Sometimes the only coloured background which will highlight the focal point of your photo, is a white one. It’s an inescapable truth. And as one of the UK’s leading product photo background removal experts, DT reveals how we can help to give your all-important image the maximum visual impact. Whether adhering to well-documented Amazon image stipulations, or not.
We Explain Just How Easy It Is To Comply With Amazon’s White Way of Doing Product Photo Background Editing
White, eh?
Minimalistic, visually impactful, clinical freshness, aesthetic purity. There are numerous reasons why the colour white is considered up there amongst our most favourite monochromes. There’s something unmistakably un-dramatic, yet conversely bold about the colour white.
That said, it’s never deemed too ‘shouty’ or ‘in your face’, in DT‘s estimation.
It’s just white. Plain (ish) and simple (ish).
From Marlon Brando in-his-heyday-sporting plain white tees, kitchen appliances, Dover‘s cliffs and box-fresh trainers, through to designer-spec Apple products, a particular noise, a certain large American residence, teeth whitener and, erm, the White Stripes. There’s no denying that anything white is considered pretty cool/edgy.
All of which probably explains why white is the ‘go to’ colour background requested by DT‘s clients, whenever and wherever they brief us on product placements.
This is the Bit in The Product Photo Background Removal Blog Where We Mention the Amazon ‘White Backdrop’ Thing, Isn’t It?
You called it.
However, we did make it a few paragraphs in before we finally capitulated to the pressure and mentioned the opinion-polarising online trading empire, in fairness.
The thing is, Amazon hasn’t got a monopoly on white backgrounds. Despite it seeming like that at a glance.
Clients aren’t solely requesting our product photo background removal services for Amazon uploading purposes, as there are a host of other good reasons why white works wonders as a digitally remastered photographic backdrop.
But Amazon‘s instructions are often a precursor.
Yet recently many more businesses operating on virtual platforms (like eBay, for example) are requiring their products to be displayed in a very orthodox, uncomplicated, uniformed manner for a number of reasons. Chief amongst those being the visual impact we cited earlier.
It stands to reason when you think about it.
White has this recurrent habit of revealing the true colors of products. It also lends itself to showcasing shadows and light extremely proficiently. In addition to this, white backgrounds also ensure that the viewer/potential buyer isn’t distracted from the product. Courtesy of the attention-stealing nature of patterned, coloured or generally frenetic backdrops.
Whichever way you choose to look at it (the ‘it’ in question, normally being products), white space (and a liberal splashing of it behind a product) tends to afford said product the optimum ‘wow factor’. And a clean and crisp finish.
Be they football shirts, vehicles, office furniture or jewellery. You name it, and the chances are DT has applied product photo background removal techniques which concentrate on a dedicated white background at the behest of the client.
But what about busier, non-white backgrounds? Are they no longer a ‘thing?’
It’s a tough call to make when you think about it. With certain products these days being as much about the ‘lifestyle’ it’s trying to project/buy into as the product itself, you’d think more clients would opt for their product to be captured in stylised situ. Amid a cornucopia of associated imagery which casts the product in the best possible light/shadow.
Like a supercar shot against a contemporary architectural background. Or a posh polo shirt photographed on the back of a, well, polo player in the ‘cut n thrust’ of the high society action.
But, no. White backgrounds are considered de rigour.
They’re also legally compliant in terms of Amazon. When uploading your product to this global selling domain, you have to have at least your first/lead photo set on a white background. It’s the law around there, you see. Failure to comply will result in Amazon‘s software rejecting your advert.
Just How Strict Are Amazon With White Backgrounds Then?
Put it this way. According to the online retailing behemoth’s gargantuan rules and regs section re: product image backgrounds, ‘images must have a pure white background’.
Fair enough.
At this point relative room for manoeuvre you’d think. Only the next bit reads, ‘Pure white is RGB levels of 255,255,255. Even products that are photographed against a white backdrop will require retouching to meet this requirement.’
Ah, OK.
Still, they did just drop the R-bomb. Retouching, that is. The bit where product photo background removal experts like DT step up to the table.
Amazon isn’t alone is this steadfast image background malarkey, either.
Not wanting to fall far behind the online competition, eBay has implemented search precedence for white background photos of late. Which kinda makes sense, as they too have larger companies selling via its platform, so will ultimately make eBay look more consistent.
Etsy on the other hand is far more laid-back in its approach to product photography and positively embraces lifestyle photos. The same rule of thumb applies when you’re talking about Instagram too. Where visual emphasis is placed firmly on enhanced lifestyle choices and the product being seen in an immediate environment which cements the zeitgist.
So, As Product Photo Background Removal Experts, Can DT Help Out?
You bet we can!
Just take a look on Amazon‘s website and browse its product image upload directive (take your time; there’s less pages in the Magna Carta), and digest the details*. Then when your pupils are the size of saucers, get in touch with us with your specific product photo background removal requirements. Which DT will fulfil quickly and professionally, once we’ve explained to you (in straighforward terms) how and what we’ll do for you.
Reading between the lines, and Amazon‘s instructions aren’t exactly rocket science. Yet spread across multiple pages together and contradicting themselves on many occassions, Amazon has succeeded in creating a lot of confusion. And subsequently putting a lot of people off.
Especially on learning that Amazon even has unique style guides for each of its 45 different product categories? All of which have subtle inconsistencies making it easy to get overwhelmed (insert Edvard Munch’s ‘Scream’ face HERE).
What’s That? You Want to Be Flummoxed by More Deets Before You Hand Over Your Product Photo Background Removal Brief To DT?
Let’s do this then.
In just two paragraphs (an admittedly two lengthy examples), the gospel according to Amazon is thus.
You MUST photograph the product by itself on a pure white (255, 255, 255) background (no ifs or buts),the product must fill 85% or more of the image area and NOT be blurry, pixelated, have jagged edges, be cropped by a frame edge, a graphic, rendering or illustration of the product, nor depict excluded accessories or props that may confuse the customer. (Another sharp intake of breath)
Elsewhere, the image should not show graphic design, text that is not part of the product, or logos/watermarks/inset image, multiple views of the same product, be on a visible mannequin (except for stockings or socks) or have external brand tags (except for stockings or socks). Also, images must NOT be on coloured backgrounds or lifestyle images and must accurately represent the product that’s being sold and show only the product that’s for sale out of its packaging. Finally, products must NEVER touch the sides of the image box. Clean white space must frame the item at all edges to make the image ‘pop’.
….and BREATHE!
Let DT Answer Your Amazon Ad SOS!
The good news for both you and us is that dedicated product photo background removal experts like ourselves exist. So we can do all that background image jiggery-pokery behind the scenes, if you’ll excuse the pun. So you don’t have to.
To find out more on how we can lend a product photo background removal hand to your digital image poser, then contact us today. Where we’ll run you through what we’ll do, based on what your individual requirements are.
DT looks forward to hearing from you soon.
*Minimum image dimension 500px on its longest side, 10,000px on its longest side, image zoom starts at 1000px on its longest side & 500px on the shortest, Amazon accepts JPEG (.jpg) or GIF (.gif) file formats, colour space: sRGB, max file size you can upload is 10mb, best ratio or crop is a 1:1 square image (but can be up to 5:1 rectangle).