Your Go-to Guide for Amazon Image Sizes, Ratios and Dimensions

One key takeaway that aspiring Amazon sellers can take from the 11-minute trip into space from its founder is that size will always be a contentious issue, even in outer space. When Jeff Bezos blasted into space aboard New Shephard, much of the conversation was about the unfortunate shape of his rocket and not the achievement. So, if you want the products that you’re selling on Amazon to trend on social media for the right reasons, don’t be like its founder – get your ratio and size right. Your main image might just be a thumbnail, but its impact on your conversions can be much bigger than its size. 

Apart from the optimal ratios, sizes, and dimensions, when you’re selling on Amazon there’s also a number of other image requirements that you need to keep in mind. To save you time and help you optimize this space, we’ve scoured Amazon’s Help page and other online sources. From the technical requirements to recommended practices, in this article, we’ve summarized the most important considerations for you.

Your Go-to Guide for Amazon Image Ratios, Sizes, and Dimensions:

What’s an Aspect Ratio?

In short, the aspect ratio is two numbers separated by a colon that refer to the proportional relationship of an image’s width to its height. The first number is the width of the image, while the second number refers to the height of the image. For example, the best aspect ratio for YouTube videos is 16:9, while for an Instagram Story it’s 9:16.

Why Do Ratios Matter?

Image aspect ratios matter because a specific ratio can help to ensure that an image is framed optimally. Ultimately, it will impact how your product thumbnails will look on Amazon’s product page. As Amazon gives every product only a limited amount of space, it’s key that you select the best image size to optimize the limited space given to you.

What’s more, when you’re selling products online, you rely completely on your product photography and descriptions to do the selling for you. As customers won’t be able to see or touch the product in real life before purchasing it, they only have the images to go by. So, you have a lot riding on your main product image. 

What Are the Image Requirements for Amazon?

Amazon has a number of requirements for product images. Let’s start with the minimal technical requirements for Amazon images:

• Images may not be bigger than 10 MB. 
• Amazon accepts four file types for product images. These are TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG. 
• Images that are submitted to Amazon should have minimal to zero compression for best results. 
• If you’ll be using a JPEG file (the recommended and best file format for Amazon), you need to save it at the highest possible quality and avoid resaving it in JPEG file format while you’re editing the image.
• If you’ll be using a TIFF file, no file compression should be applied. 
• All layers from an image should be removed prior to submitting it. 
• The general agreement is that 5:1 is the widest image aspect ratio that you can use for Amazon. The height or width should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels. Though, it may be as much as 10,000 pixels. This means that your range is anything from 1,000 pixels to 10,000 pixels which is very generous. 
• The background color must be pure white (on the color wheel this is RGB 255, 255, 255).
• The white space may not be more than 15% of the entire image (unless you’re selling a book, CD, or DVD, in which case you may not include any white space).
• The resolution should be at least 72 dpi.

As mentioned, these are the basic requirements. Though, the consensus is that the best image ratio for Amazon product photos is 1:1 (a square image) with the dimensions of 2,000 pixels by 2,000 pixels. 

Also, depending on the types of products that you sell, there might be industry-specific guidelines that you’ll also need to keep in mind. For example, clothing items must be photographed on a model or flat. Here are some other design requirements that apply specifically to the main image:

• The image should be a professional photograph. This means that the lighting must be professional and the photo may not be blurry. Any image that is blurry or pixelated from recompression or upsizing damage will not be uploaded to its site.
• If you’re selling a product like a digital book, you should use the front cover art. Also, it should fill the entire image frame.
• Illustrations or drawings of products aren’t allowed. 
• The photo needs to be an accurate representation of the product. This means that the colors should also be true to life. 
• No extra objects that can cause confusion may be included in the image. 
• The entire product must be displayed in the frame.
• The image shouldn’t have unnecessary text or graphics. 
• The image should be free of any watermarks and/or other similar designs.

For the photos that provide extra details, these are the design requirements that you need to pay attention to:

• Your images may not include any offensive elements such as racist remarks or pornographic elements.
• If the image is not of the product that you’re selling, it should be closely related to it. You may, for example, include another object next to your product to help show its size. 
• Just like with your primary listing image, your alternative images should also be high-quality, in focus, represent the colors realistically, and restrict the white space to 15%.
• You may use close-up or cropped shots.
• You may include graphics and text that can be useful to the audience. 
• Unlike your primary photo, your background doesn’t have to be only white. Instead, with your additional photos, you may include environments in the background to help demonstrate how your product can be used. 

How Should You Name Your Product Images?

Not only is Amazon quite strict about its image requirements, but also about how images should be named. When submitting your images, you need to stick to a specific naming convention as well. You need to use the following 3 elements: a product identifier without any spaces or dashes, 4-character variant code, and the file extension.  

The following are the product identifier codes that you can use:

• ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number)
• ISBN-13 (International Standard Book Number
• EAN (European Article Number)
• JAN (Japanese Article Number)
• UPC (Universal Product Code)

When submitting extra images, you should also include a 4-character variant code. If you don’t have a primary shot (the image that will appear in the search results and on the detail page), the other alternative images might not display. So, it’s important that you use the variant code MAIN to indicate which is your primary image. Here are the other types of 4-character variant codes that you can use:

• If you’re selling books, you can use IN01, IN02, IN03, etc. to label your interior shots.
• For angle shots, you should use TOPP, BOTT, LEFT, RGHT, BACK, or FRNT.
• For piece shots, you can use PT01, PT02, PT03, etc.  

Best Practices for Using Amazon Images

Considering that Amazon sells millions of products, you really need to explore all possible ways that you can let your product listing stand out. While product selection and your product description can have a huge effect on your success, the photos that you select can also impact your sales.  

Use high-res images

It’s important to remember that whichever photo you decide to upload should be high resolution. In other words, when a user wants to zoom in, the image shouldn’t become blurry. If your images aren’t big enough, users won’t be able to zoom in to see the finer details of your products. So, this is especially important if you’re selling products like watches that customers would like to examine in detail. 

To get zoom abilities, the photo that you upload should be at least 1,000 pixels, but, as mentioned, 2,000 pixels is usually a good target. 

Upload multiple images

Not only should you make the most of the space available, but also the number of images that you may upload per product listing. In fact, even if your main product photo is flawless, users tend to get a bit weary if there’s only one photo. Plus, using a few photos lets you showcase your product from various angles so that all the features are covered in enough detail. 

Add graphics or text

As Amazon allows you to add multiple images, there’s nothing stopping you from including graphics and/or text to one of the photos. Depending on the types of products that you’re selling on Amazon, it can be useful to help you share important extra information like sizing. While you can include this type of information in your product description, it can be a good idea to include it in an image as well. This way, you increase the visibility of the details which can help to prevent customer dissatisfaction down the line. 

Use lifestyle photos

There are two main types of product photos: product-only photos and lifestyle photos. Product-only photos are pretty self-explanatory – it shows the specific product from a number of angles. On the other hand, a lifestyle photo shifts the focus from purely on the product to how it can be used. These types of photos can tell a story, allowing you more room for creativity. 

The advantage of using a lifestyle photo or two in addition to product photos is that it helps to show how straightforward it is to use the product. Depending on the product, you can also use such a photo to demonstrate its capabilities or range. After all, seeing is believing.

About the Author

Koba Molenaar

Writer

Koba Molenaar brings nearly a decade of rich experience in content writing, specializing in digital marketing, branding, SaaS, and eCommerce. Her passion for helping brands, from solopreneurs to established companies, connect with their audiences shines through her work. As a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, Koba’s commitment to excellence is evident in her work, showcasing her as a relatable and knowledgeable voice in the industry.