The Ultimate Guide to Editing E-commerce Product Photos for Sales

Are you looking to improve your e-commerce sales? While having a professional studio and proper camera settings can help create high-quality product photos, it’s not enough to stand out in a crowded online marketplace. That’s where editing comes in.

Editing e-commerce product photos is essential in accurately showcasing your products and preventing buyers from being disappointed.

A professional eCommerce photo editing service can help you get the polished look of your products. It can display precise colors, create transparent or white background, and showcase brand new, undamaged items with substantial shadows and reflections.

However, you can edit like a pro by following some guidelines.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the secrets to editing product photos that can boost online sales for your clients or your own business.

From basic techniques like cropping and adjusting brightness to advanced techniques like image retouching and creating composite images, this guide covers everything you need to know to create high-quality e-commerce product photos.

You’ll also learn how to optimize product photos for e-commerce platforms, best practices for product photos, and more.

So, whether you’re a professional photographer or a business owner looking to improve your online sales, the Ultimate Guide to Editing E-commerce Product Photos for Sales is the perfect resource to take your product photos to the next level.

Understanding E-commerce Product Photos

When it comes to selling products online, e-commerce product photos are crucial for attracting potential buyers and converting them into customers.

High-quality product photos are especially important because they help showcase items in a way that accurately reflects their appearance and quality. This is especially important when customers cannot physically touch or see the products in person.

There are different types of product photos that are needed for e-commerce, such as product-only images, lifestyle images, and detail shots. Each type of photo serves a different purpose in showcasing the product and providing customers with the information they need to make a purchasing decision.

Overall, the role of product photos in the customer journey is to capture their attention, provide a clear and accurate depiction of the product, and ultimately convince them to make a purchase.

This is where The Ultimate Guide to Editing E-commerce Product Photos for Sales comes in, as it provides a comprehensive resource for learning how to edit product photos to achieve the best results.

Common Photo Editing Tools and Software

For editing e-commerce product photos, there are several photo editing tools and software available. Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and GIMP are some of the most commonly used photo editing software that provide advanced features for cropping, color correction, image retouching, and compositing.

Online photo editors such as Canva and Pixlr also offer basic editing tools and templates for creating marketing materials. The right editing tools for e-commerce product photos depend on the project’s specific needs and goals.

Cropping and Resizing Images

When it comes to e-commerce product photos, cropping and resizing is an important aspect of photo editing that should not be overlooked.

Cropping can help remove any unwanted elements from the image and focus on the product itself, while resizing can ensure that the image fits the required dimensions for the e-commerce platform.

These adjustments can help improve the overall appearance and professionalism of the product photo, which can in turn increase the likelihood of a sale.

With the right tools and techniques, cropping and resizing e-commerce product photos can be a quick and easy process that can have a significant impact on the success of your online business.

Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation

When it comes to creating the perfect e-commerce product photo, adjusting the brightness, contrast, and saturation is crucial. These three factors can make or break the overall appearance of the photo.

Adjusting the brightness can help bring out the details of the product, while contrast can help make the product stand out against the background.

Saturation, on the other hand, can enhance the colors of the product and make it more visually appealing to potential customers.

Getting these adjustments right can make a huge difference in the overall quality of your product photo, and can even impact sales.

It’s important to strike the right balance and make sure that the photo accurately represents the product while also being visually appealing to customers.

With the right editing tools and techniques, you can easily adjust these elements to create the perfect e-commerce product photo.

Removing Backgrounds and Unwanted Elements

Removing the background of an e-commerce product photo is one of the most essential tasks in product photo editing.

It allows you to create a clean and professional-looking product image that draws the customers’ attention. With the right tools and techniques, removing the background of an e-commerce product photo can be an easy process.

There are several methods to remove the background of an e-commerce product photo, such as using the Magic Wand tool or the Pen tool in Photoshop.

In addition to removing the background, you may also need to remove any unwanted elements in the photo, such as dust or scratches.

By using the clone stamp or healing brush tool in Photoshop, you can easily remove these unwanted elements and make your product photo look flawless.

Removing backgrounds and unwanted elements from your e-commerce product photos can improve their visual appeal and make them stand out from the competition, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

Adding Shadows and Reflections

One of the essential aspects of product photography for e-commerce is the ability to showcase the product as realistically as possible.

Adding shadows and reflections to product images can enhance their visual appeal and make them look more lifelike, thus increasing their perceived value. Shadows and reflections can add depth and dimension to a product, making it look more three-dimensional and tangible.

With the right editing tools and techniques, you can easily create shadows and reflections that look natural and believable, giving your e-commerce product photos a professional and polished look.

Adding shadows and reflections is especially important for products with shiny or reflective surfaces, such as jewelry, electronics, or glassware, as it can help to highlight the product’s unique features and make it stand out from the competition.

Whether you’re a professional photographer or a small business owner looking to improve your e-commerce product photos, mastering the art of adding shadows and reflections to your images can help you to take your visuals to the next level and drive more sales for your business.

Image Retouching and Color Correction

When it comes to E-commerce product photos, having high-quality images is essential to make a strong impression on potential customers.

However, sometimes even the best photos need a little extra editing to make them truly stand out. This is where image retouching and color correction come in.

These editing techniques can help remove any imperfections, adjust colors to make them more accurate, and create a consistent look across all product photos.

Retouching can also help to enhance features like textures, patterns, and fine details, making the product look more appealing to customers.

Overall, mastering image retouching and color correction is a critical step in creating high-quality E-commerce product photos that will catch the eye of potential buyers and boost sales.

Creating Composite Images

Creating composite images is an important part of e-commerce product photography. It involves combining multiple images into a single image to create a cohesive and visually appealing product display.

This technique is commonly used for products that have multiple variations or components, such as furniture sets, clothing outfits, or electronic devices with accessories.

The process of creating composite images involves selecting and arranging images, adjusting lighting and color, and blending the images together seamlessly.

This can be done using various photo editing tools and software, such as Adobe Photoshop. Composite images can provide a more comprehensive view of the product to customers, helping them make informed purchasing decisions.

It also allows e-commerce businesses to showcase their products in a more creative and engaging way, helping them stand out in a crowded market.

Creating high-quality composite images can be time-consuming and requires technical skill, but it is worth the investment for businesses looking to improve their e-commerce product photography.

Adding Special Effects and Text Overlays

When it comes to showcasing E-commerce products, adding special effects and text overlays can be an effective way to grab the customer’s attention.

Special effects like blur, bokeh, and vignette can add a unique touch to product images and create a more engaging visual experience. Text overlays can be used to highlight key product features, promotions, or even add branding elements to the image.

To add these effects, there are various photo editing tools and software available that offer a range of options and features.

However, it’s important to use these effects judiciously and ensure they complement the product and its branding, rather than overpowering it.

Ultimately, the goal of adding special effects and text overlays is to enhance the visual appeal of the product and help it stand out among the sea of online competitors.

Enhancing Product Details and Textures

Enhancing product details and textures is an essential aspect of creating high-quality product photos for e-commerce.

This technique involves emphasizing specific details and textures of a product to make it more visually appealing and provide a better representation of its features to potential customers.

For instance, in the case of clothing items, enhancing the texture of the fabric or highlighting the intricate details of the stitching can make the product look more attractive and compelling to buyers.

By enhancing product details and textures, you can create a more accurate representation of the product and help customers make more informed purchase decisions.

This technique can be achieved through various editing tools, such as sharpening or blurring certain areas of the photo to create a more focused or soft effect.

Overall, enhancing product details and textures is an essential aspect of creating visually compelling product photos that can help businesses stand out in a crowded e-commerce market.

Image Size and File Format

It’s important to consider both the size and format of the images you’re using. The right size and format can help your products stand out and increase conversions.

First, let’s talk about size. Large images are great for showing off product details, but they can also slow down your website’s load time.

It’s important to strike a balance between image size and load time. Generally, images should be at least 1000 pixels on their longest side and no larger than 2500 pixels.

Next, let’s consider file format. JPEG is the most common image format for e-commerce because it provides a good balance of quality and file size.

PNG is another option that’s useful for images with transparency or for graphics, but the file sizes tend to be larger. For product images with text, consider using SVG format for better clarity.

When it comes to e-commerce product images, it’s important to optimize your image size and format for both quality and speed to ensure a great user experience for your customers.

Image Naming and Alt Tags

By using relevant and descriptive image names and alt tags, e-commerce businesses can improve the accessibility of their products to all customers, as well as enhance their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

Image naming should be descriptive and relevant to the product it represents. For instance, instead of naming an image as “IMG1234”, a more descriptive name such as “Red_V-Neck_T-Shirt_Front_View” can help both search engines and shoppers to understand what the product is.

Alt tags, or alternative text, provide a text description of the image for users who cannot see the image or have images turned off in their browser. They also help search engines to understand the content of the image.

Alt tags should be descriptive and relevant to the image, and they should include the primary keywords related to the product.

Consistency in Image Style and Branding

In e-commerce, it’s important to maintain consistency in image style and branding across all product images. Consistency creates a sense of professionalism and trust in customers, and can make your brand more recognizable.

To achieve consistency, consider creating a style guide that outlines your preferred image style, such as the use of background colors, lighting, and image composition.

This guide can help your team stay on track and ensure that all product images align with your brand’s overall look and feel.

Additionally, use consistent branding elements such as logos and fonts on all product images. This helps to create a unified look and feel for your brand, making it more recognizable to customers.

Another tip for maintaining consistency in image style is to use the same photographer or team to capture all product images. This can help to ensure that all images have a similar look and feel, even if they are captured at different times or locations.

Using Lifestyle and Context Photos

Using lifestyle and context photos can help customers envision how products will fit into their lives. These types of photos can give customers a better sense of the size, scale, and use of a product, which can increase their confidence in making a purchase.

When using lifestyle and context photos, it’s important to keep your brand and product in mind. The photos should align with your brand aesthetic and showcase your product in a natural setting.

For example, if you sell outdoor furniture, you may want to use lifestyle photos that feature the furniture in a backyard setting, surrounded by plants and other outdoor elements.

It’s also important to make sure that the products are the focus of the photo, and not the surroundings or models.

Customers should be able to clearly see and understand the product in the context of the photo. Additionally, lifestyle and context photos should be high quality and well-lit, to showcase the product in the best possible way.

Overall, using lifestyle and context photos in your e-commerce product listings can provide customers with a more comprehensive understanding of your products, which can increase the likelihood of a purchase.

By showcasing your products in a natural setting, you can help customers envision how the product will fit into their own lives, and ultimately increase their confidence in making a purchase.

Keeping Product Photos Up-To-Date

To stay competitive in the world of e-commerce, it is important to keep your product photos up-to-date.

Your customers rely on your photos to make purchasing decisions, and if they are outdated or inaccurate, it can lead to a decrease in sales. One of the best ways to ensure that your product photos are up-to-date is to regularly review and update them.

It is important to note that even small changes in your products can affect their appearance, and as such, you should aim to take new photos at regular intervals. This could be every season, every year, or whenever there is a significant change in the product.

Another way to keep your product photos up-to-date is to use a consistent background and lighting setup. This will help ensure that all of your photos have a similar look and feel, making it easier for your customers to compare products.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that your product photos accurately reflect your current inventory. If you have products that are out of stock or discontinued, it is important to remove their photos from your website and replace them with updated images.

By keeping your product photos up-to-date, you can provide your customers with an accurate representation of your products and increase the likelihood of a sale.

Make it a priority to regularly review and update your product photos to stay ahead in the competitive world of e-commerce.

Final Tips

• Be consistent: Consistency in image style and branding is important to maintain a professional and cohesive look throughout your online store.
• Keep it simple: Avoid using too many filters or effects that can make the image look overdone or fake. Instead, focus on enhancing the natural features of the product.
• Pay attention to details: Make sure the product is in focus, the colors are accurate, and there are no distracting elements in the background.
• Optimize for web: Ensure that your images are optimized for web use, which means they are compressed to reduce the file size without sacrificing quality.
• Use descriptive file names and alt tags: Give your images descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).

In Summary

Product photos play a critical role in e-commerce sales. The photos are the first point of contact between the customer and the product.

They help to convey important information about the product’s features, appearance, and quality. Quality product photos can make a lasting impression on the customer and influence their decision to purchase the product.

When it comes to e-commerce sales, the product photos should be of high quality, accurately represent the product, and be consistent with the branding and style of the business. The photos should also be optimized for web use, with appropriate file formats, image sizes, and alt tags.

Good product photos can help to increase customer engagement and trust in the business, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales. On the other hand, poor quality product photos can lead to customer distrust and negatively impact sales.

Investing in quality product photos and maintaining consistency in image style and branding can significantly boost e-commerce sales.

It is important to pay attention to all aspects of product photography, from shooting and editing to file formats and alt tags, to ensure that the photos are optimized for maximum impact on the target audience.

Some Common FAQ’s

Q: Why is product photography important for e-commerce?

A: Product photography is important for e-commerce because it is the primary way for customers to see and evaluate the products they are interested in purchasing. High-quality product photos can increase sales and help establish a brand’s credibility and professionalism.

Q: How do I remove the background from a product photo?

A: There are several methods for removing the background from a product photo, including using the Magic Wand or Quick Selection tools in Photoshop, or using online tools like remove.bg or Clipping Magic.

Q: Should I use a white background for my product photos?

A: A white background is a popular choice for product photos because it creates a clean, consistent look that is easy to incorporate into a website or online store. However, it is not the only option, and other backgrounds can be used as long as they are consistent and do not distract from the product itself.

Q: Can I edit my product photos after I take them?

A: Yes, editing product photos is a common practice in e-commerce. Editing can include adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, removing backgrounds, adding shadows and reflections, enhancing details and textures, and more.

Q: How important are product photos for e-commerce sales?

A: Product photos are incredibly important for e-commerce sales as they are often the only way that customers can see and evaluate a product before making a purchase. High-quality, visually appealing photos that accurately represent the product can help to build trust and confidence in customers, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.

Q: Can I edit my e-commerce product photos myself or should I hire a professional?

A: It’s possible to edit your e-commerce product photos yourself using free or paid photo editing software, but it can be time-consuming and may not produce the desired results. Hiring a professional photographer or photo editor can ensure that your product photos are of high quality and meet your specific needs and requirements.

About the Author!

Kawsar Ahamed is an accomplished writer with a proven track record of crafting compelling content that resonates with diverse audiences. As a dedicated writer at Clipping Path India, Ahamed has helped numerous clients establish and enhance their brand image through effective writing. His ability to understand clients’ needs and tailor his writing to their target audiences has made him a highly sought-after writer in the industry. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.