Image Quality on Amazon: What You Need to Be Compliant and Drive Sales

Understand requirements for image quality on Amazon, as well as best practices to help you maximize online sales.

Claire Oswald

product marketing manager

October 12, 2023

In product photography, a picture is worth more than a thousand words—it’s worth sales. 💰
Your Amazon product images play a pivotal role in attracting customers and driving conversions. To up your odds at success on the online marketplace, you’ll want to understand the ins and outs of image quality. In this article, explore how to create high-quality Amazon product images, what not to do when shooting them, and how to edit and manage your visuals effectively.

Amazon image quality checklist

The TLDR of quality standards for Amazon? Follow this checklist ✅ of Amazon image specs and requirements:

• Every product image must accurately portray the item(s) pictured. Images should be recognizable, well-lit, in-focus, clear, and informative.
• Products should fill at least 85% of the image. Images should have a white background. The only exception is if you’re selling a digital file, book, DVD, or CD. If that’s the case, don’t use any white space at all.
• Every Amazon detail page needs at least one product image. Amazon recommends having at least six images and one product video. Every product gets a main image on a white background. Lifestyle images work for secondary images.
• Provide as many different images as possible. Many product categories allow for the inclusion of swatch images and lifestyle images.
• Accepted file formats include TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG.
• The widest image aspect ratio is 5:1 and the largest file size is 10 MB. Files can’t exceed 10,000 pixels on the longest side.
• Images should be 1,600 pixels or larger on the longest side. The minimum size requirement enables an optimal zoom experience for shoppers.
• Color should be RGB or CMYK. Pure white on the color wheel is 255, 255, 255 RGB color values.
• The minimum resolution should be 72 dpi.

When it comes to videos on Amazon, use the following guidelines:

• Aim for a video dimension of at least 1920x1080 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
• Your frame rate should be at least 15 FPS.
• Audio quality should be at least 128 kbps or 44 khz.
• The video file size shouldn’t exceed 500 MB.
• The recommended video codes are H.264, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4, while the preferred audio codecs are MP3 or AAC.
• The ideal video duration is 15 seconds, though you can have a video up to 3 minutes long.
• Shorter videos tend to perform better & to showcase your product’s features.
• Avoid any call-to-action prompts.

Take your shot at A+ Content

The content on your Amazon product page should serve as a valuable tool in selling your product. Insert Amazon A+ Content, which gives potential customers more ways to interact with your content. According to Amazon, it can boost sales by as much as 20%.

Amazon A+ Content is free for registered brands with a Professional selling plan, which costs $39 per month plus selling fees. Amazon A+ Content offers a range of multimedia content to help you tell your brand and product story in a more engaging way. With options such as HD videos, high-resolution photography, and custom comparison charts of other products, sellers can use rich text, images, and video to enhance the product descriptions of their Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN).

Amazon infographics are a key piece of Amazon A+ Content. They capture the attention of potential customers and increase sales. Use them to highlight the most important features of your product and communicate its value to customers. The best part? They meet Amazon’s search algorithm requirements.

The result is more visibility for your products, increased trust in your brand, and an improved shopping experience for your customers.

Put your best foot forward when it comes to Amazon A+ Content and your visuals. Use this guide to create A+ Content modules in the correct sizes:

• Feature 1 Module - 4 images (line) - 220 x 220 pixels each
• Feature 2 Module - 3 images (line) - 300 x 300 pixels each
• Feature 3 Module - 4 images (grid) - 135 x 135 pixels each
• Header 4 Module - 1 image (left) - 300 x 300 pixels
• Header 5 Module - 1 image (right) - 300 x 300 pixels
• Header 6 Module - 1 image - 970 x 300 pixels
• Header Image Module - 1 image - 970 x 600 pixels
• Single Image and Sidebar - 2 images - Main (300 x 400 pixels), Sidebar (350 x 175 pixels)
• Four Image Highlights - 4 images - 300 x 300 pixels
• Single Image and Spec Details - 1 image - 300 x 300 pixels
• Single Image and Highlights - 1 image - 300 x 300 pixels
• Image and Light Text Overlay - 1 image - 970 x 300 pixels

How to create high-quality images for Amazon

Amazon is all about the pure white background and crisp, clear product details. And for good reason. It creates a cohesive browsing experience of products from tons and tons of Amazon sellers. It’s helpful to know what images you need for your Amazon product listings:

• Main image: your primary image and main product thumbnail, should be on a pure white background and be a straightforward look at your product
• Secondary images: these are supplemental to your primary image and may include close-up detail shots, infographics, lifestyle images, and photos that show your product at scale.

Creating high-quality product images on Amazon involves a combination of equipment, techniques, and attention to detail. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

Setup

Choose an appropriate backdrop or set to showcase your products. This can be a pure white background or a themed environment, depending on your brand and product type. Remember, though, main and secondary images have different image requirements. So keep it simple with your main shots and get creative with your alternative images.

Equipment

We may be biased, but we believe you should invest in a good camera—preferably a DSLR or mirrorless camera—to capture detailed and sharp images. A tripod will help you maintain stability, especially since you want the white space to be consistent across shots. Arm yourself with a slew of different lenses to cater to different product sizes and styles.

Lighting

Proper lighting is essential for capturing the true essence of your products. Soft, diffused lighting can help reduce harsh shadows and create a clean, professional look. Consider using softboxes, reflectors, or a lightbox for consistent lighting.

Shooting

Play around with different shooting techniques and settings like depth of field to focus on key product features and angles. Shoot the entire product from all angles to provide a comprehensive view for customers with multiple images.

Editing

After capturing your images, use photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to enhance colors and remove imperfections. Do your final quality check to make sure all your images meet Amazon’s image requirements.

What NOT to do when shooting Amazon product photos

If you’re DIYing your own photos for Amazon, keep the following tips in mind of what not to do:

Inadequate camera technology

While smartphone cameras have improved a ton over the years, they just don’t make the cut for shooting a high-quality Amazon image. They typically don’t provide the level of detail and control needed for professional product images.

Bad composite practices

Overusing image composites, superimpositions, or AI-generated elements can misrepresent your product. These images often look fake and cheapen the perceived value of your product and brand.

AI

Over-reliance on AI for image enhancement can lead to unnatural-looking images. It’s best used as a supplementary tool and not your go-to platform. As hard as they may try, robots simply can’t replace the human eye.

Editing and resizing Amazon product photos

Editing and resizing are crucial steps in ensuring your images meet Amazon image requirements. But you don’t want to compromise quality! How can you manipulate your shots so they’re picture-perfect and Amazon-ready? Let’s take a look:

High-res originals

We can’t understate the importance of keeping and exporting from high-res originals. Always work off the high-resolution originals. This allows for flexibility in resizing while maintaining image clarity.

Optimal size for Amazon images

Amazon recommends images to be at least 1000 pixels on the longest side, with a preferred size of 2000 pixels. Use these dimensions to ensure optimal quality. You also don’t want to exceed the maximum file size of 10 MB for product images.

• Optimized dimensions for Amazon product images: 2560 pixels
• Maximum image size: 10 MB

File formats

Amazon accepts TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG file formats. It’s best to use JPEG, though. You can edit in whatever format you want, but remember to save images in the JPEG file extension formatted for web use when you’re ready to upload images to Amazon. Use the highest quality settings to minimize compression artifacts.

What to do about compression

You can use image compression to reduce the file size but maintain its quality. Aim for a balance between file size and quality.

Let’s move forward with your quality Amazon images

Image quality on Amazon plays a pivotal role in attracting customers, establishing trust, and boosting sales. By investing in proper equipment, mastering photography techniques, and diligently editing and resizing your product images, you can set your listings apart and create a lasting impression on potential buyers.

Image quality on Amazon FAQs

What is the best image quality for Amazon?

The best image quality for Amazon is achieved with high-resolution images, preferably 2560 pixels on the longest side, in JPEG format with minimal compression.

Does Amazon reduce photo quality?

Amazon may apply some compression to images to optimize page load times, but you should always upload high-quality, uncompressed images to ensure they look their best.

Why are my Amazon photos blurry?

Blurry photos on Amazon can result from low-resolution images or excessive compression. Ensure your images are high-resolution and use the recommended file format.

What is the best resolution for Amazon?

Amazon recommends a minimum image size of 1000 pixels on the longest side, with a preferred size of 2560 pixels, for the best quality.