No Good Aspect Ratio for All Devices?

[LovebirdCustom]

Is there not an aspect ratio that works best on all devices?

The recommendations from Etsy seem inconsistent, with them recommending square photos in one place, but elsewhere instructing people to use landscape images.

On desktop, images with a 5:4 ratio (e.g., 2500 x 2000 pixels) looks great. It fills all the available space. But, on mobile web, there is far too much space below each image. Photos with a 4:3 ratio have similar issues. And, in the mobile app, the empty space is gray, which draws even more attention to it.

Square (or even portrait) images look best on mobile, but aren't idea on desktop.

Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[PristinityJewelry]

Landscape format with some extra space, left and right, for when Etsy crops it to square for some thumbs.

https://flic.kr/p/2pE36c8

[dayspringcollectible]

That is the working solution.  However, if Etsy doesn't crop, then you have all kinds of dead space on either side.  Also, that means you aren't zoomed in as well on the item to show details more clearly.

I've never seen a good solution.  My response when I take pictures is that I zoom in on my item when I photo for a full frame shot, getting as large an item in the photo space as I can so customers can see all detail, and ignore Etsy's photo suggestions.  It might not look the best in the thumbnails Etsy shows customers, but when the customer opens the photo, and especially when they zoom, they are going to see everything about the item they want to.

[PristinityJewelry]

"...Also, that means you aren't zoomed in as well on the item to show details more clearly..."

But there are nine more photos available for that. 

I prefer my photos look well composed, whether there is extra room, L & R or not. Without part of the item appearing to be cut-off, in search result pages.

"...It might not look the best in the thumbnails Etsy shows customers..."

Precisely what I'd like to avoid.

[LovebirdCustom]

Thanks. Yes, when I did landscape, I did center the subject matter so square crops would look fine. But still the landscape images look bad on mobile because of the excess space below them. Square looks good on mobile, but not as good as landscape on desktop.

[PristinityJewelry]

I don't see any excess space, in search results, nor when I've opened a listing.

Android, Chrome browser. I've never installed or used the Etsy Ap for shoppers. 

[FancyTogs]

You understand it.

Etsy is not consistent about image aspect ratio, it is a mess.

Square is probably the best compromise at the moment.

Lawrence (Clare's other half)

[PristinityJewelry]

@FancyTogs 

But, if you upload a square photo, will Etsy then crop the top and bottom when displaying it in a landscape format (thumb)?

[FancyTogs]

@PristinityJewelry 

Yes, but it is a compromise.

We can't win.

They will crop a square image for 5:4 and 4:3 landscape thumbnails.

They will also crop it for the 3:4 portrait thumbnails, that were reported at one point last year (I think it may be an apple app thing, I don't have any of the ludicrously expensive apple products).

But square will be a minor crop on all of these.

It will also fit the app listing page without grey bands.

Only the first image matters for thumbnails.

There is no point in worrying, it is a mess.

Lawrence

[PristinityJewelry]

"... I don't have any of the ludicrously expensive apple products..."

Ditto.  I refuse to pay their (over) prices.

[LovebirdCustom]

>> But, if you upload a square photo, will Etsy then crop the top and bottom when displaying it in a landscape format (thumb)?

It doesn't look like it. For example, in mobile web and the app (at least on Apple devices), square is kept square. And, on desktop in the listing photo area, it stays square. There is white space (along with the navigation arrows)...so it's not terrible, but a landscape photo would utilize the space much better.

BTW, about expensive Apple devices, we only paid $100 each for our new iPhone 16 Plus phones. T-Mobile (and I think other carriers) are running an "iPhone on us" promo. The $100 was only because we upgraded from the model that was free.