Shopify image size and quality are integral parts of a successful store—there’s no doubt about that.
It might even be the MOST important aspect.
After all, Shopify images are generally the first thing potential customers see when they come to your store…
Knowing which image format and size work best for your Shopify store can be tricky, given all the different devices and screen sizes.
But don’t worry—I’m here to help with image formats, image optimization, and different types of Shopify images, like banner images.
Check out the information below to learn about Shopify image sizes in 2023.
Why Are Shopify Image Sizes Important?
Images are one of the first things users notice when they visit your Shopify store; therefore, it’s essential to ensure they’re looking their best (especially banner images).
Besides, good Shopify images:
Improve user experience: Image optimization for all devices lets shoppers see the winning product clearly. Better product images enhance their understanding of its specifications and provide a smoother shopping experience.
Load faster: With proper image format and image quality, you can add as many product images as you like without worrying about slow load times. Such pages should ideally take no more than three seconds to load, which is the maximum amount of time consumers are willing to wait.
Enhances SEO performance: When images load faster, it reflects positively on your website’s ranking in search engines.
Official Shopify Image Sizes
Size matters for images on your Shopify store (especially one product Shopify stores). Choosing the correct image sizes can help improve your site’s overall look and feel.
Shopify Product Image Size
The best Shopify product image size is 2048 x 2048 px for square images (high-resolution images). You can upload lower-resolution images, like 800 x 800 px, but they won’t be as clear when visitors zoom in.
Your product images may appear blurry and stretched, and online shoppers might be unable to discern the details from the image.
The recommended size of 2048 x 2048 px lets shoppers see the finer details of your winning product without losing any quality. Smaller sizes also work great for mobile devices.
Shopify Collection Image Size
There are a few exceptions you should know about before resizing your images. The Shopify collection image size shouldn’t be larger than 4472 x 4472 px or less than 800 x 800 px.
The recommended collection image size is 2048 x 2048 px for high-resolution square images.
Since the dimensions and ratios of your images are essential to maintain a consistent look on your website, square images usually work best for this purpose.
Shopify Slideshow Image Size
The recommended Shopify slideshow image size is 1200px to 2000px wide and 400px to 600px tall.
However, remember that when you adjust the height and width of your slideshow images, they should be cropped differently for desktop and mobile devices.
Finally, center-align your slideshow images to remain balanced when cropped at the top, bottom, or sides.
Shopify Header Image Size
Their website says images between 100 and 250 pixels are best for Shopify header image size.
However, Shopify header images no more than 120 pixels tall are recommended for better visibility.
While Shopify header image size isn’t that important, having the proper image optimization will still help your Shopify store.
The ideal Shopify banner image size is 1200-2000 pixels, and the height should be 400-600 pixels. You can adjust the latter based on how much space you want it to fill on the screen.
Most screens have a 16:9 aspect ratio, with a pixel count of 1920 x 1080. Keep this in mind when creating banner images for ads or other display purposes.
Collection page banners are usually shorter than homepage banners, so the banner images should be able to pan across the screen smoothly.
Shopify Logo Size
Shopify logo size of 450×250 px is highly recommended, but it isn’t necessary to be precise with this size. Anything under this dimension will suffice.
A Shopify logo image size dimensions of a 1:1 ratio is a dependable choice that can be used on any theme and page.
Given all constrictions, 200×200 px appears to be the optimal resolution for the Shopify logo image size.
How To Optimize Shopify Image Sizes
Now that you know the recommended Shopify image sizes, it’s time to learn how to resize and optimize them.
Optimizing images on Shopify
Image optimization on Shopify can be done in a few simple steps.
Use short and direct names
It may be easier to upload images to your Shopify store with the default file names, but it’s essential for image SEO purposes to use relevant keywords. This helps your webpage rank on search engines.
It’s not just text that search engine crawlers focus on when determining rankings; they also look at image file names. Creating detailed file names, including keyword-rich phrases, is critical for optimizing images.
Use Alt attributes
The alt attribute provides replacement text when a web browser can’t load your Shopify images. This is also useful for people using screen readers for web accessibility purposes.
Even when the image loads correctly, you can see the alt attribute text if you hover your cursor over it (depending on your browser settings).
The alt attribute improves your website’s SEO and allows you to rank higher in search engines. Including relevant keywords in the alt section and improve your overall ranking.
Select your image dimensions and product angles
If you want to show someone your product, it is customary to display it from multiple angles. If you were trying to sell a product, it would be unwise only to include one photo of it.
Instead, take shots from different angles and perspectives, highlighting parts and features. And to make the most of these additional product images, update your alt tags.
Resize image
Resizing images is essential before uploading them online.
The main reason is that image file sizes can be pretty large, and if they’re not resized, they can take a long time to load on a webpage.
This will negatively impact your website’s performance and result in a poor user experience.
There are a few things to keep in mind when resizing images for the web:
Image dimensions: The width and height of an image.
Image file size: The amount of space an image takes on a hard drive or server.
Image quality: The level of detail an image contains.
When resizing an image, you can either change the dimensions or the file size, but it’s best to do both.
Using Shopify Image Editor
The Shopify image editor is the easiest way to change the dimensions of your images.
Step 1: Launch the image editor
Head to the “Products” page in your Shopify admin.
Tap on the name of the product whose image you want to edit.
Click on the image of the product you want to edit under Media.
Step 2 (a): Resize the image: Remove part of an image
Cropping an image allows you to cut out certain sections of it. This can be helpful if you only want to show a specific part or change the images’s dimensions. Then,
Tap ‘Crop’
Crop the image so that only the area you want to keep is visible:
For a custom-sized image, click Freeform. To relocate the highlighted area, click and drag any of its corners or else click inside it and drag.
If you want your Shopify image to stay in the same proportion as the original, select Original. You can change its size by clicking and dragging any of the highlighted area’s corners or move it by clicking inside the highlighted area and then dragging.
To crop square images, first, click Square. You can click and drag any of the corner squares to resize it. If you want to change its position, click inside the shape and drag it until it’s where you want. The width-to-height ratio will always stay equal.
Tap on Apply
After the editing ends, tap Save.
Step 2 (b): Resize the image: Alter the size
You can enter a new width value for a Shopify image, and the height will update automatically to keep the same aspect ratio. If you want to resize your Shopify image without preserving the aspect ratio, click ‘Lock Aspect Ratio.’ However, if you disable this feature, it will distort your image when resizing.
Click Apply to resize the image.
After you finish editing the image, select Save.
To change the dimensions of an image, you can use an image editing program like Photoshop or GIMP. Open the image, then go to Image > Image Size and enter the new width and height.
To change the file size, you can use a tool like ImageOptim, FileOptimizer, or Optimizilla. These tools will reduce the file size of an image without compromising quality.
Once you’ve resized the image, it’s essential to save it in the proper image format. The web’s three most common image formats are JPEG, GIF, and PNG.
Which Shopify Image Formats Should You Use?
There are six image formats used on the web. Each format has its advantages and disadvantages.
JPEG
JPEG is the best format for photos and other complex-color images. Millions of colors can be represented in the JPEG palette.
Also, because it uses lossy compression technology, pages with many JPEGs load quickly without a drop-in image quality.
PNG
Although less compatible than JPG, PNG is widely accepted because it losslessly reduces file size without reducing quality.
This means that backgrounds can remain transparent. However, large file sizes are a common outcome with this compression type.
HEIC
HEIC files are a compressed file format that, on average, take up half the space an equivalent JPEG would.
It is usually used to store pictures on iOS devices as it is Apple’s standardizing file extension.
WEBP
WebP is a next-generation image format that provides up to 30% better compression for images on the web than older formats like PNG or JPEG.
GIF
Although GIF has been replaced mainly by PNG, it is still used for animation as it is the only format supporting animation recognizable by all browsers.
TIFF
TIFF is a widely accepted lossless compression format that prevents data loss and offers multiple images per file while maintaining high-resolution images. However, the file size is usually large.
Best Practices for Shopify Images
Upload various images: The more images you have, the more likely a customer will find one they like. Image variety is even more important with high-ticket dropshipping products.
Use the correct file format: JPEG is best for photos, GIF for animations, and PNG for everything else.
Name your images descriptively: Descriptive image file names help improve your website’s SEO.
Change Shopify image sizes before uploading: There’s no need to upload massive images if you’re only going to display them at a smaller size. Resize them first to save time and bandwidth (even with product reviews).
Keep your editing consistent: If you’re using images from a stock photo site, try to use the same style of images throughout your site. This will help create a cohesive look.
Add responsive images: Images should be able to adapt to different screen sizes.
Employ A/B testing to decide what works for you: Try different images and see which ones get the most clicks or conversions.
Shopify Image Size: FAQ
How do I resize the Shopify banner image?
You can use the Shopify image resizer tool to crop or change the dimensions of an image to fit the recommended sizes. Using this tool, you can upload a minimum of six product images at once.
Can Shopify do image optimization?
Yes, Shopify does image optimization automatically. It compresses the images to reduce loading time and reduces the size of the images during the process.
What is the recommended image quality and size for Shopify images?
To maintain a successful Shopify store, it is essential to balance product quality with size. The best size for Shopify product images is 640 x 640 or 800 x 800.
Are square images the ideal size for Shopify images?
Shopify suggests using square images that are 640 x 640 or 800 x 800 for products to ensure picture quality without sacrificing speed.
Shopify Image Sizes: Conclusion
After being in the e-commerce trenches for 6+ years, it’s clear that images are super important.
Shopify image sizes, image file formats, and other image considerations are essential for any online store.
Using the correct image formats and sizes, you can improve your SEO, increase your conversion rates, and speed up your Shopify store.
Product images are important, but so are banner images, slideshow images, and collection images.
By following this guide, your Shopify store should be set for success.
Using this link, you can try Shopify for $1/month for the first three months.
