06 | 'Transparency' alone results in plastic. Texture prompt design for fictional cosmetic ads | Airi-chan
Introduction
A transparent bottle, a plump gel, soft light. This combination creates a strong urge to 'touch it' the moment you see it.
However, if you just list 'transparent, glossy, shiny' in your prompt, glass and gel can sometimes both end up looking like plastic.
I've got the image! This time, instead of ending the texture description with adjectives, we will design it down to 'how it lets light through and how it reflects it'.
In the 2026 design trends announced by Canva, 'Texture Check' is introduced, which brings glass, translucent, wax, and hyper-realistic material textures to the forefront. It is reported that searches related to 'soft neutral backgrounds' and 'tactile design' within Canva have increased by 30% year-on-year, with approximately 16 million impressions.
Why 'transparency' alone is not enough
Transparent materials have multiple ways of appearing.
Transparent glass: The background is relatively clearly visible through it
Frosted glass: Lets light through, but the background is blurred
Gel: Light scatters inside, and the contours are soft
Acrylic: Hard, with clear contours and reflections
Wax: Translucent, but the spread of light is dull
If you specify all of these as 'glossy' and 'transparent', only the strong surface reflections will be emphasized in common. Therefore, we will separate transmission, internal scattering, refraction, reflection, and grounding for each material.
Design of this example
The protagonist is a completely fictional serum bottle.
Bottle: Milky frosted glass
Contents: Transparent with the liquid level faintly visible
Cap: Matte ivory
Base: Translucent coral gel
Light source: Large diffused backlight from the upper left
Grounding: One dark area at the base and a soft shadow
The key is not to increase the transparent material, but to separate the roles.
Complete natural language prompt
完全に架空の美容液を主役にした、上質でミニマルな縦型4:5の商品広告画像。ラベル、文字、ロゴ、記号のない、透明な液体が入った円筒形の曇りガラス製スポイトボトルを1本だけ、画面右寄りに立てる。マットなアイボリー色の無地キャップを使用する。
ボトルは、表面がゆるく波打つ半透明のコーラルピンクのジェル台座へ接地させる。背景はミントから淡い水色へ変化する継ぎ目のないスタジオ背景。左上には文字を後から置ける広い余白を残す。
左上からの大きく拡散した逆光を使い、ジェルには柔らかな透過光、内部散乱、自然な屈折、床面への控えめなコースティクスを作る。曇りガラスは乳白色の半透明を保ち、輪郭に柔らかなハイライトを入れ、液面をかすかに見せる。ボトルと台座の接地を明確にし、やわらかな影を1つだけ作る。台座の近くに透明な水滴を3つだけ配置する。
清潔で静かな日本の美容エディトリアル、写実的なスタジオ写真。アイボリー、コーラルピンク、ミント、淡い水色、ソフトブラックの限定配色。人物、手、花、果物、葉、追加商品、ラベル、文字、ロゴ、ブランド、実在商品を想起させる包装、透かしは入れない。プラスチックのようなガラス、白飛び、強い鏡面反射、宙に浮く商品、歪んだ容器、曲がったキャップ、過度な光沢、派手な水しぶきを避ける。JSON variable example
{
"product": "ラベルのない円筒形の曇りガラス製美容液ボトル1本",
"product_material": "乳白色の半透明な曇りガラス。透明な液体の高さがかすかに見える",
"cap": "無地でマットなアイボリー色のスポイトキャップ",
"support": "表面がゆるく波打つ半透明のコーラルピンクのジェル台座",
"background": "ミントから淡い水色へ変化する継ぎ目のないスタジオ背景",
"composition": "商品を中央右へ配置し、左上に広い文字用余白を残す",
"lighting": "左上からの大きく拡散した逆光",
"material_response": ["ジェルの柔らかな透過光と内部散乱", "自然な屈折と控えめなコースティクス", "曇りガラスの柔らかな輪郭ハイライト", "接地面に一つの柔らかな影"],
"accent_props": "透明な水滴を3つだけ",
"palette": ["ivory", "coral pink", "mint", "pale blue", "soft charcoal"],
"aspect_ratio": "4:5 vertical",
"negative_constraints": ["people", "hands", "flowers", "fruit", "leaves", "extra products", "labels", "text", "logos", "brands", "recognizable packaging", "watermarks", "plastic-looking glass", "blown highlights", "harsh mirror reflections", "floating product", "warped bottle", "crooked cap", "excessive gloss", "splash effects"]
}Jinja2 template
完全に架空の{{ product }}を主役にした、上質でミニマルな商品広告画像。商品の素材は{{ product_material }}。{{ cap }}を使う。
商品を{{ support }}へ明確に接地させる。背景は{{ background }}。構図は{{ composition }}。
光源は{{ lighting }}。{% for rule in material_response %}{{ rule }}{% if not loop.last %}、{% endif %}{% endfor %}を物理的に整合させる。{{ accent_props }}を配置する。
配色は{% for color in palette %}{{ color }}{% if not loop.last %}、{% endif %}{% endfor %}に限定する。比率は{{ aspect_ratio }}。清潔で静かな日本の美容エディトリアル、写実的なスタジオ写真。
{% for item in negative_constraints %}{{ item }}{% if not loop.last %}、{% endif %}{% endfor %}を避ける。Generate after confirming there are no unreplaced variables, nulls, or empty strings.
Derivations by usage, composition, size, and color scheme
Product category
Lotion: Tall transparent bottle, light liquid
Cream: Semi-transparent jar, wax-style pedestal
Perfume: Transparent glass, hard acrylic pedestal
Hair oil: Amber glass, honey-colored gel pedestal
Sundries: Semi-transparent acrylic product, colored resin pedestal
Media
X/Instagram: 4:5, product in center-right, margin in top-left
note header: 16:9, product in right 1/3, margin in left half
Pinterest: 2:3, arrange product and pedestal vertically
EC: 1:1, product in center, even margins
Color scheme
Refreshing: Mint, pale blue, white, coral
Elegant: Ivory, light gray, dusty pink
Night care: Navy, light purple, transparent, silver-gray
Botanical: Sage, amber, off-white, deep green
Common mistakes and corrections
Glass looks like plastic
容器の表面を均一なプラスチック光沢から、微細な曇りを持つ半透明ガラスへ修正してください。輪郭に柔らかな光を通し、内部の液面をかすかに見せ、強い白い反射帯を減らしてください。Overexposure causes the shape to disappear
ハイライトの明るさを下げ、ボトルの輪郭とキャップの境界を残してください。光源は左上の大きな拡散光1つに限定し、露出を抑えて半透明素材の階調を回復してください。The product looks like it's floating
ボトル底面をジェル台座へ明確に接触させ、接地面に小さな暗部と一つの柔らかな影を追加してください。宙に浮く隙間と不自然な二重影を削除してください。Gel looks like hard acrylic
台座の輪郭をわずかに丸く波打たせ、内部散乱と柔らかな透過光を増やしてください。硬い直線、鋭い角、完全な鏡面反射を減らし、弾力のある半透明ジェルとして表現してください。Summary
When creating transparency, instead of adding more adjectives, separate the materials.
Specify the product, liquid, and base as separate materials
Separate transmission, subsurface scattering, refraction, and reflection
Limit to a single light source
Draw the contact surface and shadows
Limit the type and number of props
Texture is about how it reacts to light rather than its name. By adjusting this, even the same product will look much more tangible. Next, let's try changing only the material of the base and compare how it looks.
Source: Canva, “Imperfect by Design: The visual design trends set to define 2026”
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