eBay Images: Requirements & Best Practices to Increase Sales

According to SEMRUSH statistics, eBay attracted more than 660 million visitors in December 2022, with over 70% from the United States. And, over half of the users in all countries shop using a mobile device.

These statistics show how critical it is to be able to zoom in and view clear, high-definition photos of products. So, eBay's Image Requirements help ensure a quality shopping experience.

Below we'll cover eBay's Image Requirements and eBay Image Guidelines that can help increase sales of your eBay products.

eBay Image Requirements

Follow these 2023 minimums and limits to ensure eBay accepts a product photo.

eBay Product Photo Size

• Minimum: 500 x 500px
• Maximum: 9000 x 9000px
• File Size Limit: 12 MB

eBay Product Photo Format

• Supported File Types: PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP.
• Quality Scale (JPEG): 90+

The Number of eBay Product Photos per Listing

• Photo Gallery: 1 to 24 images
• Each variation: up to 24 images

eBay Photos: Legal & Copyright

• Images on eBay listings must be original or legally yours to use. If you receive photos from a warehouse supplier, you likely have the right to publish the images.
• However, you cannot publish photos copied from another eBay listing, website, or dealer. Pro Tip: It is very easy for eBay's AI to find duplicate photos online.

eBay Image Guidelines

Follow these guidelines to ensure your eBay Store and eBay listings perform effectively.

Product Photo Minimums

• Width or Height: 1600px
• Number of Photos: 3 - 12

eBay Store Image Sizes

• Logo: 300 x 300px
• Billboard: 1280 x 290px
• Marketing Banner: 640 x 640px
• Featured Category: 300 x 300px

eBay Profile Photo Sizes (no eBay Store)

• Profile Image: 150px
• Cover Picture: 1200 × 700px

10 Tips to Improve eBay Product Photos

Good, top-selling eBay Product Photos always maintain a similar trend in appearance. Let’s break-down general guidelines for photos that are useful in selling more items.

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1. Set your most attractive photo as the Primary Image - The photo in search results will likely determine if the buyer clicks on your product. Ensure the most attractive photo is always first in your product photos so that it displays in search results.
2. ‍Don't use watermarks on primary eBay photos - Watermarks were once prohibited on eBay, but today they are allowed with a recommendation not to use them. In many cases, eBay's studies show that buyers are more likely to interact and purchase listings that do not include watermarks (and text) on primary product photos.
3. ‍Showcase products in multiple ways - Use images that display the product from at least four angles, including close-ups of key features. (for collectables, take at least six photos of every angle of the item, with closeups of labels and brand names)Moreover, you can create images with text that describe key features. However, do not use photos with text as the primary image. Include them last.
4. ‍Use images with good lighting - All the colors and shades of the item should be vivid and easy to see.You must show the item in the most favorable lighting so buyers are confident in understanding the product.
5. ‍Include a solid white or gray background - Ensure the images have a solid white or gray background that contrasts the color of the product. Anything further will distract the buyer from the item. For example, a wall with shadows is not as appealing as a solid background. Pro Tip: 3Dsellers' Listings Manager includes a background removal tool for your current eBay items.
6. ‍Cropping & Aspect Ratio - Square images look the most appealing no matter where your eBay listings are displayed. At a minimum, try and ensure all your images have the same aspect ratio. This will bring consistency to your store and external promotions. Pro Tip: If you crop the image, ensure the entire product is still visible, you cal also edit your photos with Picsart.
   
7. ‍Don't use only eBay Catalog photos - eBay Catalog can be a powerful feature to save time and sell more items.If you use it to fill in listing details, add more photos or customize them to differentiate your listing from those offered by competitors.
8. ‍Do not upload stock photos for used items - If selling used merchandise, do not use supplier or manufacturer stock photos. Instead, include high-quality images of the actual product.
9. ‍Do not include photos to convey marketing messages or inventory - Do not upload placeholder images used to convey messages. Example: “no image available,” “out of stock,” or promotions.
10. ‍Do not include decorative or non-accurate images - Do not include photos that don't accurately represent the item. Additionally, decorative images with borders and clip art will usually always distract the buyer or portray a negative image of your brand on eBay. However, there are exceptions to this; it is best to consult with an eBay professional if you feel your brand requires additional flare in product photos.

10 eBay Product Photography Tips

1. High Resolution & Tripod: Use a tripod with your camera set to the highest resolution possible. Any shake, even if your phone's camera app stabilizes it, will not yield the highest quality.
2. Capture the entire product: Ensure the photo shows the entire product unless capturing a close-up of key features.
3. No filters: Do not enhance or alter the image, except for general cleaning and brightness. The product in the photo must look as close as possible to real life.
4. Be consistent: Try to use the same photo-shoot setup, camera, and brightness settings for every product photo. Buyers love consistency in any store; it builds trust and rapport with buyers automatically.
5. Scan prints, stamps, and posters: Always use a flatbed scanner for images of prints and stamps so that every detail is visible. For larger items like posters, you might try using a mobile Photo Scan App. 
6. Macro lens: For close-up photos, use a digital camera with a macro setting or lens.
7. Photo lightbox: A photo lightbox is an easy way to maintain good consistent lighting and solid background.
8. Display stands: Provide yourself more options when capturing different angles of your product and a more-professional touch if the stand is clearly visible in your photos.
9. Take more photos of clothes: Take at least two hanging photos and two flat photos, including a closeup of the label if it is a known brand. Additionally, clothing mannequins are a top-selling feature for clothing seller photos.
10. Include a photo of the box: Especially true for collectables, take a photo of the original box if included.

Pro Tip: Get an Alternative eBay Image Host

3Dsellers Image Hosting can improve business and workflow, so you don't rely on eBay and your PC for image management and storage.

Faster image processing than eBay

• Importing CSVs with images to eBay Hosting can slow processing time, but 3Dsellers Image Hosting processes your images behind the scenes so listings can be published quickly.
• 3Dsellers Hosting images are faster to display on eBay since eBay does not have to process the images for every location.

Near-lossless image compression

Large image files are automatically compressed by 3Dsellers Image Hosting to ensure fast loading on all devices. Only a professional analysis would notice the difference between 3Dsellers' image compression and the original.

"The term "lossless" refers to image compression in which no image quality is lost during compression."

Permanent product photo backup

The last time a product image is used on eBay's website, eBay will delete it 90 days later. 3Dsellers Hosting does not have time limits, so you can save seasonal/holiday photos without re-uploading them.

Assign and suggest images based on SKUs

• 3Dsellers Image Hosting will automatically suggest an image for a similar listing based on the SKU and listing details. (perfect for adding sizing charts and other frequently used photos)
• 3Dsellers Drafts can automatically apply images with assigned SKUs in bulk, making the process faster than uploading to single listings or importing a CSV file.

EPS Image Error Prevention

Third-party apps can cause eBay Picture Services (EPS) image errors when adding a photo to eBay Hosting. If you are using 3Dsellers Image Hosting, this error shouldn't happen.

Conclusion

Successful sellers attend to the small details of their listing to ensure it is found; from SEO in their description and title, to the item specifics of the item. 

However, successful sellers also know the impact of photos; which can make or break the work invested in the listing details.

So, if you invest in good photos to match your pristine listing information; you’re well on your way to watching your eBay sales grow.