How to take product photos for Amazon?
Main image on pure white, product filling at least 85 percent of the frame, at least 1000px on the long side, and nothing else in the shot. Everything after that is about selling rather than compliance.
Amazon splits into two problems and most sellers only solve the first one. Compliance keeps the listing from being suppressed. Everything else decides whether anyone clicks it.
For the main image the rules are strict and automated. The background has to be pure white, meaning RGB 255 255 255 rather than off-white or light grey. The product has to fill at least 85 percent of the frame so it survives being shrunk to a search thumbnail. Minimum 1000px on the longest side, though 2000px is better because it turns on zoom. No props, no text, no logos, no watermarks, and nothing in the frame the buyer is not actually receiving.
Shooting it yourself is doable. A window with indirect daylight, a sheet of white card curved up behind the product so there is no visible corner, and a phone on a tripod will get you a usable main image for a simple matte product. Shoot in the largest file size your phone allows and do not use portrait mode, which blurs edges Amazon wants sharp.
Where it gets hard is reflective and transparent products. Glass, jewellery, anything chrome or glossy will pick up the room, your hands and the phone itself. Those need controlled lighting and usually polarisation, and no amount of editing rescues a bad capture.
The secondary slots are where sales actually happen. You get up to eight more images and they have far looser rules. Use them for scale references, close-ups of the thing people worry about, infographics calling out features, and lifestyle shots so buyers can picture owning it. Keep any text large enough to read at thumbnail size.
If you would rather not do it yourself, our Amazon photography service covers compliance and the secondary set together, and the cost breakdown explains what that runs.
Amazon main image checklist
- Background pure white, RGB 255 255 255, not off-white or light grey.
- Product fills at least 85 percent of the frame.
- At least 1000px on the longest side; 2000px turns on zoom.
- No props, text, logos or watermarks in the main image.
- Shoot at the largest file size your camera allows and skip portrait mode.
What to put in the other eight image slots
The secondary slots have far looser rules and are where sales happen. Check the current limits in Seller Central for your category.
- Scale reference: the product next to a hand or a familiar object.
- Close-up of the detail buyers worry about.
- Infographic calling out features, with text readable at thumbnail size.
- Lifestyle shot so buyers can picture owning it.
Frequently asked questions
What background does Amazon need for the main image?
Pure white, meaning RGB 255 255 255. Off-white or light grey can get the listing suppressed.
How much of the frame should the product fill on Amazon?
At least 85 percent, so the product still reads when it is shrunk to a search thumbnail.
What size should Amazon product images be?
At least 1000px on the longest side. 2000px is better because it turns on the zoom feature.
Can I shoot Amazon product photos on a phone?
For a simple matte product, yes: indirect window light, a white card curved behind the product and a tripod. Glass, jewellery and glossy products need controlled lighting and are better shot by a studio.