Does eBay allow borders or watermarks on photos?

The gallery image is expected to be free of added borders, text and watermarks. Beyond the rule, they hurt: at thumbnail size every pixel spent on a frame is a pixel not spent on the item.

What size should my photos be?

Large enough to support zoom under eBay current guidance. On a marketplace with a lot of used inventory, zoom is how buyers check condition, so it directly affects whether they bid.

Can I replace the background on a used item?

Replacing the background is presentation. Altering the item — removing scratches, wear or missing parts — is misrepresentation, and it converts a sale into a dispute.

How many photos should I add?

Enough to cover the item overall plus a close shot of every flaw. Condition photos are what prevent returns in this category.

Do I need a white background?

Not required as it is for some marketplaces. What matters is that the item separates clearly from the background at thumbnail size, which a plain field achieves and a patterned one does not.

Will this work for very small parts?

Yes, and a clean field helps most there. A small component against a busy background is unreadable in search results, which is where the click is won or lost.

Should the gallery image be the best angle or the most honest one?

Both — lead with a clear, flattering, accurate overall shot, then use the remaining slots for the detail and condition images that do the disclosing.

Is the free generation really free?

Yes. One per day, watermarked and capped at 1024px. Signing up gives you 20 credits and clean full-resolution files with full commercial rights.

eBay Product Photos

Turn a phone snapshot into a gallery image that does not look like a phone snapshot.

One free generation a day. No account, no card.

How it works

1. Upload your item
A quick handheld shot is fine. Cluttered backgrounds are the thing being fixed.
2. Pick the eBay preset
It targets a clean uncluttered field with the item clearly separated from its surroundings.
3. Generate and download
One free watermarked result. Sign up for the clean, full-resolution file.

Why this is worth getting right

eBay is dominated by sellers photographing real items in real rooms, which means the bar to look credible is low and the bar to look professional is barely higher — and that gap is the opportunity. The gallery image is the one that appears in search results next to dozens of competitors, and at thumbnail size the only thing that distinguishes listings is whether the item reads instantly against its background. A jacket photographed on a patterned duvet does not read; the same jacket on a plain field does. eBay is also unusual in explicitly disallowing borders and added text or watermarks on the gallery image, which rules out the promotional frames sellers used to add, and those frames actively hurt at thumbnail size anyway by shrinking the item. Resolution matters for a specific feature rather than for vanity: past a certain size the listing supports zoom, and on a marketplace where a large share of inventory is used, zoom is how a buyer checks condition before committing. Condition is the deeper point. eBay buyers are usually assessing wear rather than aesthetics, so the honest move is a clean primary image plus close crops of every flaw — scuffs, missing hardware, fading — because an accurately disclosed flaw prevents a return while a hidden one invites a case. Cleaning up the background is legitimate; cleaning up the item is not, and the distinction is the whole ethic of the category.

Tips that actually help

Replace cluttered domestic backgrounds rather than cropping tightly around them, since a tight crop on a busy scene still reads as noise at thumbnail size.
Keep borders, frames, added text and watermarks off the gallery image, as they are disallowed and they shrink the item where space is tightest.
Generate large enough to support zoom, because on a used-goods marketplace zoom is how buyers assess condition before bidding.
Photograph every flaw separately and honestly — a disclosed scuff prevents a return, while a concealed one invites a claim.
Never edit the item itself, only its surroundings. Removing a genuine mark from a used item misrepresents what you are shipping.

Who uses this

Household clear-outs: One-off items photographed at home in poor light are the norm, and a clean background is the single biggest improvement available.
Used fashion resale: Garments photographed on a hanger against a wall are hard to read. Presenting them clearly separates a listing from the identical one beside it.
Parts and collectables: Small components need to be legible at thumbnail size, and background clutter is what makes them illegible.
Business sellers with repeat stock: Sellers listing the same item repeatedly benefit from a consistent presentation that makes the whole store look deliberate.

Vanliga frågor

Does eBay allow borders or watermarks on photos?: The gallery image is expected to be free of added borders, text and watermarks. Beyond the rule, they hurt: at thumbnail size every pixel spent on a frame is a pixel not spent on the item.
What size should my photos be?: Large enough to support zoom under eBay current guidance. On a marketplace with a lot of used inventory, zoom is how buyers check condition, so it directly affects whether they bid.
Can I replace the background on a used item?: Replacing the background is presentation. Altering the item — removing scratches, wear or missing parts — is misrepresentation, and it converts a sale into a dispute.
How many photos should I add?: Enough to cover the item overall plus a close shot of every flaw. Condition photos are what prevent returns in this category.
Do I need a white background?: Not required as it is for some marketplaces. What matters is that the item separates clearly from the background at thumbnail size, which a plain field achieves and a patterned one does not.
Will this work for very small parts?: Yes, and a clean field helps most there. A small component against a busy background is unreadable in search results, which is where the click is won or lost.
Should the gallery image be the best angle or the most honest one?: Both — lead with a clear, flattering, accurate overall shot, then use the remaining slots for the detail and condition images that do the disclosing.
Is the free generation really free?: Yes. One per day, watermarked and capped at 1024px. Signing up gives you 20 credits and clean full-resolution files with full commercial rights.

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