Amazon Image Requirements and Best Practices

With unlimited selling potential, Amazon Marketplace is one that is full of customers actively searching for your products on a daily basis. However, depending on your business’ niche, it’s likely an overpopulated market so you’ll need to ensure your products stand out.

It’s important to know that Amazon, as a selling platform, has a strict set of rules and guidelines for their images that you must follow when taking your own Amazon product images in order to remain compliant with their Terms of Service.

In this article, we will explain all the Amazon image requirements you need to know as well as the best practices for your product photos – so you can really make the most of your listing.

General Amazon Image Guidelines

When you begin selling your products on Amazon, one of the first things you will need to do is populate each page with good quality, appealing images. However, there are a number of Amazon image requirements that all sellers must follow in order to be successful.

The first photograph on the product page is the main image – this is also the image that shows up on the search results. As a rule of thumb, this image should be the product alone on a white background, adequately filling the frame.

When the product page is expanded, there is the option to add further images and videos – we recommend five photos and one video – for extra detail. These images offer the seller the opportunity to show the product in use or in a different environment. Showing off different angles and features, potentially with infographics is also encouraged.

Amazon Image Requirements for the Main Photo

When using Amazon as a selling platform for your products, your main photo will be the biggest draw for users browsing the website. As this is the photo most commonly seen by your audience, there are a separate set of standards for these images. 

All the images you upload to your listing must be aligned with the following Amazon image guidelines:

Image Clarity and Quality Requirements

For starters, all main images must have a pure white background as this is the colour of the Amazon search and product detail pages. Pure white has a RGB colour value of 255, 255, 255, and a hex value of #FFFFFF.

The main image in question also needs to be a single professional photograph of the actual product and nothing else. The image cannot include multiple views of a single product and the entire image needs to be in frame and cannot touch or be cut off the border.

Similarly, no graphics or mockups can be included in the main image. This includes text, logos and watermarks near to or on the product. All main images also have to show products outside of their packaging – this means no boxes, bags or cases unless they are considered a significant feature of the product.

These images also must avoid using a human model either sitting, kneeling, crouching or laying down. However, this doesn’t exclude models with physical disabilities using their mobility aids – including wheelchairs and prosthetics.

Per Amazon image guidelines, no props and accessories that are not included in the purchase and could deliberately confuse the buyer are allowed. If you need a prop to explain the product’s purpose (for example, make-up brushes in the brush holder your business sells), this should be okay as long as it’s clearly stated on the product page that they are not included.

Clothing, Footwear and Accessory Image Requirements

All main images of adult clothing should be photographed on-model, however main images of clothing for children and babies should be photographed flat-lay, without a model.

Multipack apparel items and accessories also need to be flat-lay photographed and accessories should also not show any part of a mannequin – no matter the appearance. Those selling footwear should ensure their main image is of a single shoe, facing left at a 45-degree angle.

Amazon Image Size Requirements

Above all else, the images you use in your Amazon listing must accurately represent the product that is for sale and the product title. The image quality cannot be blurry, pixelated or have jagged edges, with the product filling at least 85% of the frame.

The accepted file formats for images are:

• .jpeg  – the preferred option
• .jpg
• .tif,
• .png
• .gif – these cannot be animated

Zoom has been proven to enhance sales. In technical terms, the optimal zoom experience requires files to be over 1600px on the longest side of the image. The longest side cannot exceed 10,000px or go under 500px.

What cannot be featured in your Amazon images?

There are also Amazon image guidelines for what cannot be included in any of your product photos under any circumstances.

No images can contain any suggestion of sexuality or nudity. This includes leotards, underwear and swimwear for children and babies – these images must be taken via flat-lay and not on a human model.

Images must also not contain any hint at an Amazon affiliation. This includes logos, badges, trademarks and modifications. Trademarks and prohibited statements include:

• AMAZON
• PRIME
• ALEXA
• The ‘Amazon Smile’ design
• Amazon’s Choice
• Premium Choice
• Amazon Alexa/Works with Amazon Alexa
• Best Seller
• Top Seller

Best Practices for your Amazon Imagery

Once you’ve considered the do’s and don’ts of your Amazon product gallery, you can then decide how you’d like to approach your secondary images. As you can be more lenient with these images than your main photograph, we can use our vast skills and experience to help you really show off your brand’s personality. When you choose PIC-UP as your designated Amazon photography studio, we can guide you through the following best practices to maximise your sales potential.

Use creative imagery

Creativity always matters in product photography, so it’s important to really show off the USPs of your product and overall brand in your images. Once you’ve researched your ideal target audience, the photography experts at PIC-UP will use their creative flair to display your product to customers in a way most enticing to that demographic.

Text and infographics

Not only does adding text to your photo draw attention to the small print that customers may often ignore in the descriptions, it also gives you the opportunity to fully show off your branding and personality using your own fonts and colour scheme.

There are several different benefits to using an infographic in your gallery. Our photographers will advise you on what to include in your informative images, including how you could highlight a number of different features and perks, list materials or ingredients and go into detail about sizing and dimensions. We can also help you to create a competitor comparison image.

Zoom in on product features

As your customers are unable to get a feel for your product in real life, we often dissect the product on one of your images in order to highlight the key features. By zooming in on the different angles of the product, our product photographers at PIC-UP can help you show customers all the important details they should know – reducing the likelihood of returns.

Use lifestyle shots

Your customers will be interested in how they can use your product in real life, so we use specialist lifestyle photography to hook your target audience by appealing to their wants and needs. Whilst capturing a customer’s attention, our professional images of your product in action can still be informative and depict its intended use.

According to instasize, it’s believed that 95% of purchases are made when the customer has an emotional response to the content. With effective lifestyle photography, your brand has the chance to create an emotional connection with potential customers by portraying an authentic situation in your images.

Create an Amazon Store page

An Amazon Store page is fundamental for businesses looking to commit to selling their products on the platform. With an Amazon storefront, you can build a homepage for your brand that authentically represents your identity and personality in order to build a more genuine relationship with your customers. You’ll be able to highlight your best-selling products and measure your success using Amazon’s reporting metrics.

Use Amazon Enhanced Brand Content

Your product gallery doesn’t have to be the only place to display your images. Sellers registered on the Amazon Brand Registry can use a feature called Amazon Enhanced Brand Content to create a modified description that includes extra images alongside information about your product. 

This enhanced content will represent your brand image as polished and professional, so our Amazon product photographer will always create images with this section in mind.

PIC-UP can help with your Amazon product imagery

Ultimately, the best way to ensure your product photography is 100% compliant with Amazon image requirements, as well as ensuring your listings are perfectly set up to sell is to hire professional photographers. 

At PIC-UP, not only will we follow the guidelines with complete accuracy – we’ll also use our years of experience and specialist skills to craft the most effective, creative images that are completely in line with your brand.

Ready to give your products a massive sales boost on Amazon? Contact PIC-UP today and one of our friendly team members will be in touch as soon as possible.