The Golden Rules For Good Product Images

[1WSCGomez]

Background

Since 2020, product images have been verified as an attribute. As of February 2023, providing of at least one product image will be mandatory for the German GDSN target market.

On the following pages, you will find out what you need to know about creating and providing product images and how you can get the most out of your photographs without extensive design knowledge so that you can provide your retail partners with convincing image material.

This guide is intended to help you create a primary image for a consumer unit.

For more information on the display of secondary product images, trade units and the mobile ready hero image, please see the application recommendation “Produktabbildungen und Media Assets” by GS1 Germany (currently german version only).

What product image does the retail need?

Retailers need at least one very classic product image, the so-called primary image. If possible, capture your product in the front view, which is the side with the largest area and with the indication of the product name, which is used by the manufacturer to promote the product. In addition, the chosen motive should be typical and representative for products of this type.

Your product should be photographed as accurately as possible and in perfect condition. Optionally, of course, you can add many other images to each product – such as other perspectives or even detail views.

Depending on the nature of the product, these perspectives are recommended:

Product with depth (e.g. carton)	Flat product (e.g. bag, blister)
Perspective illustration with slight top view	Flat illustration Completely from the front

What do I have to consider when photographing?

• Photograph your product in front of a neutral background with as much contrast as possible.
• Avoid highly reflective backgrounds, backgrounds with patterns and/or unevenness (e.g. textured wallpaper or similar). This will make it easier for you to create a clipping path later.
• Make sure your product is evenly well lit.
• No item-specific information should be visible on the product (e.g. best-before date, sweepstake codes, promotional information, year details, labels with limited validity such as “Stiftung Warentest” or similar, or test numbers).
• Make sure that the product is free from dust and scratches.
• Fingerprints should not be visible.

Avoid Shadows and reflections.

Make sure that the product is not compressed or distorted.

What is the clipping path?

The clipping path is an outline, along which your product is cut out from the background and it allows the
merchant to place your product against any background.

It is needed so that a layout program can directly recognize and use the cropped image and hide the areas outside the created path. 

How should the clipping path look like?

• exactly one path
• manually created (preferred)
• (preferred) name marking
• closed
• encloses entire product

The specification of a clipping path will be checked from August 2022 for the German target market.

What resolution is required?

For image files of the type "Product image" the following parameters should be fulfilled:

• Margin specifications: approx. 5% to each side in white
• File format: jpg (recommended) with compression factor 12 (maximum quality)
• Color profile/space: ECI RGB V2 color space with 8 bits per channel
• Resolution: 300 ppi
• Image size: At least 2,401 pixels longest page at 300 ppi

All images provided must have unrestricted right of use. With the upload, the client is granted a spatially
and temporary unrestricted right of use to the images in order to market the product depicted offline as
well as online.

Some trading partners additionally request product images in TIFF format.