Product images are at the core of your brand and eCommerce success. Every one of them requires imagination, work, image editing, image optimization, so on and so forth. 

So what is the right amount of time you should invest in editing your product photos? The answer can be anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours, depending on a few factors discussed in this article. So sit back, relax and read on.

Factors influencing the time of edit

One of the most significant aspects influencing the time spent on image editing is the quality of the original image. The better the photograph, the less time you or your editor will need to spend on it.

The types of required edits (product image optimization, resizing, retouching, background removal) and your experience in photo editing can also increase or decrease the time you spend on one image.

Ask yourself: what kind of detail does my customer need to see in these images? If we talk about high-end jewelry or accessories, more time and experience will be required to get the image editing just perfect.

Choose the platform for your product images

The most prominent players in the eCommerce industry have their requirements about how product images should look like.

For example, Amazon requires a pure white image background, with no additional text, graphics, or gratuitous or confusing additional objects. So if you’re planning on using only Amazon, remember these rules because they might save you loads of time.

eBay also allows showcasing only the product and nothing else, and their rule suggests not to include a box or packaging unless the detail on the packaging is essential. 

Checklist to help you edit photos faster and better

As mentioned earlier, a better original photo will result in a higher quality of your product images and a shorter time spent for image optimization. Here are some tips that will help you work faster and better.

✅ Remember to shoot RAW files, as they have more information, so details don’t get lost when you use image editing tools.

✅ Rotate images to ensure image symmetry. The human brain is not pleased to see crooked products and this can result in a lack of trust associated with your products.

✅ Check your exposure. If you followed our advice, you might have a pretty good exposure straight from the camera. If not, adjust exposure siders in the image editing tools of your choice.

✅ Correct the white balance. Use a color picker to adjust your image so it reveals true whites and blacks.

✅ Use AI-powered tools. If your eCommerce platform only requires a pure white background, you can skip fancy image editing tools and head straight PixelPro.ai to get help in editing background.

Do you know how to edit photos? 

This is also an important question to consider when calculating the time needed to get perfect product images. Experts can perform image editing, product image optimization, and background editing in a few minutes, while this task can take an inexperienced novice a few hours. 

If you don’t have much time to spend on image editing or learning how to edit photos, consider outsourcing photo retouching services to an expert. 

Are you a professional photographer or an eCommerce retailer?

Spend less time on image editing by using PixelPro.ai to remove background from your product images a lot faster than doing it manually in Adobe Photoshop or other photo editing solutions. Check it out for FREE here.