Making Images Suitable for PEP

Product images are used across various websites for both distributors and end-users and on printed media such as PDFs.

The images are rarely shown on their own which is why PEP needs them on a clean white canvas.

The correct way to display your product:

Click the titles below to view more information about each.

  1. One product per image

Unless the product is a pack of something only one product should appear once in the image.

It is possible to upload various versions showing, for example, different colours, states or faces of a product.

  1. On a white background

Product images are not intended to be standalone works of art; Their purpose is to show the product.
A product should be photographed on its own on a white background and cleaned up so that only the product is visible and can be used appropriately across the various Customer Focus services.

The software will trim all white space around a product allowing it to fit the maximum visible size across all services.

N.B. This doesn't mean place an image on a white canvas larger than the image.

  1. 2000 pixels longest length

Minimum 300 pixels shortest length or maximum 2000 pixels longest length.

It is possible to upload images of any size, however we prefer to have a fair size of at least 300px shortest length.
The maximum size we require is 2000px longest length.

Images are automatically resized to provide users with thumbnail, regular, large and zoom versions. Whether large and zoom are produced depends on the size of image uploaded.

  1. Does not need to be square

There is no need to place an image on a square background for the sake of being square; The software will trim all white space around a product allowing it to fit the maximum visible size across all services and present it on a square background itself.

  1. With no logo or branding

As part of selling your products distributors have access to software that can virtually brand a product with any logo. It's possible for us to remove branding from a lot of products, but if you have a plain stock image please upload it.

  1. No shadows/reflections

By all means tidy up the image if you can and clean up shadows. When processed (by the system) the product should appear dead centre in the image. Heavy shadows and reflections can affect this.

Do not add drop shadows or fake reflections - the most common occurance of images being flagged is with the addition of a drop shadow or fake reflection.

  1. RGB not CMYK

There are two types of JPG file, nothing to do with the extension JPG and JPEG, which are the same, but the info stored within the file.

The most common cause of an image failing to upload (producing an error “Could not understand image”) is that the image is CMYK.
CMYK is the standard acronym for a four colour process (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key, where Key is usually Black) used in printing.
RGB is the standard acronym for a three colour display (for computer monitors).

The image must be converted from CMYK to RGB before uploading. This can be done in photoshop by saving "for web", or in a simple paint package by opening the file and re-saving it as a JPG.

  1. Pens are special

Pens should not be uploaded diagonally -
Images of pens should be uploaded horizontally with the nib pointing left, or if capped the cap pointing right.
With a correct image the system will automatically create a diagonally aligned pen for regular and large view and be able to process correctly for Brand-on-Demand.
They do not need to be placed on a square background.