High Res Photos

[VintageButtonJoy]

I uploaded dozens of new listings to my shop and all of them were tagged for being "low res" with Etsy AI asking me to retake them. I sell vintage and antique buttons so the pictures can't get too large. I also can see the most minute details in the photos, so I don't know how I can get them more "high res" than this. What can I do? How can I alter them so the AI Gods like them without retaking them? And how would I retake them and make them more high res when they're already pretty detailed? 

Thanks. I've been locked out of most Etsy forums for some strange reason (IT will fix it, then it won't work), so I hope I'm posting in the right area and that some can see my photo quality. 

[kgmworkshop]

What are you using to take the photos? It could be that your settings need to be changed so that it is taking higher resolution photos. 

[VintageButtonJoy]

I'm using an older iPad. I am technologically challenged. That sounds like a good idea, to check the settings. Didn't know I could do that. I guess I could watch a video on how to change settings. It's frustrating because I feel some of the photos really capture these tiny details and then Etsy AI tells me it's not good enough. 

[VintageButtonJoy]

I use an iPad and then crop the photos after I upload. 

[Amaradorn]

What pixel size are the images you are currently uploading?

Images need be at least 2000 pixels along the shortest side.

I doubt Etsy is using AI to test your image sizes - it's not that complicated. 

[VintageButtonJoy]

So it's in the Etsy new "Search Visibility" section, which is asking me to upload higher res photos for my items to be seen. Have you seen this option yet? 

[VintageButtonJoy]

When I post new listings, AI determines which photos in the listings need adjustments. It's a new section in the shop manager. 

[VintageRescueSquad]

You can't make a low-res photo more high-res without retaking them. Your photos look fine. I would ignore what etsy is telling you

But, going forward, look into your settings and make sure they are 2000 pixels x 2000 pixels

[VintageButtonJoy]

Thank you for checking out my photos. What I have read is that Etsy will not show any listing showing as low res. So frustrating, because these are small items and the photos are detailed. It's like AI isn't seeing what humans see. So the pixels will be in the iPad? 

[MeraLife]

It is possible to use software to upscale your photos (Topaz GigaPixel or online - https://imgupscaler.com/).  This might work for the op, but it's recommended to retake the photos at higher resolution.

[PrairiePrimitives]

@VintageButtonJoy I'm not an expert photographer but I think I get by. : - )   For your buttons, I'd try taking the photos on a crisp white sheet of posterboard (or even printer paper). Not on your hand and not on a textured white background. I can't say for sure if this would make Etsy happy, but it's where I'd start! 

[VintageButtonJoy]

That's a good solution. Sometimes the white paper/background just doesn't work for some buttons, but it looks like I'm going to have to. With 35 to "update," it would be worth that. 

[PrairiePrimitives]

@VintageButtonJoy True, a crisp white background wouldn't work with white buttons (and maybe others). 

When I've changed things that Etsy says are affecting my search placement, that number is reduced immediately. So even taking one photo on a white background and updating ONE listing will probably let you know if you're on the right track. Good luck! 

[TheRaptorPaddock]

I’m having the same problem and it’s INCREDIBLY frustrating - I checked the photo resolution myself and it’s well above their  635x635 minimum, and the photos are displaying quite nicely, but the AI just doesn’t seem to like them.  Just can’t keep those darn algorithms happy!

[VintageButtonJoy]

That's EXACTLY how I feel!! 

I'll check out your pics. OK. I see. For some weird reason, Etsy AI doesn't like dark/black backgrounds. I have had darker backgrounds and/or black buttons and it hates that. I literally cannot change the color of the button. If I take the picture far away to get more color in the background, I lose the detail of the button. I think changing your black background might help with the algorithm. I believe this one started in August. I feel I'm wasting a lot of time. Maybe a display? I see you have a nice display for your bracelets. 

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

The minimum recommended is 2000px on the shortest side, not 635px. So yours do need to be larger. Some I looked at do look a little blurred. And if you’re using a dark background, play around with the contrast to get the balance right - and always remove any dust and specks either by lint roller or by editing afterwards.

[PrairiePrimitives]

@TheRaptorPaddock But are image size and image resolution the same thing? 

Size is, well, size.

Resolution is related to how many pixels are in the image. The more pixels, the better the resolution. ChatGPT and are are BFF's so I asked it to explain image resolution like I'm in kindergarten. Really. LOL! Here's the reply:

"Sure! Let’s imagine you're coloring a picture with a box of crayons. If you have a lot of crayons in your box, you can make the picture super detailed, like drawing tiny flowers, blades of grass, and the spots on a ladybug. If you only have a few crayons, your picture might still be pretty, but it won't have as many details.

Image resolution is kind of like that! It's about how many tiny dots (called pixels) make up the picture on a screen or in a photo. More pixels = more detail, like your big crayon box. Fewer pixels = less detail, like the small crayon box.

When someone says an image is "high resolution," it means the picture is very sharp and detailed, like the picture you make with lots of crayons. "Low resolution" means it's simpler and might look blurry if you make it big, like a picture with just a few crayons."

[CraftyCornishMaids]

the items need to be at least 2000 pixels a side, for AI to recognise what they are in search

It doesn't matter if you have big items, small items, it shouldn't make any difference

look at the settings of your device you are taking the photos with

....AI uses photos for search, if it's not at least 2000 pixels, it will struggle to work out what you are selling, so you will be lower down in search

[VintageButtonJoy]

Thank you. 

[PrairiePrimitives]

@CraftyCornishMaids If it's required for AI, why doesn't Etsy make 2000px mandatory rather than just a suggestion? 

"We recommend your listing photos have a width and height of at least 2000 pixels or more. Your first listing photo should have a width and height of at least 635 pixels to avoid showing up lower in searches." 

Source: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015663347-Requirements-and-Best-Practices-for-Images-in-Y...

[CraftyCornishMaids]

etsy rarely makes things mandatory

not even the legal policies required selling to-from EU/UK

they just say what is needed,

 and let us sort it out ourselves

[DragonflyDreams1]

@CraftyCornishMaids "It doesn't matter if you have big items, small items, it shouldn't make any difference"

But it does, not to Etsy, but to customers. I have received messages over the years (not as much recently as a lot shop on their phones now) telling me my pictures make the item look bigger than it is - that my pictures are too big. I was even accused of taking "macro" photography by one exceptionally crabby customer. Ironically the pictures for those items were not even 2000 wide or tall. So I gently explained to the customers that my pictures are smaller than Etsy's requirements, that the sizes are detailed in the description, and that a ruler photo is included for reference. It doesn't matter, they see a small item in a big picture and it is always the seller being deceptive.

Photographing smaller items requires staging with other items in the photos, or you end up with almost the same picture being used over and over to fill 10 spots.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

number of pixels, and what the size the items look, are completely different

the size of the items, makes no difference to pixels of photos

[SewlyButtons]

I agree with the others. I checked just a couple of your images and the original image width as you uploaded it ranged from around 450 to 900+ pixels.... unfortunately WELL below the minumum 2000 pixels now recommended by etsy. I'm guessing you take your photos with your phone and upload directly from that without processing the photos thru any editing software (like adobe photoshop or gimp or something). Can you check the settings on your phone to see if there is a way to increase the resolution... choose the highest option or something? 

It's really too bad, because many of your photos do look OK to me (and I do buttons too)... even tho I would recommend a brighter background. Unfortunately, a brighter background won't help with the 2000 pixels at a minimum that etsy is now looking for.

Good luck! Some of these etsy changes can sure be frustrating!

[VintageButtonJoy]

Thank you for your feedback. How can you tell the pixel range on my pictures? The original photos are always larger and then I crop after uploading to Etsy. The photos always look different on Etsy than they do from my iPad and if I crop too much, they will come out blurry, so I have to be careful about cropping. I'm a bit technologically challenged. Looks like I have some work ahead of me.