Neither platform enforces a pure-white background, which is why both are full of listings that look homemade in the wrong way. The upside is creative freedom; the discipline has to come from you.
Etsy Specifications
- Recommended size: 2000 px on the shortest side; 2700 × 2025 (4:3) is Etsy's stated ideal for the primary image.
- Maximum file size: 20 MB.
- Formats: JPG, PNG, GIF (first frame only).
- Up to 10 photos per listing, plus a video.
- Aspect ratio: Etsy displays a horizontal 4:3 crop in search results but shows different ratios elsewhere. Keep the subject centred with margin so no crop damages it.
Etsy's audience expects styling: props, texture, natural light and context are welcome, unlike on Amazon. But the first image should still show the item clearly, since it competes as a thumbnail against dozens of others.
eBay Specifications
- Minimum 500 px on the longest side; 1600 px recommended to enable zoom.
- Maximum 12 MB, up to 24 photos free on most listings.
- Formats: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF.
- No borders, text or watermarks on images for many categories — eBay's policy has tightened here, and added text can block a listing from appearing in some search surfaces.
eBay's culture is proof-based: buyers want to see the actual item, especially for used goods.
The Thumbnail Crop Trap
Both platforms crop your image to fit different layouts — square in some grids, 4:3 in others, wide on category pages. If your subject fills the frame edge to edge, some crop somewhere will cut it. Keep the item within the central 80% and let the margins absorb the cropping.
What Actually Sells on These Platforms
- Show scale. A ring, a mug, a lamp — buyers consistently misjudge size. Include one photo with a hand or a familiar object.
- Show flaws honestly for used items. It reduces returns and disputes, and eBay buyers explicitly look for it.
- Show the item in use or worn. For handmade goods this often outperforms the clean studio shot as a second image.
- Consistent lighting across the set — mixed warm and cool photos make a shop look careless.
- Fill all available slots. Both platforms rank engagement, and more photos means longer time on listing.
Export Settings
Shoot larger than you need, then export at 2000 px on the short edge for Etsy or 1600 px long edge for eBay, JPEG quality 85, under ~500 KB. Batch-process the whole listing set with the same settings, and keep the originals — both platforms change their recommended sizes periodically, and re-exporting from a master beats upscaling a compressed upload.