You photographed your product on the kitchen table, and the listing was rejected, or it just looks cheap next to sellers with clean white backgrounds. You don't need a studio, a lightbox or Photoshop to fix that.
Short answer: for Amazon's main image the background must be pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255), the product must fill about 85% of the frame, and the image should be at least 1000 px on the longest side (2000 × 2000 px looks sharper when shoppers zoom). Shopify stores look best with 2048 × 2048 px squares, and Etsy recommends at least 2000 px on the shortest side. To get there from a phone photo, remove the background, choose a white background and "Square 1:1", and download as JPG. It takes about a minute and it's free.
Marketplace Photo Requirements at a Glance (2026)
| Amazon (main image) | Shopify | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Pure white, RGB 255, 255, 255 | Your choice; white is the norm | Your choice; clean and uncluttered |
| Recommended size | 2000 × 2000 px | 2048 × 2048 px | 2000 px or more on the shortest side |
| Minimum | 1000 px on the longest side (needed for zoom) | 800 × 800 px for zoom | Below 2000 px may look soft |
| Shape | Square works best | Square 1:1 | 4:3 or 1:1 |
| Product fill | About 85% of the frame | Keep sizes consistent | Keep the product clearly visible |
| File type | JPG (preferred), PNG, TIFF, GIF | JPG, PNG, WebP | JPG, PNG, GIF |
| Not allowed | Text, logos, watermarks, borders, badges | — | — |
These are the commonly published guidelines as of October 2026. Marketplaces update their rules, and some categories (clothing, jewellery, books) have extra ones, so check your seller help page before a big upload.
Selling on Daraz or another regional marketplace? Rules vary by country and category, so check your Seller Center. If you're unsure, a white-background, square, 2000 × 2000 px JPG meets or beats the main-image rules of most marketplaces.
Why Marketplaces Insist on White
- Consistency. Search results look like a tidy catalogue, and shoppers compare products instead of backgrounds.
- Focus. Nothing competes with the product: no table, no carpet, no other items.
- Automatic checks. Amazon's systems flag main images whose background isn't white. "Almost white" (a grey-ish 240, 240, 240 from a phone camera) is a common reason for a suppressed listing.
That last point is why simply "brightening" a phone photo rarely works. The paper or wall behind your product photographs as light grey, not white. Replacing the background is more reliable than editing it.
How to Make a White Background Product Photo (Free)
- Take the photo. Daylight from a window, product in focus, the whole product in the frame. The background doesn't matter much; a plain one just gives cleaner edges.
- Crop close first with Crop Image, so the product takes up most of the picture. This is what gets you near Amazon's 85% fill, because the next step only adds white space around it.
- Open Remove Background and upload the photo (or paste it with Ctrl+V). The AI cuts out the product in a few seconds.
- Drag the before/after slider over the edges. Look closely at handles, straps, transparent parts and anything the same colour as the old background.
- Choose the white background, then "Square 1:1". The product is centred on a pure white square.
- Choose JPG and download. JPG is what Amazon prefers and keeps the file small. Choose PNG instead if you need a transparent version for your own website or designs.
The result keeps the full resolution of your original photo, and there's no watermark and no signup.
Getting the Size Right
The square you download is as large as the longest side of your photo. A normal phone photo is about 4000 × 3000 px, which gives a square of about 4000 × 4000 px. That's well above every minimum, but large for uploading:
- Too big? Bring it down to 2000 × 2000 with Resize Image, then shrink the file with Compress Image. 2000 × 2000 px is the sweet spot for Amazon and Etsy, and 2048 × 2048 for Shopify.
- Too small (an old photo or a supplier image under 1000 px)? Enlarge it with the Image Upscaler before removing the background. Upscaling afterwards makes the edges look blurry.
7 Reasons Product Photos Still Get Rejected
- The background isn't pure white. A grey or cream backdrop that looks white on your screen. Replacing it with exactly #FFFFFF fixes this.
- The product is too small in the frame. Lots of white space around a small product. Crop closer before making the square.
- Text or graphics on the main image. "Free shipping", logos, size charts and watermarks belong in the secondary images, not the main one.
- Props and extra items. Amazon's main image should show only what the buyer receives.
- Under 1000 px. Zoom won't work, and some categories reject the image outright.
- Cut-off product. A handle or corner outside the frame. Leave a small margin on every side.
- Rough edges. Leftover bits of the old background, especially around hair, fur, fringes or clear plastic. Check at full size with the slider before you upload.
Main Image vs Lifestyle Images
The white background rule applies to the main image, the one in search results. Your other images can and should do more:
- a lifestyle photo of the product in use,
- a close-up of texture, material or stitching,
- a size reference next to a hand or common object,
- an infographic with dimensions or key features.
For lifestyle images, a background removal tool helps the other way round too: cut out the product and place it on a colour that matches your brand, or use the blurred original option for a soft, natural background.
Quick FAQ
What background colour does Amazon require for product photos? Pure white, RGB 255, 255, 255 (hex #FFFFFF), for the main image. Secondary images can have other backgrounds, but the main image shown in search results must be white with nothing else in the frame.
What size should an Amazon product image be? At least 1000 pixels on the longest side, so that zoom works, and ideally 2000 × 2000 px for a sharp zoom on desktop and mobile. The product should fill about 85% of the image.
How can I make a white background for product photos without Photoshop? Use a free background remover: upload the photo, let the AI cut out the product, choose a white background and a square 1:1 shape, and download as JPG. FileConvy does this in the browser with no signup or watermark.
What is the best product image size for Shopify? 2048 × 2048 px squares are the common recommendation. Shopify enables zoom from about 800 × 800 px, and using one consistent square size keeps collection pages tidy.
What size should Etsy listing photos be? At least 2000 px on the shortest side, in a 4:3 or 1:1 ratio. Etsy thumbnails are cropped, so keep the product in the centre of the frame.
Should I upload product photos as JPG or PNG? JPG for marketplace listings: smaller files, faster pages, and it's Amazon's preferred format. Use PNG only when you need transparency, for example a product cut-out for your own website, ads or designs.
Will removing the background reduce the image quality? It shouldn't. A good background remover keeps the original resolution and only changes the background. If the original photo is blurry or small, fix that first, because no tool can add detail the camera didn't capture.