How to polish your mockup with studio lighting and materials.

Set up a simple device mockup — pick an iPhone or iPad, import your screenshot, and choose a neutral background like a subtle gradient or solid color.

Leave the lighting on the default Studio preset for now. The goal is to start with something decent and then make it look premium.

Open the Lighting settings. On iPhone, tap Settings then swipe to the Lighting tab. On Mac, find Lighting in the left sidebar.

Tap through the three presets and watch the scene update instantly:

• Studio — balanced, even lighting. Good for clean App Store screenshots and product shots.
• Dramatic — strong contrasts with deeper shadows. Great for hero images and social media where you want the device to pop.
• Flat — soft, diffused light. Ideal for documentation and technical shots where clarity matters more than drama.

After picking a preset, use the per-light sliders to adjust each light source independently:

• Key — the main light. Raise it to brighten the front of the device.
• Fill — fills in shadows on the opposite side. Lower for more contrast, raise for a softer look.
• Rim — adds a highlight along the edge of the device. Great for separating the phone from the background.
• Back — lights the device from behind. Creates a halo effect when combined with a dark background.
• Exposure — global brightness. Adjust this last after setting your individual lights.
• IBL Intensity — controls how strongly the environment map reflects on the device surface. Higher values give more realistic reflections.

Go to the Material settings. These control how the device screen and body reflect light:

• Metallic — makes the surface look like glass (higher) or plastic (lower).
• Roughness — higher values scatter light for a matte finish; lower values give a smooth, mirror-like reflection.
• Glow (Emissive) — simulates screen brightness. Raise this to make the display feel lit and vibrant.
• Clearcoat — adds a glossy top layer like a glass screen protector. Combine with low roughness for a premium look.
• Shine (Specular) — controls how sharp and bright reflections appear on the surface.

Use the quick presets to jump between common setups: Glossy for that fresh-out-of-the-box look, Matte for a subtle, professional finish, or Default to reset.

Go to the Shadow settings. Adjust Opacity to make the shadow darker or lighter, and Radius to control how soft or sharp it is. A softer shadow (higher radius) feels more natural and premium.

If your background is transparent (set to None), the shadow is still rendered — great for compositing the device into other designs.

Export your image. Compare it side by side with the default mockup from step 1. The lighting and material work transforms a flat screenshot into a visual that looks like Apple's own marketing material.