How to Correctly Format Etsy Photo Dimensions
The Ultimate Guide to Etsy Listing Photo Dimensions for Poster Sellers
If you're selling posters or wall art on Etsy, your photos are doing most of the selling for you. Good mockups = more clicks, more saves, and more sales.
But Etsy’s image sizes and cropping can be confusing, especially when you realise the thumbnail is different from what you actually upload.
This guide walks you through the exact dimensions and formats you should use, especially if you’re selling prints or using PrintShrimp.
Why Listing Photo Dimensions Matter on Etsy
Etsy will:
- Crop and resize your images for search results
- Show a square thumbnail in search and on your shop homepage
- Still display the full original image on the listing page
If you don’t plan for this, your posters can end up:
- Cropped in weird places
- Cutting off frame edges
- Looking blurry or stretched
So we want to upload images that look great both as a square thumbnail and as a full listing image.
The Best Size for Your First Etsy Listing Photo
Your main image (the one that appears in search results) is the most important.
Recommended dimensions for the first image:
- 2600 × 2000 px
- Landscape orientation
- Aspect ratio: 4:3
Why this size?
Etsy crops the thumbnail to a square, usually from the centre.
By starting with a 2600 × 2000 landscape, you give Etsy enough width to crop down to a square without losing important parts of the design.
It also looks great on the full listing page, where the complete landscape mockup is shown.
Key tip:
Make sure the main subject (your poster/frame) is centred and not too close to the edges, so when Etsy crops to a square, nothing important gets chopped off.
The Best Size for Your Other Listing Photos
Once your main image is sorted, the rest of your gallery can be simpler.
Recommended dimensions for additional images:
- 2000 × 2000 px
- Square (1:1)
Why square for the rest?
- They display cleanly in the gallery
- No unexpected cropping
- Perfect for close-ups, lifestyle scenes, multiple poster layouts, size charts, detail shots, and more
You don’t need them in landscape because they aren’t used as the main search thumbnail.
File Type, Quality & Resolution
To keep things sharp and fast-loading:
- File type: JPEG (PNG not needed for mockups)
- Resolution: Export at 300 DPI (Etsy will compress but source quality matters)
- Minimum size: Avoid anything under 1500 px on the shortest side
Before uploading, zoom in to 100% and check:
- Are the frame edges clean?
- Is the artwork crisp?
- Is any text readable?
If it’s blurry on your screen, it’ll be worse on Etsy.
Example Setup for a Poster Listing
Here’s a simple structure you can reuse for every listing:
- Image 1 – 2600 × 2000 (landscape): Hero mockup in a room scene, centred, with space around the poster
- Image 2 – 2000 × 2000: Straight-on framed poster
- Image 3 – 2000 × 2000: Multiple frames/sizes on a wall
- Image 4 – 2000 × 2000: Size chart graphic
- Image 5 – 2000 × 2000: Close-up of print texture or frame
- Image 6–10 – 2000 × 2000: Room scenes, colourways, bundles, etc.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Uploading a tall portrait as the first image → Etsy crops it badly
- ❌ Using small images (under 1000 px) → blurry and unprofessional
- ❌ Putting text at the edges → gets cut off in thumbnail
- ❌ Relying on Etsy’s auto-cropping without checking
Always check how your listing looks:
- In search results
- On mobile
- On your shop homepage
If something looks off, tweak the first image and re-upload.
Final Cheat Sheet
Main image (Image 1)
- 2600 × 2000 px
- Landscape
- Safe space around the art
All other images (Image 2–10)
- 2000 × 2000 px
- Square
- Clear, bright, high-quality JPEGs
Follow this and your shop will look instantly more polished and professional.