Amazon: the main image
The main image is the one shoppers see in search results, so Amazon is strict about it. According to Amazon's product image guide, it must:
- Sit on a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255).
- Fill about 85% of the frame with the product.
- Show the whole product, with nothing cropped off at the edges.
- Show the product once, and one unit of it, plus any accessories that come in the box. Front only, not front and back together.
- Leave out props that aren't included and could confuse a customer, and leave out packaging unless it's an important feature.
- Never show a mannequin, in any form, including on a hanger.
- Follow the clothing rules: adult clothing is shown on a standing model; clothing accessories and multipacks are shown flat.
- Show footwear as a single shoe, facing left at a 45-degree angle.
Save text, graphics and lifestyle shots for the other images in the listing. That's where you show the back, the details, the scale and the product in use.
Amazon: file specifications
- Formats: JPEG (recommended), TIFF, PNG or non-animated GIF.
- Size: at least 500 pixels on the longest side, and no more than 10,000.
- Zoom: images of 1,000 pixels or more on the longest side let shoppers zoom in, so aim well above that.
- Colour: RGB is preferred.
- Quality: sharp, accurate colour, no pixelation or jagged edges. Don't enlarge small images to hit the minimum.
- Every image must accurately show the product you're selling and match the listing title.
These rules come from Amazon's US Seller Central guide. If you sell on Amazon.co.uk or another marketplace, check that marketplace's version in Seller Central too.
Shopify: what it accepts and what looks best
Shopify is far more flexible than Amazon. There's no required background: the look is up to you and your theme. What it does set out, according to Shopify's help centre:
- Maximum size: up to 5000 × 5000 pixels, or 25 megapixels.
- File size: under 20 MB per image.
- Recommended: 2048 × 2048 pixels usually displays best for square product images.
- Formats: PNG and JPEG are best. TIFF, BMP, GIF, SVG, HEIC and WebP are also accepted.
- Consistency: use the same aspect ratio for every main product image. Otherwise products appear at different sizes side by side on collection pages.
Shopify automatically makes smaller versions of each image for different parts of your store, so upload one high-quality file per photo and let it do the resizing.
Side by side
| Amazon | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Main image background | Pure white, required | Your choice |
| Product size in frame | About 85% | Your choice, kept consistent |
| Minimum size | 500 px longest side (1,000+ for zoom) | No set minimum |
| Maximum size | 10,000 px longest side | 5000 × 5000 px or 25 MP, under 20 MB |
| Recommended | Well over 1,000 px for zoom | 2048 × 2048 px square |
| Best formats | JPEG | PNG or JPEG |
| Text and graphics | Not on the main image | Up to you |
One shoot for both
If you sell on your own Shopify store and on Amazon, you don't need two shoots. Plan one shoot to Amazon's stricter standard and the photos will work everywhere:
- Shoot the main angle on clean white, with a little room around the product, so it can be cropped to Amazon's 85% fill and to your store's square format.
- Agree a fixed set of angles for every product, such as front, back, side, detail and in use, so the whole range lines up.
- Keep light, background and crop identical from the first product to the last. That consistency is what makes a shop look professional.
- Shoot every colour or variant separately, rather than recolouring one photo afterwards.
- Get high-resolution files sized for each platform, named so you can tell them apart at a glance.
A simple shot list per product
A good starting point for most products. We'd adjust it for yours when we plan the shoot.
- Main image: front, on pure white
- Back and side angles
- Close-ups of texture, finish and details
- Scale: in the hand, on a model or next to something familiar
- In use or styled, for the extra listing images
- Each colour or variant, shot the same way
Last checked October 2026 against Amazon's product image guide and Shopify's product media help page. Platforms change their rules from time to time, so check the source before a big upload.
