
- Remove the source setting by name: "no hanger, no door, no hooks, no mannequin, no person".
- Background: "pure seamless white (#FFFFFF)" with "a very soft faint contact shadow beneath".

## Keeping the garment true

List what must survive, from the photo: colour in plain words, fabric and sheen (glossy nylon, matte cotton, heavy knit), collar, cuffs and hem, closures and hardware colour, pockets and their position, stitching, prints. If a zip or button row is open or closed in the photo, say so.

## Lighting

Soft, even, shadowless studio light, sharp focus, true colour. No glare on technical fabrics, no colour cast from the old room.

## Photo advice

- Hanger, flat-lay and mannequin photos all work. Smooth out folds first if you can.
- Put the garment square to the camera. Strong angles cannot be fully corrected.
- Back or side views are separate runs with their own photos.

## Garment types

Worn fabric shows fewer wrinkles than a flat-lay, and a hollow-form shot should too. Ask for smooth, natural fabric with only the creases that real structure causes.

| Garment | What to rebuild |
|---|---|
| Jackets, coats | Inside back neck, lining and label through the open collar; sleeves slightly away from the torso. State zip or buttons open or closed. |
| Shirts, tees, knitwear | Inside back neck and label under the collar; filled chest; sleeves relaxed. |
| Dresses | Neckline back, a filled bust and waist, the hem falling naturally; use a taller frame (4:5 or 2:3). |
| Trousers, skirts | Hollow waistband showing the inside back and label; legs straight and parallel; hem opening slightly visible. |
| Back view | A separate photo of the back is needed; do not infer the back from the front. Run it as its own shot with the same prompt. |

## When to remove the background first

If the old background is busy or similar in colour to the garment, cut it out first with `fal-ai/birefnet/v2` (about $0, output a PNG), then send the cut-out to the edit model. For clean photos the edit model alone is enough; the sample needed no cut-out.

## Quality and cost

Defaults are 1600 × 2000 at quality medium (about $0.10) and made the preview. The 2000 × 2000 square costs a little more (about $0.12).

## Failure fixes

| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Hanger, hook or door still visible | Name each one in the "remove" list |
| Garment lopsided | Add "perfectly symmetrical, centred" and ask for a straighter photo |
| Sleeves flat against the body | Add "sleeves hanging slightly away from the torso" |
| Neck opening is solid, no inside back | Add "open collar shows the inside back neck and label" |
| Hardware or pocket changed | Describe each item and its position |
| Colour drifted | Name the colour and say "true colour, same as the reference" |
| Grey or dirty background | Ask for "pure white #FFFFFF seamless background" |