Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. In fact, Shopify has more than 2.1 million daily active users, and the platform itself has contributed about $319 billion in global economic activity.

As of April 2021, there were 75.5k stores selling fashion and clothing-related products using Shopify. While the second most popular category was home and garden, with 33.8k retailers.

That’s a lot of commerce! And it doesn’t come as a surprise, especially with the recent pandemic where people have turned to online shopping for most of their needs. With all of this online traffic, your product images need to be top-notch to stand out from the competition and attract potential customers.

When it comes to eCommerce, your product photos play a crucial role in your marketing and overall success regardless of your industry. It’s all about visuals if you want to make a sale. The more realistic and high-quality your product photos are, the more likely it is that customers will buy from you.

This is why platforms like Amazon and Shopify have implemented strict guidelines when it comes to product images. Not only will these guidelines help establish uniformity in all the images, it also protects the customers and ensures that they get what is advertised.

The last thing you want is for your products to be taken down because you didn’t follow the image guidelines set by Shopify. In this guide, we’ll be discussing everything there is to know about Shopify product image size and formatting so that you can avoid any issues down the line.

In this guide:

• What are Recommended Shopify Image Sizes?
  
  • Shopify Product Image Size
  • Shopify Collection Image Size
  • Shopify Image Size for Slideshow Banners
  • Shopify Logo Image Size
  • Shopify Image with Text Overlay Size
  • Shopify Image Size for Blog Posts and Pages
  • Shopify Background Image Size
• Why is Image Size Important on Shopify?
  • Does Shopify Automatically Resize Images?
• Shopify Image Sizes Recommended by Experts
• What is the Best Image Format to Use in Shopify Stores?
• Shopify Photo Editing Services

What are Recommended Shopify Image Sizes?

There are different types of images you can upload to your Shopify store, each of which requires a different size. The most common image types are:

• Product images: These are the photos of the products you are selling. Customers rely on these images to get an idea of what the product looks like before they purchase it.
• Collection images: This highlights the bestsellers in your store or a new arrivals collection.
• Banner images: These are usually large hero images that are placed at the top of your website or on specific pages to attract attention.
• Logo image: A logo is a must for any business, and you’ll need to upload it to your Shopify store.
• Blog post featured images: If you have a blog on your Shopify website (which we recommend), you’ll need to upload a featured image for each blog post.

The general Image size recommendations for Shopify are as follows:

• maximum image size: 4472 x 4472 pixels;
• recommended square image size: 2048 x 2048 pixels;
• image file size: up to 20 MB;
• image resolution: 72 dpi.

Image optimization is key for a fast-loading website, which is important for search engine ranking and conversion rates. Having the correct resolutions for your website’s images is important, so they don’t look blurry or overstretched. The same goes for uploading massive images, which affects user experience and slows down your website. Keep in mind that these are only general recommendations. For product images, in particular, there are other things to consider, such as file type, alt text, and more which we will discuss later.

Shopify Product Image Size

Your product images are the star of your product pages. It is where customers will look to get an idea of what the product looks like, examine the finer details, and make a decision on whether to buy or not. This is why it’s important to pay extra attention to your product photos and ensure they are of the highest quality possible. For the best quality, your Shopify product images should be 2048 x 2048 pixels for square pictures. The lowest resolution that visitors will still be able to zoom in and see details on is 800 x 800 pixels. But by sticking to the 2048 x 2048px recommended size, they will do it without losing any significant quality and also lets shoppers see the finer details of your product. Use a 1:1 aspect ratio for square product images and a 3:1 ratio for rectangular designs. However, your recommended image size can vary depending on your theme. Some themes are designed to work best with images that are of different sizes, so it’s important to check this before you start adding your product photos.

Shopify Collection Image Size

The Collection images are the ones that show up on your homepage or other collection pages like “new arrivals.” The Collection Pages are usually where customers browse products, so it’s important that these images are high-quality and accurately reflect the products in the collection. The ideal size for a Shopify collection image is 1024 x 1024 px. However, there are still some restrictions you shouldn’t exceed. For example, collection images can’t be bigger than 4472 x 4472 px and should also be at least 800 x 800 px. It’s not only the size of your images that counts—being consistent does too. If you want your website visitors to have a good experience scrolling through, make sure all of your photos are (roughly) the same dimensions and ratios. That way, they’ll look cohesive next to each other. For this, square images usually do the trick best! The majority of the Shopify themes also include a collection banner for collection pages. You may either use a unique picture for each place or utilize the same image across your website. Keep in mind that collection banners have specific width and height dimensions: 2800 px wide and 1000 px tall. However, depending on your website visitor’s device, this image may be cropped accordingly.

Shopify Image Size for Slideshow Banners

Slideshow banners are the images that come up in the main banner or carousel on your Shopify website’s home page. You can use them to showcase your latest products, highlight customer testimonials, or display a range of services that you offer—the possibilities are endless. The recommended size for a slideshow banner on Shopify is 1200 px to 2000 px in width, and 400 px to 600 px in height. Make sure the subject of your photos is in the middle. Mobile and desktop devices will crop them differently, so the edges may be cut off. To create a cohesive design, make sure your images are similar in size or proportions. Each Shopify theme has its own recommendations on what are the best image sizes for the slideshow banners. Check out the information available and see if the theme creators have a different suggestion.

Shopify Logo Image Size

Your logo is the face of your brand and one of the first things visitors to your website will see, so it must look professional and polished. The optimal Shopify logo picture size is 450 x 250 pixels. But it does not have to be this precise. The maximum logo image size that Shopify allows is 495 x 250 px. However, it is also worth noting that the bigger your logo is, the longer the waiting time will be. Therefore, aim for a logo size of 450 x 250 px to keep your website loading times down. A square logo is the safest bet that will work well with all themes and page layouts. Keep in mind that a good resolution for a Shopify square logo should be around 200×200 px so it looks great no matter what. The size of your logo will depend on the Shopify theme you are using for your store. There may be significant differences in some cases. For example, the Turbo Shopify theme suggests a 400x100px logo image for the main menu, 100x50px mobile version, and 250x200px footer image. Before making any changes, we recommend reading through your theme’s documentation to see what specific size is recommended.

Shopify Image with Text Overlay Size

Images with text overlay are generally used for promotional purposes, such as to announce a sale or new product launch on banners, homepage images, and featured blogs. The recommended image size for this is 1800 x 1000 px. Again, the image size will still depend on your chosen theme. The text should be placed in the center of the image and be easily readable. Avoid using more than 20% of the image’s surface area for text since this will make your website look like one big advertisement. The font size is also crucial. Stick to a font size that’s big enough to be legible but not too overwhelming. A good rule of thumb is to use a font size that’s around 1/10th the height of the image. So, for an image that’s 1000 px tall, use a font size of 100 px.

Shopify Image Size for Blog Posts and Pages

Another important image size for Shopify is the one used for blog posts and pages. The recommended size is 1800 x 1000 px for blog banners. However, many recommend going for 1000 x 350 px for images within the content. The dimensions of a featured blog image should be 1400×788 px for best results. Like other Shopify images though, the size cannot exceed 4472x4472px or 20 MB; otherwise, it will be downsized automatically.

Shopify Background Image Size

Some themes will also allow you to upload a background image. The size for this type of image is different from the standard ones because it needs to fill the entire screen. The ideal Shopify background image size is 1920 x 1080 px, but it can be as small as 1024 x 768 px. The Shopify image size restrictions still apply: you can’t use more than 4472 x 4472 pixels. After all, smaller images load faster. Use image optimization software like TinyIMG to reduce the file size of your large background images. Again, you may want to review your chosen theme’s documentation to get an accurate size for the background image.

Why is Image Size Important on Shopify?

You’ve spent countless hours working on your product images. You’ve put a lot of time and resources into editing each of your items to make them stand out. So why do you still need to optimize your images? Here are a few concrete reasons:

• Enhances user experience

If your images are clear and visible on all devices, it will help potential customers see your products better, understand their features, and get a feel for what they’re like. This enhances their overall shopping experience. Imagine trying to purchase a piece of clothing online, but the image is so low quality that you can’t tell what the fabric looks like or what the item would look good with. This frustrates customers and ultimately decreases their chances of buying from you. Following Shopify’s image guidelines means you’re providing your customers with the best possible user experience.

• Improves page speed

When your photos and their sizes are optimized, they don’t add extra weight to your web pages—regardless of how many images you upload. This ensures that the speed of your website is well within 3 seconds, which is how long the consumer is prepared to wait. Page speed is also a ranking factor for Google, especially with more people using mobile search to find services and online stores (50% of web traffic comes from mobile—Think with Google). If your images are too big, your website will take too long to load. This leads to just two things: either your customers leave your website and go to your competitor, or Google ranks your website lower in results.

• Supplements Your SEO efforts

Aside from making your website load faster, optimized images tell the search engine that your website has what potential customers are looking for, and as a result, they’re more likely to rank you higher. Alt tags, for example, are a form of image SEO. They are text descriptions that help Google understand what an image is about. These tags appear in the HTML code of your web pages and help improve your website’s ranking—so it’s important to ensure they’re accurate and descriptive.

• Avoids Issues with Shopify

The last thing you want is for Shopify to reject your product images because they don’t meet the requirements. When this happens, you must go back, resize or crop your images, and then upload them again—wasting valuable time in the process. To avoid this issue altogether, we recommend following Shopify’s image guidelines from the start. This will also help you save time optimizing your images for other platforms, such as social media.

Does Shopify Automatically Resize Images?

Yes, Shopify automatically resizes product images when you upload them to your store. The system will generate four sizes of the same image:

• mini – 100 x 100 px (thumbnail for search results and collection lists)
• small – 160 x 160 px (thumbnail on product pages)
• medium – 300 x 300 px (displayed on collection pages)
• large – 1024 x 1024 px (zoom feature on product pages)

Keep in mind that you can’t control the output quality for these resized images, so it’s important to upload high-resolution photos to your store. This way, even if the image quality is slightly reduced when it’s resized, it will still look sharp.

Shopify Image Sizes Recommended by Experts

According to Shopify design experts, the ideal size for square product images is 2048 x 2048 pixels. This balance between image quality and site loading speed will give merchants the best results.

Below, you will find an overview of the most commonly used Shopify image sizes:

Image type	Width x Height
Product images	2048 x 2048
Collection images	1024 x 1024
Slideshow banner images	1600 x 500
Shopify background image	1920 x 1080
Image with text overlay – Banner images, Blog featured image, Full shop background image	1800 x 1000
Blog page top banner, Contact page top banner	1800 x 1000
Shopify logo	Up to 450 x 250
Video placeholder image	1600 x 900
Newsletter section image	1600 x 300
Featured promotions	840 x 840
Newsletter popup image	425 x 575
Gallery	800 x 800
Mega menu images	360 x 360
Favicon	32 x 32
Checkout page top banner	1800 x 300
Password page background image	1600 x 1000

What is the Best Image Format to Use in Shopify Stores?

The recommended image format for Shopify is JPG or JPEG. This is because JPEG images have the smallest file size without compromising quality. Smaller file sizes mean that your pages will load faster—improving the overall user experience of your store.

WEBP is a new format that’s more advanced than JPEG and offers even smaller file sizes. In 2019, Shopify announced that it would start supporting this format for product images.

If you want to use WEBP images on your Shopify store, you can do so by installing the free Image Optimizer app. This app automatically converts your JPG or JPEG images to WEBP when they’re uploaded to your store, so you don’t need to worry about changing the format yourself.

GIF and PNG are also popular image formats, but they’re generally used for illustrations, logos, and icons rather than product photos. This is because they have a larger file size, slowing down your website’s loading speed.

PNG images are becoming increasingly popular on Shopify due to their transparency feature. When used correctly, PNGs can help create a clean look for your store while still providing high-quality images.

Lastly, there’s TIFF which is an image file format that’s often used in photography and graphic design. TIFF files are usually too large to use on a website and entirely uncompressed. If you’re not showcasing photography on your Shopify store, we recommend avoiding this image format altogether.

Shopify Photo Editing Services

Don’t have the time and/or the resources to take and edit product photos for your Shopify store? Then consider hiring a professional image editing service like Pixel by Hand.

Pixel by Hand is one of the leading photo editing services for Shopify merchants. We have a team of expert editors who can help you with everything from removing the background from your product photos to color-correcting and retouching images.

We understand that product photos are a vital part of your online store—which is why we offer high-quality, affordable image editing services that are tailored to your specific needs. Aside from image resizing, we also offer background removal services, clipping paths, image manipulation, color correction, and more.

Contact us today to learn more about our Shopify image editing services or get started on your FREE Trial! If you have a question then simply say hello to us in the chatbox below.