Skip to content
GS1 Image Standard

The 5 C's: How to Create Product Images That Sell

Creating product images that grab attention and drive sales is essential in today’s competitive market. High-quality images help customers visualize products and encourage them to make purchasing decisions. To stand out, businesses need to ensure their product images are not only attractive but also meet industry standards, such as the GS1 Image Standard. This article will explore the five key factors, known as the “5 C’s,” that help create product images that sell. We’ll also discuss how CGI can create images that comply with Images for GS1 USA and global standards.

1. Clarity: Ensure Your Images Are Clear and Crisp

Clarity is the first and most important factor in creating product images that sell. Clear and crisp images allow potential customers to see the product in detail, which helps them make informed decisions. Blurry or pixelated images can lead to hesitation or confusion, resulting in fewer sales.

Here is how to achieve clarity:

  • High Resolution: Use high-resolution images that show every detail of the product. For example, the GS1 Image Standard often requires images with a resolution of 2400px by 2400px, ensuring that every part of the product is sharp and visible.
  • Proper Lighting: Good lighting is crucial to highlighting the product’s features. CGI technology can help businesses adjust lighting digitally, ensuring that every image is well-lit without shadows or distractions.
  • Multiple Angles: Providing multiple views of the product—such as front, side, and top—gives customers a complete picture of what they are buying. CGI makes it easy to generate these different views while maintaining consistency.

By ensuring clarity, you create images that leave no room for doubt about the product’s features, which can help increase sales.

2. Consistency: Maintain a Uniform Style Across All Images

sistency is key when creating product images, especially when selling multiple products. Uniform images help build trust with customers and present your brand in a professional light. Whether you are selling on your website or through marketplaces, consistent product images will create a cohesive shopping experience.

Here is how to achieve consistency:

  • Follow the GS1 Image Standard: The GS1 Image Standard sets clear guidelines for product images, including image dimensions, resolution, and background color. For example, most GS1 images require a plain white background to ensure uniformity across product listings.
  • Use CGI for Flexibility: CGI allows businesses to easily replicate image settings across multiple products, ensuring consistency in terms of lighting, angles, and backgrounds. This is particularly important when creating Images for GS1 USA, where consistency is essential for compliance.
  • Set Standardized Image Guidelines: Establish guidelines for how your product images should look. This includes resolution, background, and how products should be positioned in the frame. Maintaining these standards across all your product images will create a professional and cohesive look.

Consistency helps build a strong brand image and gives customers confidence in the quality of your products.

3. Completeness: Show Every Detail and Feature

Completeness means that your product images should cover all the important details and features of the product. Customers are more likely to purchase When they have all the visual information they need. A lack of details can leave customers with unanswered questions, which may result in them looking elsewhere.

Here is how to achieve completeness:

  • Include Close-Up Shots: Close-up shots highlight the intricate details of the product. For example, a close-up of a piece of jewelry or the stitching on a handbag gives customers a deeper understanding of the quality and craftsmanship.
  • Show Different Functions: If your product has multiple functions, show them in action. For example, if you’re selling a convertible sofa, show it in both the seated and reclined positions. CGI allows you to easily create images demonstrating these functions without physically manipulating the product.
  • Capture Every Angle: Products should be shown from every angle so customers can fully visualize the item. The GS1 Image Standard often requires images from multiple views, such as front, side, and top.

Providing complete information through your images, you help customers make confident buying decisions, reducing the likelihood of returns or negative reviews.

4. Compliance: Meet Industry Standards for Product Images

Compliance with industry standards, such as the GS1 Image Standard, is essential for businesses that sell products in retail stores or online marketplaces. Non-compliance can lead to product listings being rejected or removed, which affects your sales and visibility.

Here is how to achieve compliance:

  • Follow the GS1 Image Standard: The GS1 Image Standard outlines specific requirements for product images, including resolution, dimensions, and background. For example, images must often be square (2400px by 2400px) and have a plain white background.
  • Use CGI for Accurate Specifications: CGI allows businesses to create images that meet the exact specifications of the GS1 Image Standard. For instance, CGI can generate multiple views of the product from different angles, ensuring that the product images comply with GS1 guidelines for multiple views.
  • Stay Updated on Guidelines: Industry standards may change over time, so staying updated on the latest requirements for product images is important. Regularly reviewing the guidelines ensures that your images remain compliant, especially for Images for GS1 USA.

Meeting compliance standards not only helps your products get accepted in marketplaces but also ensures that your images look professional and are optimized for sales.

5. Creativity: Stand Out While Maintaining Professionalism

While following standards and maintaining consistency is crucial, adding a touch of creativity to your product images can help your products stand out from the competition. Creative images capture attention and draw customers in, making them more likely to engage with your product listings.

Here is how to add creativity:

  • Use Lifestyle Images: Show your products in real-life settings to help customers visualize how they would use them. For example, showing a chair in a beautifully decorated living room can help customers imagine it in their own space. CGI makes it easy to create realistic lifestyle images without needing a physical photoshoot.
  • Highlight Unique Features: If your product has a unique design or feature, showcase it in the images. This could be anything from a sleek finish on a piece of furniture to a special texture on a fabric.
  • Experiment with Different Angles: While compliance is important, creativity allows for a more dynamic presentation of your product. CGI allows you to experiment with different angles, lighting, and environments, helping you create eye-catching images.

By balancing creativity with professionalism, you can create product images that comply with standards, capture customer attention, and drive sales.

Conclusion

Creating product images that sell requires a careful balance of clarity, consistency, completeness, compliance, and creativity. By following the “5 C’s,” you can create high-quality product images that help customers make informed decisions and increase your chances of converting browsers into buyers. 

Additionally, using CGI ensures that your images meet the GS1 Image Standard, making them suitable for use in retail stores and online marketplaces. Whether you’re looking to comply with Images for GS1 USA or simply want to create images that resonate with customers, CGI provides the flexibility and control you need to achieve your goals. Ready to create product images that sell? Visit i-magi.co to discover how CGI can help you produce stunning, GS1-compliant product images.

What Our Customers Say

“We needed help creating high-quality product images and decided to go with 3D images. I’m so glad we did—the results are spot-on. Product photos can certainly be good, but wow, the 3D images really highlight every aspect of the product to its fullest potential, making the final 3D product images look fantastic.”
Hanna Jäderholm
CEO & Founder af Arc of Sweden
"With i-magi.co, we can achieve detailed and realistic 3D images of our products even before production starts. This not only saves us countless weeks but also significant costs associated with transport and shipping to a photographer."
Ranya K. Abdullah
Sales & Marketing Coordinator hos A/S Sæby Fiske-Industri
“I used to spend countless hours taking product photos, creating packaging solutions, and drafting proposals, but now everything has become incredibly easy and efficient. With just a few steps on my computer, I can now create professional graphic materials that deliver a more polished and impressive result every time.”
Camilla Lantz
CEO & Founder af Lantz Copenhagen