A Complete Workflow for Stitching, Cleaning, and Preparing 360° Media
Photo stitching is the key step that turns raw 360° shots into seamless panoramic images for virtual tours.
Creating a polished 360° image doesn’t end with pressing the shutter.
Whether you’re building a professional virtual tour or a single panoramic scene, the real magic happens after you shoot.
In this post, we’ll explore how to take your raw 360° footage — from camera to finished, shareable image — ready for use inside The Third Product’s virtual tour creator.
📸 Shooting Your 360° Image — Start Smart
Before editing begins, good results start in the field.
When photographing with a camera like the Insta360 X5, decide whether to position the camera above your head (for a natural eye-level view) or in front of you on a tripod.
💡 Tip: Use a tripod with foldable legs and step a few meters away before shooting, so you can remove yourself more easily later.
🧩 Stitching — Turning Raw Footage into a 360° Image
Your camera captures two circular “fisheye” images — one from each lens — that must be stitched together into a seamless sphere.
This is where you use the Insta360 Studio software, which automatically merges the images into a single 2:1 equirectangular JPEG or MP4 (for video).
- For photos: export at the highest available resolution (often 8K or 7680×3840).
- For videos: export at 8K or 5.7K, depending on your system’s capacity.
If you only need basic stitching, Insta360’s app is enough.
If you plan to color-correct, mask, or add effects — move on to Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro.
🖼️ Editing 360° Photos in Photoshop
Once your image is stitched and exported as a 2:1 JPG, open it in Adobe Photoshop.
Here you can:
- Remove the tripod or photographer from the nadir (bottom center).
- Correct lighting, color balance, or sharpness.
- Retouch unwanted reflections or moving people.
- Add text, graphics, or your logo for branding.
To edit in true 360° mode, use:
3D → Spherical Panorama → New Panorama Layer from Selected Layers.
After editing, export again as JPEG (2:1) and keep the file under 15MB for easy web use.
🎥 Extracting a 360° Photo from a Video Clip
Sometimes the best frame comes from a video.
You can easily extract stills using Adobe Premiere Pro or the Insta360 Studio app.
In Premiere:
- Import your 360° video (MP4).
- Move the playhead to the frame you want.
- Click the Camera icon → Export Frame.
- Save it as a high-resolution JPG or PNG (preferably 2:1 ratio).
This is perfect when you don’t want to reshoot or when capturing dynamic environments.
✂️ Removing Yourself or the Tripod
No one wants the photographer or tripod showing up in a 360° scene.
Here are your options:
- Photoshop: Use the Clone Stamp Tool or Content-Aware Fill to erase yourself or the tripod base.
- Canva (simple option): Upload the photo and cover the tripod area with a subtle shape or branded label.
- Premiere (for video): Mask the area or overlay a blurred logo where you were standing.
💡 Best practice: Always step back and keep the camera centered — less editing later.
🧭 Preparing for Upload
When your image is ready:
- Save it as JPG (2:1) with embedded 360 metadata.
- Test it on Facebook or YouTube to confirm it displays correctly.
- Upload it to The Third Product, where you can create hotspots, navigation, and narration — transforming your stitched 360° photo into a full virtual tour.
🚀 Final Tips
- Always shoot at the highest resolution available — you can compress later.
- Keep lighting consistent between shots for smoother transitions in your tour.
- Don’t over-edit: realistic tones enhance immersion.
- Back up your raw files — you’ll thank yourself later.
🏁 Conclusion
The path from capture to virtual tour might seem technical, but with a clear workflow —
shoot → stitch → edit → upload — it becomes second nature.
With tools like Insta360 Studio, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, you can easily produce professional, polished 360° imagery that’s ready to shine in your next virtual tour.
🧭 Continue Your Virtual Tour Journey
🧭 Continue Your Virtual Tour Journey
You’ve now learned how to capture, stitch, and polish your 360° photos — the foundation of every immersive experience. Now it’s time to bring it all together and build your first virtual tour from scratch.
👉 Next step:
Learn How to Create a Virtual Tour – Step by Step (The Third Product Guide)
In this complete guide, you’ll discover how to connect your 360° scenes, add interactive hotspots, and publish your virtual tour online using The Third Product’s intuitive creator platform.
