Preparing Your Diagram Image: Photos, CAD Drawings, or Illustrations

Start with what you have

You do not need a perfect technical illustration before you can build a useful parts page.

Many merchants start with whatever image source they already have: a manufacturer exploded view, a photo of parts laid out on a bench, a CAD drawing, a service manual image, or a simple illustration.

The question is practical: can this image help the customer identify the part?

If yes, it may be enough to start.

Option one: photograph the product

Photography is often the fastest path.

Lay the product or parts out clearly. Use a clean background. Use good lighting. Avoid shadows that hide small components. If you are disassembling a product, keep the order logical so the photo still makes sense to someone else.

A phone photo can work if it is sharp, well-lit, and uncluttered.

This approach suits simple assemblies, modular products, kits, accessories, and cases where customers recognise the real product better than a technical drawing.

Photograph parts systematically

If you are photographing a disassembled product, do it with a plan.

Group related parts together. Keep left and right sides obvious. Do not mix fasteners from different sections into one pile. Take extra close-up photos for areas that may become hard to identify.

You are not creating a beauty shot.

You are creating a usable identification image.

Option two: use CAD or engineering drawings

If you manufacture or design the product, you may have CAD files.

CAD drawings can be excellent starting points, but they often need cleanup before they work well online.

Remove dimensions, internal notes, construction lines, and details that do not help the customer choose a part. Export a clean view that shows the relevant assembly clearly.

Customers do not need every engineering detail. They need the part positions.

Option three: use manufacturer exploded views

Authorised dealers often have access to manufacturer diagrams.

These can be ideal because they are already built for parts identification. Exploded views from service manuals, parts books, or dealer resources often show exactly what buyers need.

Check your rights before using them publicly.

If you are an authorised dealer, your supplier or manufacturer may already allow approved use. If you are not sure, confirm before publishing diagrams on your store.

Option four: commission an illustration

For important product ranges, a custom technical illustration may be worth it.

A good illustrator can simplify the product, separate the parts, remove clutter, and create a diagram that works better than a raw photo or engineering export.

If you brief an illustrator, explain the purpose clearly. You need a customer-facing parts identification image, not a marketing render.

Ask for clean separation, enough room for markers, and a style that stays readable on mobile.

Give the illustrator the right brief

A technical illustrator needs more than a product name.

Provide photos, CAD references, parts lists, model details, and notes about which components need to be clickable. Explain whether the image is for a full product, one assembly, or a service area.

Ask them not to include permanent numbers unless you need them baked into the image.

Konfigr can place markers on top, so a clean unnumbered image is often more flexible.

Clean up before uploading

Whatever image source you use, clean it before uploading.

Remove clutter, unrelated labels, page borders, supplier notes, and tiny text that will not help the customer. Crop the image so the product or assembly is the focus.

Use enough resolution for customers to inspect detail.

Konfigr can use zoom and pan, but only if the source image has enough quality to support it.

Choose the source based on the job

A photo may be perfect for a simple kit.

A CAD export may be best for a manufactured assembly. A manufacturer exploded view may be best for a serviceable machine. A custom illustration may be best for a high-value product range with long-term parts demand.

There is no single correct source.

The best image is the one that helps customers identify the part accurately and gives you enough space to place hotspots.

Do not make this harder than it needs to be

Some merchants delay parts pages because they think the diagram must be perfect.

It does not.

Start with a clear image. Test whether customers can understand it. Improve it later if needed.

A decent image that helps customers now is better than waiting months for a perfect drawing while every parts enquiry still comes through your inbox.