Amazon Picture Requirements: Making Use Of The Right Images

Following Amazon's Images Requirements

Let’s dive deep into Amazon’s guidelines for images.

Digital photos must accurately represent the product and show only the items that are for sale.

Amazon does not allow cover art or stock photos to be used, regardless of whether it is a photo you took yourself or one you found online. With stock photos, images are typically airbrushed and include models wearing clothing that are different from what you are selling.

These types of images are considered deceptive by Amazon, so they do not want them uploaded on their site. 

Doing the right Amazon product research beforehand can help you create main images that 

adhere to Amazon’s requirements.

All product(s) involved must be easily visible.

Another guideline that Amazon wants their sellers to follow is showing all the products that are being sold in the image (and no more). If you’re selling clothing, then your model(s) should be wearing all of the clothing that is being sold but not wearing anything that isn’t (but that might compliment the actual item).

Your item(s) should not be obscured by other items or text in your main photo. In fact, one of the requirements for the primary picture is that its background must be pure white.

The main image must be professional photographs of the actual product

You may not use graphics, mockups, or placeholders as the first image. Moreover, you should not edit the product image such as stretching it or skewing it to make your item appear larger or smaller than it is.

If you are selling multiple items in one photo, then each item should still be easy to identify.

For example, if you’re selling a bathing suit and beach towel together, don’t just include both items on the same hanger and hope that customers can tell which item is which just by looking at them.

That's why we recommend using photos where each item is folded so they can easily see what exactly they're purchasing. However, do not edit any of the folds out of either the clothing or towel so that customers know for sure how they will appear when they receive them.

You can also take multiple photos of the same product and choose the best one, or use photo editing software such as Photoshop to edit certain parts of your item - the most important thing is that it is clear what you’re selling to customers.

For example, if you're selling a white T-shirt with black text printed on its back, you'd want to make sure that the text was easily visible in your main image—so don't just show the front of the shirt because this will not convey what customers are getting.

Images must match the product title.

A pretty obvious one here: Don’t change the product title and then use a different image to go with it. For example, if your product title is “Pink Baseball Cap," then you must upload an image of a pink hat, not one that’s blue or purple.

Image Quality & Size Requirements

Amazon product image requirements state that the longest side of the picture should be 1,600 pixels or larger (however the format image pixel dimensions shouldn't exceed 10,000 pixels on this longest side). 

This allows the zoom function on Amazon to work well, and it gives customers a good look at your product. In addition, none of the sides can be shorter than 1000px wide.

Images that are too low of a resolution can appear grainy when customers zoom in to look more closely at the product.

Amazon file formats

JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg), TIFF (.tif), PNG(.png), or GIF (.gif) file formats are supported. With that said, JPEG is preferred.

Images cannot contain nudity

Finally, make sure you don’t upload any images that include sexually suggestive poses, close up images of breasts or buttocks, or anything else that might be considered adult content.

Pornographic and offensive materials are also not allowed.

Lifestyle images are permitted, however. This means that when it comes to Amazon product photo requirements, you can upload a photo of someone using your item in a natural setting as long as they aren’t wearing anything revealing.

The above rules are designed to help guide Amazon sellers and make sure they run their businesses safely and ethically while still providing customers with the best user experience possible.

Main Image Vs Additional Images

In total, Amazon allows you to have one main image and 8 additional images. This means that you can upload additional pictures that show your product in greater detail or from different angles.

Please note that the main image must include all parts of your product, so if you have an accompanying piece of fabric, for example, then the main image must contain that as well.

Additionally, your additional images could include extra text on them that explains better what customers are about to get. Additional images can help customers get a better look at your product by showing details such as stitching or the inside of a purse.

What you shouldn’t do is take pictures of every side and stitch and upload them as one large image - use separate images for this.

Also, don't crop out key information. For example, if you're selling a pair of jeans and the product title says "Women's Jeans," then make sure your images include both the front and back of the pants. This ensures that your potential customers have the right expectations before making a purchase.

Best Practices To Keep In Mind When Choosing Your Amazon Images

The main images are the first impression you get

Your primary photo listing image and the next few additional ones might be the only images that customers look at. As such, it is your first (and potentially only) chance to make a great first impression.

Your best bet is to upload a high-quality picture that shows off your product well and entices customers to click through and learn more about what you're selling.

Remember that photos of smaller products are ideally replaced with higher-quality ones since many shoppers will want to look closely at them before making a purchase. 

In other words, don't upload a tiny thumbnail image if you have a large version available as this could prevent people from wanting to purchase your product because they don't feel satisfied after looking at the small-sized one.

Composition and lighting matter

Your main image should show off your item as professionally as possible and it helps if you can provide multiple images of the same item. These images need to vary slightly so they don't look like duplicates - one view could have a closer focus or a different perspective, for instance. 

It's also important to take several pictures of your product from different angles as well as close-ups to offer detailed views of what you're selling.

Hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your products is one way to ensure that you're presenting the items in the best possible light, but even if you don't have professional experience, you can still capture great images with an SLR camera (or a high-quality phone) and natural lighting.

If natural lighting is not possible, try using a well-lit room without harsh shadows or dark spots. It's also helpful if the background is plain and doesn't distract from what you're trying to sell—the point is to make sure customers are looking at your product and nothing else.

Use all the available space that Amazon gives you

Amazon allows a maximum of nine images in a product listing, so it’s recommended that you use all of the available space if you have the images available.

Another advantage of uploading more photos is that this can help you optimize your listings for search engines such as Google and Bing - having more images on your product page will increase the likelihood that customers' searches will bring up your results.

Since we're speaking about getting organic traffic from search engines, remember that Amazon is also a search engine - getting your product to rank on the first page of Amazon will direct a lot of traffic (and potential sales) to whatever you're selling.

By filling up all of Amazon's available space, you can ensure that customers will have a clear view of the product they're potentially purchasing and that it will stand out from listings of other products on Amazon.

Add text to your supporting images

The good news is that any additional images you'd like to upload can include captions and/or bullet points so they don't feel empty or unhelpful, but only if the titles are relevant to the item itself. Text on an image should always pertain to what's being sold so it doesn't come across as spammy or irrelevant.

Moreover, the text should be easy to read against the image so avoid using a dark or very thin font that might distract your customers. It's important to use images that are clear and high-resolution so both the text you add and your product itself look great.

Highlight any special offers or promotions

Promotions can be a great way to incentivize customers to purchase an item, so if there's anything about your product that can be used as an incentive (such as free shipping), it should be mentioned somewhere on the additional product images (not the main one).

This is also where displaying customer reviews can help out since other people's opinions of your products can encourage others to make purchases.

Highlight product features in your images

When it comes to additional images (not your main one), you can take items from your product detail page and include them in the photo, which is a great way to highlight important features.

While your main image should show only the product, additional features are important in the image section since it allows you to illustrate everything about your product visually - and you know that a picture speaks a thousand words. This is especially useful for showing what comes with the item (remember not to have pictures of excluded accessories as this can affect the customer's buying decision).

Using inset images is a smart way to show additional details since these images can be circled or zoomed on and remain clear and high-resolution.

Think about the image frame

While the main image needs to have a pure white background, the rest of your images can include design elements like patterns or illustrations.

However, you need to make sure that the frame doesn't override or distort your product in any way because the point of an image is to have a clear, unobstructed view of what you're selling.

The importance of before and after images

Before and after images can also be part of your alternative photos. If you’re selling a consumer product, the main image should show just that. Then in the alternative images, you can include an example of the before and after situation. This helps people visualize the results that they can get if they use your product (more on this in the next section).

In terms of business-to-business retail, then before and after photos are a great option for highlighting how a product has improved or added value to a business, meaning that they can work well for companies that have a lot of B2B clients.

Help users picture themselves using your products

Taking pictures of real people using your products can be a great way to help customers imagine themselves in the same situations, so it would pay to find models (or include images of yourself) showing the product being used.

Of course, these types of photos should only be added if they're relevant and convey something beneficial since irrelevant pictures can negatively affect users' buying decisions.

For example, if you sell makeup, you might want to include a shot of someone putting on some eyeshadow or mascara right before they go out. This allows potential buyers the chance to imagine themselves with your product. 

If possible it's best not to use overly designed backgrounds (such as fake houses or backdrops) since real-life works much better because this allows potential buyers to place themselves right in the scene.

Use 3D images if possible

Many people prefer looking at 3D images to flat ones, so if your products allow for it, you should consider using it as an option. While this type of image is usually more expensive and requires special software to create, its effect on sales can be incredible.

Also, keep in mind that these types of pictures need to focus on sharpness and clarity since items like fuzzy fabrics or hazy lighting can't be shown well with this type of image.