3D box shots (also known as “virtual box shots,” “virtual boxes,” “box covers,” or even “ecovers”) are images that appear to represent a 3D image of a product box. They are in fact just graphics (usually in PNG or JPEG format, but occasionally in other formats such as GIF, BMP or even Flash) associated with a product which is in reality completely non-physical and intangible, such as software, ebooks, video or music downloads, a subscription to a membership site or ezine, etc.

The purpose of these graphics is not to trick people, but instead to simply make a non-tangible product seem a little bit more real and comprehensible, as well as, of course, presenting it in a nice attractive light. If you think there’s any possibility that any of your visitors may be confused by the box shot, you can do as I do: Simply include a clear notice on your download or purchase page (or even the footer of every page), reminding people that your product is delivered as a digital product over the Internet and that no physical item is shipped.

There are a number of alternate ways to create box shots:

1. You can draw them yourself (you need to be good at art for this one)!
   
2. You can pay an artist to draw them for you (fine, but expensive if you need quite a few graphics).
   
3. You can get scripts for Adobe Photoshop that will facilitate drawing the box shot. Generally what these scripts do is take your 2D design of the front cover of the box, and make it 3D. This is generally a fine solution, but it does require Photoshop, which is of course quite expensive.
   
4. You can get standalone software which is specifically designed for creating box shots and ebook cover images.

Authors, marketers and product developers may use these graphics in a number of ways, including within the products themselves (for example, in the title or copyright information page of an ebook), in advertising materials, or as a navigational element on their website (for example, allowing users to choose between multiple products by clicking on the appropriate product box).

Sunil Tanna writes for Cover Factory, easy-to-use and affordable software for creating your own box shots and ebook covers.