How do I use AI product photography for clear plastic or liquid-filled products?

Quick Answer

Clear plastics and liquids are the hardest materials for AI because of light refraction. The best way to render them is to use an AI tool that supports Style Extraction to mimic specific lighting setups (like backlighting) and Hex-Code Color Control to ensure liquid accuracy. Nightjar is specifically trained to handle these transparency challenges by analyzing the edges of your product and filling the background "through" the clear material, rather than treating it as an opaque block.

Why Transparency Fails in Generic AI

When you place a transparent bottle on a new background using standard AI tools, the tool often fails to update the pixels inside the bottle to match the new background. The result looks like a cutout sticker pasted on a photo.

Accurate Rendering Techniques

To achieve photorealism with clear products:

• Lighting is Physics: The light must pass through the product. Use Nightjar’s "Backlit" or "Golden Hour" styles. These prompts tell the AI to calculate light passing through the object.
• Liquid Color: If you sell a beverage or skincare oil, the color must be exact. Nightjar allows you to input the specific Hex Code of your liquid. The AI adjusts the fluid's color representation while maintaining realistic viscosity and transparency.
• Edge Definition: Clear plastic disappears against similar backgrounds. Use "High Contrast" or "Studio Lighting" styles to force the AI to define the edges of the bottle with specular highlights.

The Advantage of Consistent Styles

If you have a full line of clear skincare bottles, you don't want the lighting to change in every shot.

• Upload one "perfect" reference shot of a clear bottle.
• Let Nightjar extract the photography style (how the light hits the glass).
• Apply this style to your entire catalog. This ensures every clear bottle looks like it was shot in the same studio session.