The Complete Guide to Amazon Photo Requirements 2021

It’s proven that 60% of consumers base their purchasing choices on photographs when buying online.

When selling a product on Amazon, product photography is not only important for grabbing your customers’ interest but, also affects your conversion rates, your sales and listing ranks and serves to reinforce your brand and increase your profile by making your product recognizable to customers.

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to list a product only to find that your images are not suitable so, we’ve put together the following, comprehensive guide to Amazon’s image requirements.

1. Amazon Product Image Technical Requirements

Image formats permitted on Amazon

• Details Requirements: TIFF (.tif/.tiff), JPEG (.jpeg/.jpg), GIF (.gif) and PNG (.png)
• Recommended: JPEG (.jpeg/.jpg) with a 100% compression

Permitted Image pixel dimensions for Amazon

• Details Requirements: >1000 px
• Recommended: 2000px by 2000px Square image

Color mode

• Details Requirements: sRGB or CMYK
• Recommended: sRGB

File names permitted on Amazon

• Details Requirements: Filenames for images uploaded to Amazon must include the product ID number (i.e., Amazon ASIN code, 13-digit ISBN number, EAN, JAN, or UPC code) followed by a period/full stop and must end with the correct format extension code.
  (EG: B000123456.jpg or 0237425673485.tif)

• Recommended: When uploading images to Amazon, file names may not include spaces, special characters or additional punctuation

Maximum size of file permitted

• Details Requirements: 10mb
• Recommended: N/A

Crop ratio accepted

• Details Requirements: 1:1 – 5:1
• Recommended: 1:1

2. Amazon Requirements / Permissions For Main Image

Your Amazon main image is the large photograph which will appear alongside your listing. 

This is the image which will be displayed during an internet search along with numerous other competing products. 

For this reason, it is vital that your main image is appealing.

Requirements

• It’s important that the main image is a professional photograph or official cover art and accurately depicts the product being sold.
• The main image must be 100% in focus with the product itself central in the photograph. The image must be clear with smooth edges and must be an accurate representation of the product including color and size.
• Your product(s) must make up 85% or more of the entire image frame.
• The entire product must be displayed within the image frame.
• The image background may only be plain white (if necessary, you can find tools online to change the background of your image).

Not Permitted For Main Image

• Sketches, paintings, drawings or illustrations of the product.
• Any Image which includes deliberately misleading or confusing additional objects such as accessories.
• Any Image which includes text, graphics, or additional imagery.
• Any prohibited Images such as pornographic material or incendiary or offensive images or text.
• Any Images which contain logos or watermarks – images must be owned by the person uploading them..
• Images which display multiple views of an identical product.
• Images visibly displayed on a mannequin, with the exception of pantyhose, stockings, and socks.
• Images that display external branding with the exception of pantyhose, stockings and socks.

3. Amazon Requirements for additional or other view images 

Additional or ‘other view’ images on Amazon are the smaller images which are only displayed once a customer clicks onto your page.

In most cases, Amazon allows up to nine images to be uploaded but, generally, only seven of these will be displayed.

The following is a guide to Amazon’s requirements for these additional images.

Requirements

• The image uploaded must clearly show only the product which is being sold.
• The image must be 100% in focus, clearly lit with a true indication of color and size, and smooth edges. Where possible, professional photography is best.
• You may include other products or objects are within the image but only in order to demonstrate the product itself. It must be clear that these additional objects are not included in the buying price.
• The main product and additional objects need to make up 85% or more of the total image frame uploaded.
• Cropped, distorted or close-up images are prohibited.
• Backgrounds are permitted as long as the product is the main focus of the image. .
• Text and simple graphics are allowed as long as the product is the main focus of the image.

Not Permitted on Amazon

• You may not upload any image which contains prohibited content such as pornographic material, offensive language or incendiary remarks.  See Amazon for a full list of restrictions.

4. Amazon Photo requirements/permissions for specific departments

Amazon levies special restrictions / rules on certain products sold on its site.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Childrenswear – for security reasons, children’s clothing must be shown on a flat surface and not worn by a child.
• Footwear – Amazon permits only photographs of the shoes/footwear. Any images of the footwear in or close to a shoebox will be removed.
• Lingerie – Undergarments or lingerie and swimwear should be photographed displayed flat on a plain surface. Although Amazon does permit these items to be shown on a model, images must be tasteful and must not include nudity or graphic detail.

5. Amazon requirements/restrictions for clothing sales

Amazon prohibits the following in images for clothing sales:

• Models in positions other than standing, such as sitting, kneeling, laying down or in any position which obscures the garment being sold.

• Logos or branding with the exception of pantyhose, socks and stockings.

• Watermarks or graphics – the person uploading the image must own that image or have permission to use it.

• Multiple views or images of the same product. If a product is offered in different variations, a new listing must be made for each.

6. How to get the best from your Amazon photography

The main reason for using photography in your Amazon listing is to showcase your products to potential customers. 

You do, of course, want to show your products in their best possible light but, your photography for Amazon must be honest and a true representation of the product.

Misleading photography tends to be counter-productive as this will lead to product returns and negative reviews.

The following is a guide to making the most of your Amazon product photography:

It’s all in the detail 

Make sure that your photo clearly shows the product being sold and all of its features; for example, if you’re selling an item of clothing with unusual detailing such as buttons or appliques, make sure that these are shown clearly.

Always try to take your photographs in natural light in order to get a true representation of the color of the item being sold.  For this, you may also need to adjust the settings on your phone or camera.

Get a little perspective

It’s often helpful for customers to be able to see a product from different angles in order to get the full picture. This is particularly important if an item has different detailing on the back, front, sides or bottom; for example, a T.shirt with a different slogan on the back.

Sizing

There has been many a newspaper story about somebody buying an item such as a table online, only to find that it’s actually a miniature, doll’s item of furniture.  It’s essential to be clear and honest about the size of the product that you are selling in order to avoid purchasing mistakes. 

As well as including dimensions in your product description, you can use your photography to show the size of a product by using an additional object to indicate the comparative size of the item being sold.

When doing this, use an object such as a coin, a plain DVD case or another household object whose size will be instantly recognized.

Packaging

Although you may show packaging in your photography, Amazon’s rules state that only packaging pertaining to the product and which is included in the sale of the product may be shown in your photographs. 

You may also show photographs of clothing labels which show care instructions such as washing, dry cleaning etc.

Misleading or dishonest packaging photographs such as those showing a brand name which does not pertain to the product being sold are not permitted.

In general, only original product packaging should be shown in your Amazon product photographs.

Lifestyle and Context

Use photography which shows the item or product being used or worn as this allows a potential customer to ‘see themselves’ with that product.

With products such as a bicycle, use your photography to show not just the bicycle but also somebody riding it and appearing to enjoy themselves. 

If you’re selling an item of clothing, use your photography to show it being modeled by a person (although not in the case of childrenswear as this is not permitted).

Where possible, use professional photography – for a serious seller, this is a very worthwhile investment which will pay dividends in the long run.

This guide has been designed to save you time when listing your products – following Amazon’s technical guidelines prevents your images being rejected so that you can avoid having to re-do them.

This guide will also help you to make sure that your photography is the best that it can be – and that your listing stands out above the competition.