What Size Images Do You Need for Etsy, Amazon, and Shopify?

Why Image Sizes Matter More Than You Think

Before diving into platform-specific requirements, understand what is at stake.

Platform acceptance. Amazon will flat-out reject listings with incorrect image dimensions. Etsy will let you upload undersized images but tank their quality through upscaling. Meeting minimum requirements is not optional.

Zoom functionality. Customers want to inspect details before buying jewelry. Too small an image and zoom either does not work or reveals a blurry mess. The ability to zoom cleanly correlates directly with conversion rates.

Mobile display quality. Most jewelry shopping happens on phones. Images optimized only for desktop look terrible on mobile. Platforms prioritize listings with mobile-friendly imagery in search rankings.

Load speed. Massive image files slow page loads. Slow pages lose sales. There is a sweet spot between quality and file size, and finding it matters.

Etsy Image Requirements

Etsy gives sellers considerable flexibility, which is both good and bad. Good because you have room to work. Bad because you can easily upload subpar images that hurt your listings.

The Technical Requirements

Minimum dimensions: 2000 x 1500 pixels (for zoom functionality).

Recommended dimensions: 2000 x 2000 pixels or larger.

Aspect ratio: Square (1:1) works best for consistency, but Etsy accepts various ratios.

File format: JPEG, PNG, GIF (JPEG recommended for photos).

Maximum file size: 10 MB per image.

Number of images: Up to 10 per listing.

What Actually Works on Etsy

Meeting the 2000-pixel minimum is not enough. Competitive jewelry listings use images at least 3000 x 3000 pixels. This ensures sharp zoom on both desktop and mobile, and signals quality to potential buyers.

Your first image matters most. This is what appears in search results. Make it clean, well-lit, and immediately eye-catching. Save artistic angles and lifestyle shots for images two through ten.

Etsy crops square images from the center when displaying in search. If your product is not centered, critical elements may get cut off. Test how your primary image looks in search before publishing.

Use all ten image slots. Listings with more images convert better. Show multiple angles, detail shots, scale reference, and at least one worn or styled image.

Amazon Image Requirements

Amazon is stricter than Etsy and will reject listings that violate their image guidelines. Pay attention here because non-compliance delays getting your products live.

The Technical Requirements

Minimum dimensions: 1000 x 1000 pixels (for zoom functionality).

Recommended dimensions: 2000 x 2000 pixels or larger.

Aspect ratio: Square (1:1) strongly preferred.

File format: JPEG or PNG (JPEG preferred).

Maximum file size: 10 MB per image.

Number of images: Up to 9 per listing (one main, eight additional).

Amazon-Specific Rules

Main image background: Must be pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255). No exceptions. Colored or textured backgrounds will get rejected.

Product coverage: Your jewelry must fill at least 85 percent of the image area. Too much empty space violates guidelines.

No text or graphics: The main image cannot include logos, watermarks, promotional text, or graphics overlays. Additional images have more flexibility.

No props in main image: The product must be shown alone. Models, hands, or props are only allowed in additional images.

What Actually Works on Amazon

The main image restriction to pure white backgrounds sounds limiting, but it creates consistency across the platform. Customers know what to expect, which builds trust.

Use your additional images strategically. Show the piece worn, include size comparisons, add callouts highlighting features, demonstrate use cases. These images do the storytelling your main image cannot.

Infographic-style images perform well in additional slots. Text overlays explaining materials, dimensions, or care instructions help conversions. Just keep them out of the main slot.

Amazon customers expect zoom. Upload the highest quality images you can within file size limits. Blurry zoom kills sales fast.

Shopify Image Requirements

Shopify is the most flexible platform because you control your own store. However, this flexibility means you need to make smart decisions about image sizing rather than following strict platform rules.

The Technical Capabilities

Maximum dimensions: 4472 x 4472 pixels (Shopify compresses larger images).

Recommended dimensions: 2048 x 2048 pixels for most themes.

Aspect ratio: Square (1:1) recommended for consistency, but any ratio works.

File format: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP.

Maximum file size: 20 MB per image (but keep files under 2 MB for speed).

Number of images: Up to 250 per product (practical limit much lower).

What Actually Works on Shopify

Match your theme. Different Shopify themes display product images differently. Check how your theme handles image ratios before committing to a size. Some themes crop, others letterbox.

Optimize for speed. Unlike marketplaces, you pay the price for slow load times directly in lost sales. Keep image files under 200 KB if possible without sacrificing visible quality. Tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel help compress without noticeable loss.

Consistent sizing across products. Nothing looks more amateurish than product pages where images jump between sizes as customers click through your catalog. Pick one size and stick with it.

Consider ALT text. Unlike marketplaces, Shopify SEO is in your control. Write descriptive alt text for every image. This helps search engines understand your products and improves accessibility.

Use image variants strategically. Shopify allows assigning images to specific product variants (like different colors or sizes). Use this feature to show customers exactly what they are getting with each option.

Cross-Platform Strategy

Most jewelry sellers list on multiple platforms. Creating separate image sets for each is inefficient. Here is how to optimize once and use everywhere.

The Master Image Approach

Create images at 3000 x 3000 pixels, square ratio. This exceeds every platform's requirements and provides room to crop or resize as needed.

Save in highest quality JPEG. PNG files are unnecessarily large for photos. JPEG at 90 to 95 percent quality looks identical to the human eye but saves significant file size.

Keep a white background version. Even if you prefer lifestyle or textured backgrounds for some platforms, maintain one clean white background shot. This gives you Amazon compatibility without reshooting.

Organize systematically. Name files descriptively and store them organized by product. Future you will thank present you when uploading listings months later.

Platform-Specific Tweaks

From your master 3000 x 3000 pixel images, you can quickly generate platform-specific versions.

For Etsy: Upload masters as-is. Etsy handles resizing well.

For Amazon: Use white background versions for main images. Add infographics or lifestyle shots for additional slots.

For Shopify: Compress masters to around 200 KB using tools like ImageOptim or ShortPixel before uploading. This maintains quality while dramatically improving page speed.

Common Image Size Mistakes

Using phone photos directly. Modern phones shoot huge files (often 4000 x 3000 or larger) with unnecessary metadata. These slow your site. Resize and compress before uploading.

Upscaling small images. You cannot add detail that was not captured. A 500 x 500 pixel image upscaled to 2000 x 2000 looks terrible. Shoot or generate images at the size you need from the start.

Ignoring mobile preview. Check how your images display on phones. What looks perfect on a 27-inch monitor might be unreadable on a 6-inch screen.

Inconsistent ratios across listings. Mixing square and rectangular images creates a disjointed, unprofessional catalog. Pick one ratio and maintain it.

Forgetting about file names. Many platforms use image file names in SEO. "IMG_2847.jpg" helps nobody. "sterling-silver-moon-necklace.jpg" helps search engines and organization.

Tools to Simplify Image Sizing

Manually resizing hundreds of product images is miserable. These tools speed the process significantly.

Bulk resize tools: Photoshop actions, Lightroom presets, or free tools like Bulk Resize Photos let you process dozens of images at once.

Compression services: TinyPNG, ImageOptim, and ShortPixel dramatically reduce file sizes without visible quality loss. Essential for Shopify stores prioritizing speed.

Template-based solutions: Pre-made jewelry photo packs provide images already sized correctly for all major platforms. No resizing needed. Just drop in your product shots and export.

The Bottom Line

Image sizing is not creative work. It is technical requirement work. Do it once, do it right, and never think about it again.

Create master images at 3000 x 3000 pixels. Maintain both white background and styled versions. Compress appropriately for each platform. Name files descriptively. Automate where possible.

Getting these technical details right frees you to focus on what actually matters: showcasing your jewelry beautifully and building a brand customers trust.

Because at the end of the day, image size requirements exist to ensure quality. Meet them, exceed them where it helps, and give your jewelry the presentation it deserves on every platform.

Tired of resizing images and wrestling with platform requirements? PhotoJewel generates professional jewelry photos already optimized for Etsy, Amazon, and Shopify. Perfect dimensions, compressed file sizes, and consistent quality across every image. Try it now and never worry about image specs again.