Editing is a critical step in ensuring the quality of your photos. Take the time to enhance the photos whenever possible, working to create compelling images for users to engage with, love and shop.
Cropping
Choose your frame. Your product's background, whether a white backdrop or a lively environment, not only tells the story of your photo, it also sets it off from the rest of the products listed on our site, particularly in search results. If you decide to mask your photo so your product appears on a white background, remember that Photoshop's "Refine edge" tool can help fix crooked edges.
Square it up. MoreCommerce requires square images for product listings and our web-based image editor allows you to crop your image. To crop your images, simply upload them and then use your mouse to click and drag the edges of the box to define the crop area. Remember this as you're shooting your product photos — leave enough space around the edges to allow for the square crop.
Size matters. Remember that product images must be at least 500 pixels on a side, so the crop tool may not allow you to go any smaller. We recommend that you shoot high-resolution photos (300dpi) so shoppers can see your products' details.
Let them zoom. Shoppers love to zoom in on product images to see the details, whether it's closures, the material, or a specific finish. For "zoomable" images, upload images that are at least 1248 pixels on each side. When you're taking your own photos, make sure to keep a sharp focus on the product.
Enhancing
Colors set expectations. Your shoppers will expect your products to look similar to their photos. Pay special attention to your colors if you're selling beauty or fashion products! Colors are critical for shoppers who are designing a "look," so keep it in mind for home décor products too.
Start it right. As a general rule, we recommend taking photos in a bright, well-lit environment (preferably natural light), with a tripod, so that the true color of your product comes through in your photos. Indoor lights usually cast a yellow or blue hue so be sure to adjust your camera settings if you are shooting indoors.
Correct levels and balance. To make your colors true to life (or help them pop), you can use image editing software to adjust your color levels and balance. This is a more advanced editing technique and the process varies depending on which software you're using, but an internet search for phrases like "how to adjust photo levels in Photoshop" (or whatever software you're using) will typically give you links to several step-by-step tutorials.
Hide unexpected content. If you're retouching a photo, take a moment to look at backgrounds and reflective surfaces. Is there anyone hiding in those spaces (such as the photographer)? If so you may want to use online tools to paint them out of the image to avoid distracting the shopper. Some photo editors also use "blur" filters in their image software to blur a background, highlighting the main product and creating a sense of depth within the image.
Scale and Angles
Upload the largest image you have. We accept images as small as 500 x 500 px, but we recommend images at least 544 px on each side (smaller images will be "matted" to fill the available space on some screens). The best images are at least 1248 px on each side - at that size we allow shoppers to "zoom in" to product photos, so they can see all the details, stitching, fixtures, etc.
Multiple shots answer many questions. You can — and should — upload multiple images for each of your products. MoreCommerce customers love to see different angles of products, especially apparel and complex electronics devices. Showing different angles of your product answers a lot of questions that your customer may have about its use and function.
Consistency is key. When shooting multiple images of your products, try to stand at the same distance so that all of your images show the product as the same scale. You can also use the crop tool to crop them to the correct scale.
Clarify scale. "How big is it?" is on of our shoppers' most common questions. Consider using models or props to help convey the scale of your products and close the sale.
Saving your images
JPGs and more. We accept most JPG, PNG, and GIF image formats at any size larger than 500x500 pixels. We'll convert your image to an RGB JPG file, so you'll likely get the best fidelity if you upload the same thing. Avoid compressing your images or using progressive JPGs - we'll optimize the files when we upload them.
Need help? If your file simply won't upload for some reason, please contact us and we'll take care of you.
Photo editing software
Your computer may have simple photo editing software, such as iPhoto on Macs, already available. If you're looking for more advanced editing options, some choices to consider include:
- GIMP
- Photoscape
- Picasa
These options aren't associated with our site, so MoreCommerce unfortunately cannot offer you specific help with these software options, nor can we guarantee their reliability. Proceed with caution!