The company car’s paint job is really showing its age, plus we just invested in a new logo and branding. I want to mock up a few different designs before I take the vehicle to a graphics shop. How do I brand a car in Photoshop?

Jasmine Kanter · Updated on Mar 24, 2022

Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.

I’m sure you’re excited by the possibilities of refreshing your logo! Considering the

cost of repainting a car

, it’s smart to take a second to see what the final effect might look like. This tutorial assumes you have a basic familiarity with the Adobe CC Photoshop menu interface, tools, and file handling.

Here’s how to put your brand on a car in Photoshop:

Open the mockup image of your car in Photoshop. The ideal mockup image shows the car you want the logo on with plain white paint and clean lighting. Try looking for one on the manufacturer’s website.

Trace the car’s body with the Pen Tool, while using the Direct Selection Tool to fix the path as needed. Right-click on the shape and choose Make a Selection. Then copy and paste the body into a new layer, and title it “Body.”

In the Body layer, you can refine the area you want to paint by using the Pen Tool. Select the defined area and then cut unwanted elements.

Duplicate the Body layer twice. Name one “Highlights” and use Layer > Adjustments > Levels to darken all its levels. Set its blending mode to Linear Burn. Name the second duplicate layer “Highlights 2” and change its blending mode to Linear Dodge.

Select the Body layer and add a solid color fill. Now you can lower the opacity of the two Highlights layers to get the color and finish of your paint job just right.

Drag a rectangle across the part of the car’s body where you want to put a design with the Rectangle Tool, then use right-click > Convert to Smart Object. Right-click again and click Warp to drag the rectangle’s perspective grid and outline so it fits the panel.

Right-click once more, this time on the smart object itself in the Layers window, and choose Clipping Mask. Then double-click to select the file that contains your design, which should also be in a Photoshop format. You can return to your design by clicking on its file tab within the Photoshop window and reposition or re-size it as needed for the perfect fit.

Repeat the last two steps for as many panels on the car’s body as you wish to paint.

That’s it! And while your car might be covered with a new design, is it covered with the right insurance?

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