Have you talked about the main picture sizing yet?? I thought they wanted square now but I uploaded square and they cropped it smaller - I guess we should still do rectangular? It seems like on iPhone they still show as rectangular, on the website they’re cropped square… But I also saw some featured items are shown in a vertical rectangle too?? How should we size and shape our photos so that parts of the image or text descriptions don’t get cropped off? And why are the square images that are shown as a square still getting cropped? Like just shown zoomed in for some reason? 😩
I don't know, and I can't keep up with it because they keep changing it. They also show pictures in different shapes in different places. I personally upload things in rectangular format at 1000 pixels across the top and I ignore the rest.
Thank you for your videos. Question: Do you have an idea of how long a shop has to comply with adding real deal first photos for our handmade listed items?
Hi Kara! I design luxury wreaths. I do a lot of custom designs. Some designs are totally based on what a customer’s request and may not be anything like something I have designed before. How can I comply to these guidelines as a result? I don’t start custom wreaths without payment first. Using a photo of another wreath would actually be a misrepresentation of what they are going to get. The “stock photo” that I have is one that I generated on my own just to note that it is a Custom Order with my logo. What are your thoughts? TIA.
I read it as you can utilize mock-ups for customized or personalized POD items but it has to be one that represents a real finished item and not one that has text that shows “your image here” it actually has to have a picture of a family or whatever. But what do I know… I’m just a little Etsy peon seller 😂🤷🏻♀️
Well, it says "Buyer-personalized items must follow the guidelines in the “Personalized or Customized” section above." And that section says "For personalized or customized items (e.g. custom drawings, monogrammed accessories, or t-shirts featuring a buyer’s custom text), your first image must feature a finished, customized item similar to what buyers will receive. This helps buyers visualize what their custom-made item will look like when completed. " I read that as the first image has to be a photo of the real thing, especially since the next section specifically talks about how mockus are okay to use in the other listing photos, but that the first photo has to be the real thing: "Computer-generated mockups may be used in additional listing images to showcase customization options - just make sure your first image is the real deal. " So personalized or customized falls under the "real item not a mockup" rule. I could be wrong but I think Etsy is trying to limit the use of mockups in the first photo since it makes the site look very same-same when everyone uses the same mockups.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials I value you as a trusted resource but this will have to be a 2 interpretations situation and each to their own risk...really for me and not for you because you don't sell POD. I have changed my main photo to represent a finished product and may the odds be ever in my favor 😸
If you sell digital templates in which the customer downloads for use; how do we proceed in making photos? Such as an digital invitation or checklist. Can mockups be used at all in those cases?
@@KaraBuntinTutorials But then why don't they say that? The old policy explicitly stated that mockups were allowed for digital products. It almost makes me think they forgot, but how could a big company like that make that kind of mistake?
How about digital products like digital planners? Are they under the exceptions, so we can use mockups? How am I suppose to make real photo of the digital file (that is not printable, but just interactive pdf) 🤷♀️? I'm now also wodering for the printable digital items that the customer is supposed to print at home - what would be an acceptable image? 😮
The only exception i see is for personalizable things. I would say that if you have a photo of an ipad or computer with the file on it then that’s fine, but that’s how I’m interpreting this.
Hello! It is now September 21 and I can’t see if they have updated the policy, do you happen to know if they’ve made anything official for mock-ups? Thanks!! This is an important topic.
Do you think it would be okay to list the first image with the example personalized text with a bubble and arrow pointing the text saying “your text here”?
What about digital wall art created by the seller and listed as digital download? Without showing it in a mockup how can you communicate that this is a wall art?
@@KaraBuntinTutorials I actually have my own printer which I use to print my art and send to customers, but since I'm in Europe, sending the actual print to the US is pricy. So I am considering selling the files, but it's not cheap to print with my printer (super expensive ink) just to take a picture for digital download listings 😞
I sell coffee mugs with options for different colors/sizes. Do you know if I can use mockups to show the different options as long as the first photo is a real photo? Thank you for the info!
I'm not 100% sure, but I think they're only going to be checking the first photo, if even that. And they say that mockups are fine is you're doing things that aren't customized, so that should be fine.
İ always create my mockup with the pictures and name. İ also think it is strange to put your text here on a listing. İt looks so cheap. İ have created a custom blanket last week and I add a name for personalization and i got a sale this week. The client name was similar to the name i used on my blanket so she was sure about how her name would look like. İ think if i wrote your text here i wouldn't get a sale
I believe you can use a mockup for a personalized item as the first photo as long as you buy from a mockup store that takes their own photos without the use of AI, making sure to add personalization to it such as a name so that the customer can see what it would look like. I buy my mockups from sellers who take their own photos of the items without the use of AI. It is no different than if I took the photo myself, or hired a local photographer to do it for me. It is going to be a PITA for POD sellers who have their first photo saying on the item such as a shirt, "Your Text Here".
My question is everyone youtuber were saying that we shouldn't use the print provider image on our shop because we will all look same with the competitors. So we should use mockup to stand out. So we our again going to something really different. The pod company sometimes only give 2 or 3 mock-up images but we need 10 images for etsy seo. And noone can buy a sample of all custom listings if you have 1000 products
You don't need 10 images for SEO, that's not true. The Etsy policy says that you can use mockups if the designs isn't personalized, but they also said that you're limited to the mockups from the provider in the past. I don't know if that part is still there, but the new image policy seems to be more strict than the last one, and it calls for more photos of examples of the actual finished product. You can use mockups as the second-tenth photo, but the first one has to be the actual item represented in the photo unless it's a standard "print the image don't change it" POD product. I would read the policy and ignore what youtubers say, they don't care if etsy removes your listings or not.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials ok thank you please check it. Because The pod supplier mockups suck. Just the item on a white blank background which does not make the product looks real. But when we use some room or flowers in the background it shows the items in used.
As it is now, I don't see any reference to only using the printer's photos, but that could change. The new thing is that they do expect a REAL photo for the first one unless the thing is 100% not customized and is mailed by the POD printer. If it's customized, you have to take a picture of an example of the real thing for the first photo slot, you can't use mockups at all in that slot. www.etsy.com/legal/policy/listing-image-requirements/253962679005?ref=list
It seems more like it should a “spirit of the law” type of thing. But bots don’t have a spirit. Lol. But I do like getting rid of “your text here” if for no other reason that I have taken special care to never have that on my listing photos. Btw, I read it just like you did.
Being as Etsy wants us to show the item in its use, if I make an item that is made to hang on a bed and a portion of the bed is in the background with the item I made in the foreground, am I in compliance?
With this new policy do you foresee a barrage of listings or even entire shops being taken down? Not trying to lament about the good old days of Etsy…. but ya it resembles more like Ali express or eBay now obvi lots of great items but you know what I mean….🙃
They're removing the AI prompt listings starting today. I think they'll keep removing listings in general, they've been taking down a lot that shouldn't be taken down, though, since it's done by bots that are making a lot of mistakes.
If Etsy required my art prints to use the POD's provided mockups such found on Printful or Printify they would look like a poster on a white wall held up by a nail. :(
The thing is, if you make your own mock-ups, how is Etsy going to know it’s a mock-up and not a real photo that you took in your own house? I think they’re just trying to show things in the right perspective and on the right product.
Brand Creators addressed this with a response directly from the Etsy legal team. You CAN use mockups when selling POD as long as it ACCURATELY REPRESENTS the product you are selling. So you cannot use a mockup photo of a Comfort Colors brand sweater when you are actually selling a generic brand sweater. It's misleading. People misrepresent like this all the time which ends with the customer filing item not as described cases. Make sure the photo you are using is of the product you sell, people! If you are selling a Bella + Canvas T-Shirt, use a photo of a Bella + Canvas T-Shirt!! A photographer took the pictures for you to use, it is up to you to ensure they accurately represent your product. So it is kind of a risk to use Ai generated mockups as these often look nothing like the actual product e.g. different collars, seams, sleeve lengths, inaccurate portayal of fit etc
Etsy has said that you have use the mock-ups that the company provides. The separate thing is the personalization part, which they’ve now said you can’t use a mock-up for the first photo. This policy is going in place on sept 15 so we’ll find out what they’re going to do then.
@@KaraBuntinTutorialsActually, for the personalisation part you mention, it says you cannot use a blank mockup image or a mockup with a placeholder text. It does not say you cannot use a mockup. The main listing image must be an image of a finished product. So for example, a mug mockup image with a picture of a rooster saying Happy Father's Day - that's ok. A mug image which is just a blank mug, or has "Your Design Here" is NOT ok. Also, for Production Partner images, this is what Etsy says: "If you create an original design (e.g. artwork or a pattern) that a production partner prints onto a base item (like a t-shirt or mug), you may use a stock photo mockup to illustrate the end product buyers will receive". So yes you can use a mockup, you just cannot use a blank mockup, or a mockup image of a totally different product, or a random image you found in google. I understand many people are misinterpreting the policies. I hope Etsy can re-word it to avoid all the confusion.
@@anadan3806 The reality is that they've written this in a deliberately vague way so that they can enforce it however they want to. And nobody will know what's going to happen until Sept 15, when the policy goes into place. Until then it's all speculation and people interpreting a vague policy the way they want to read it.
This makes total sense. Everyone is tired and seeing the same mock up over and over on the first 10 pages of etsy ! Seller should be posting a pic of the finished product. !!
@@KaraBuntinTutorials can you please point out specifically in the new terms where it actually says you can't use a mock-up for the first photo. I am not interpreting it this way. They only reference the terms "original photos," "actual finished product," "real deal" Which leaves a lot of room for interpretation! These terms can be mock-ups if you make them yourself and they accurately represent the finished product. When done right, shoppers shouldn't be able to tell it is a mock-up. I don't think the shift will be this drastic. All along Etsy has been trying to push transparency and I think they are pushing people away from generic mock-ups that don't accurately represent the product. If the shift was this huge, Etsy would say no mock-ups and give sellers a timeline for when the new policy is in effect. The only concrete change I see is it is "it is prohibited to use a photo of the blank product or a mockup with placeholder text (e.g. “Your Text Here”) as the main image." and "not stock or commercial images" for sourced items. Which makes sense! They want the first thumbnail image to accurately represent the product that will be received. You can do this with original mock-ups. Also, they mentioned that nothing has changed, they are just providing clarity. I have read through all the new policies and I am aware there are in fact changes, but a shift this huge to no use of mock-ups in the first image would involve a much larger announcement and deadlines for change. I really think they are just providing clarity on the policies that have always been there. Original photos that accurately represent the product that will be received or those from the print provider!? Thoughts?
@ByKristinaNicole my thoughts are that it says you’re required to use real photos, and that there’s a lot of liberal interpretations of this going on now because people don’t want to do that because of the time and expense. The policy is written pretty clearly for non-personalized POD, and the fact that it refers back to the personalization section indicates to me that there’s a difference. Having said that, the policy isn’t written clearly on purpose, and i think they have reasons for doing that. I also think that they’ll have to clarify because if they do want 100% “The real deal” for the first photo (and i think they do based on the reference to asking customers to use their review photos) they’re going to have to be more direct about it. As it’s written now people will interpret the pieces they want to interpret the way that suits them best, based on what results in the least work and cost for themselves.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials That was the only thing that stood out to me, making me believe they wanted a photo taken by the seller was the "customer review photo" component. I look forward to some updated information from Etsy! As a product photography coach for makers it would very much benefit me if Etsy did away with mock-ups for most products, however I still feel like that is extreme! Thanks for the conversation! 🥰
The policy needs to be rolled back entirely and reworked. It's incredibly vague and also effectively destroys a ton of POD shops that offer more than a couple of different items. My shop has 1400 unique items, it would be impossible to go back and print every single one of them and take photos. And there are tons of shops like mine.
Thanks for the info. I'm still a new seller on Etsy, but I had two items I needed to deactivate until I can take care of the personalization images.
Glad it was helpful!
Have you talked about the main picture sizing yet?? I thought they wanted square now but I uploaded square and they cropped it smaller - I guess we should still do rectangular? It seems like on iPhone they still show as rectangular, on the website they’re cropped square… But I also saw some featured items are shown in a vertical rectangle too?? How should we size and shape our photos so that parts of the image or text descriptions don’t get cropped off? And why are the square images that are shown as a square still getting cropped? Like just shown zoomed in for some reason? 😩
I don't know, and I can't keep up with it because they keep changing it. They also show pictures in different shapes in different places. I personally upload things in rectangular format at 1000 pixels across the top and I ignore the rest.
Thank you for your videos. Question: Do you have an idea of how long a shop has to comply with adding real deal first photos for our handmade listed items?
They haven't said, but I would start replacing things. No need to panic, but start changing things out.
Hi Kara! I design luxury wreaths. I do a lot of custom designs. Some designs are totally based on what a customer’s request and may not be anything like something I have designed before. How can I comply to these guidelines as a result? I don’t start custom wreaths without payment first. Using a photo of another wreath would actually be a misrepresentation of what they are going to get. The “stock photo” that I have is one that I generated on my own just to note that it is a Custom Order with my logo. What are your thoughts? TIA.
Put a picture up that says "custom wreath order" and leave it at that. Describe what you're doing in the description and be thorough.
I read it as you can utilize mock-ups for customized or personalized POD items but it has to be one that represents a real finished item and not one that has text that shows “your image here” it actually has to have a picture of a family or whatever. But what do I know… I’m just a little Etsy peon seller 😂🤷🏻♀️
Yeah, that is how I understood it as well.
this is how I read it as well
Well, it says "Buyer-personalized items must follow the guidelines in the “Personalized or Customized” section above."
And that section says "For personalized or customized items (e.g. custom drawings, monogrammed accessories, or t-shirts featuring a buyer’s custom text), your first image must feature a finished, customized item similar to what buyers will receive. This helps buyers visualize what their custom-made item will look like when completed. "
I read that as the first image has to be a photo of the real thing, especially since the next section specifically talks about how mockus are okay to use in the other listing photos, but that the first photo has to be the real thing: "Computer-generated mockups may be used in additional listing images to showcase customization options - just make sure your first image is the real deal. "
So personalized or customized falls under the "real item not a mockup" rule. I could be wrong but I think Etsy is trying to limit the use of mockups in the first photo since it makes the site look very same-same when everyone uses the same mockups.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials I value you as a trusted resource but this will have to be a 2 interpretations situation and each to their own risk...really for me and not for you because you don't sell POD. I have changed my main photo to represent a finished product and may the odds be ever in my favor 😸
I'm interestd, though, how do you interpret that to mean that you can use a mockup? It's pretty clear to me, but I could be wrong. And I do sell POD.
If you sell digital templates in which the customer downloads for use; how do we proceed in making photos? Such as an digital invitation or checklist. Can mockups be used at all in those cases?
You'd have to use a mockup. The mockup policy is only for physical products as far as I can tell.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials But then why don't they say that? The old policy explicitly stated that mockups were allowed for digital products. It almost makes me think they forgot, but how could a big company like that make that kind of mistake?
@@ruthannemartin5805 Because it's Etsy and one hand doesn't know what the other one is doing.
How about digital products like digital planners? Are they under the exceptions, so we can use mockups? How am I suppose to make real photo of the digital file (that is not printable, but just interactive pdf) 🤷♀️? I'm now also wodering for the printable digital items that the customer is supposed to print at home - what would be an acceptable image? 😮
The only exception i see is for personalizable things. I would say that if you have a photo of an ipad or computer with the file on it then that’s fine, but that’s how I’m interpreting this.
Hello! It is now September 21 and I can’t see if they have updated the policy, do you happen to know if they’ve made anything official for mock-ups? Thanks!! This is an important topic.
The policy is the same as it was as far as i know. No clarification and it’s still pretty confusing
Do you think it would be okay to list the first image with the example personalized text with a bubble and arrow pointing the text saying “your text here”?
I would say yes, but if they’re using bots to detect that text on images, i wouldn’t put it on there anywhere.
What about digital wall art created by the seller and listed as digital download? Without showing it in a mockup how can you communicate that this is a wall art?
If it's wall art that the printer prints without customizing it, you can use their mockups.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials I actually have my own printer which I use to print my art and send to customers, but since I'm in Europe, sending the actual print to the US is pricy. So I am considering selling the files, but it's not cheap to print with my printer (super expensive ink) just to take a picture for digital download listings 😞
I sell coffee mugs with options for different colors/sizes. Do you know if I can use mockups to show the different options as long as the first photo is a real photo? Thank you for the info!
I'm not 100% sure, but I think they're only going to be checking the first photo, if even that. And they say that mockups are fine is you're doing things that aren't customized, so that should be fine.
İ always create my mockup with the pictures and name. İ also think it is strange to put your text here on a listing. İt looks so cheap. İ have created a custom blanket last week and I add a name for personalization and i got a sale this week. The client name was similar to the name i used on my blanket so she was sure about how her name would look like. İ think if i wrote your text here i wouldn't get a sale
I believe you can use a mockup for a personalized item as the first photo as long as you buy from a mockup store that takes their own photos without the use of AI, making sure to add personalization to it such as a name so that the customer can see what it would look like. I buy my mockups from sellers who take their own photos of the items without the use of AI. It is no different than if I took the photo myself, or hired a local photographer to do it for me. It is going to be a PITA for POD sellers who have their first photo saying on the item such as a shirt, "Your Text Here".
That’s not what the new policy says, i would check it.
My question is everyone youtuber were saying that we shouldn't use the print provider image on our shop because we will all look same with the competitors. So we should use mockup to stand out. So we our again going to something really different. The pod company sometimes only give 2 or 3 mock-up images but we need 10 images for etsy seo. And noone can buy a sample of all custom listings if you have 1000 products
You don't need 10 images for SEO, that's not true. The Etsy policy says that you can use mockups if the designs isn't personalized, but they also said that you're limited to the mockups from the provider in the past. I don't know if that part is still there, but the new image policy seems to be more strict than the last one, and it calls for more photos of examples of the actual finished product. You can use mockups as the second-tenth photo, but the first one has to be the actual item represented in the photo unless it's a standard "print the image don't change it" POD product. I would read the policy and ignore what youtubers say, they don't care if etsy removes your listings or not.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials ok thank you please check it. Because The pod supplier mockups suck. Just the item on a white blank background which does not make the product looks real. But when we use some room or flowers in the background it shows the items in used.
As it is now, I don't see any reference to only using the printer's photos, but that could change. The new thing is that they do expect a REAL photo for the first one unless the thing is 100% not customized and is mailed by the POD printer. If it's customized, you have to take a picture of an example of the real thing for the first photo slot, you can't use mockups at all in that slot. www.etsy.com/legal/policy/listing-image-requirements/253962679005?ref=list
It seems more like it should a “spirit of the law” type of thing. But bots don’t have a spirit. Lol. But I do like getting rid of “your text here” if for no other reason that I have taken special care to never have that on my listing photos. Btw, I read it just like you did.
I think it’s gotten stricter, they do want photos of the real item.
Being as Etsy wants us to show the item in its use, if I make an item that is made to hang on a bed and a portion of the bed is in the background with the item I made in the foreground, am I in compliance?
That would be fine.
With this new policy do you foresee a barrage of listings or even entire shops being taken down? Not trying to lament about the good old days of Etsy…. but ya it resembles more like Ali express or eBay now obvi lots of great items but you know what I mean….🙃
They're removing the AI prompt listings starting today. I think they'll keep removing listings in general, they've been taking down a lot that shouldn't be taken down, though, since it's done by bots that are making a lot of mistakes.
If Etsy required my art prints to use the POD's provided mockups such found on Printful or Printify they would look like a poster on a white wall held up by a nail. :(
The thing is, if you make your own mock-ups, how is Etsy going to know it’s a mock-up and not a real photo that you took in your own house? I think they’re just trying to show things in the right perspective and on the right product.
Brand Creators addressed this with a response directly from the Etsy legal team. You CAN use mockups when selling POD as long as it ACCURATELY REPRESENTS the product you are selling. So you cannot use a mockup photo of a Comfort Colors brand sweater when you are actually selling a generic brand sweater. It's misleading. People misrepresent like this all the time which ends with the customer filing item not as described cases. Make sure the photo you are using is of the product you sell, people! If you are selling a Bella + Canvas T-Shirt, use a photo of a Bella + Canvas T-Shirt!! A photographer took the pictures for you to use, it is up to you to ensure they accurately represent your product. So it is kind of a risk to use Ai generated mockups as these often look nothing like the actual product e.g. different collars, seams, sleeve lengths, inaccurate portayal of fit etc
Etsy has said that you have use the mock-ups that the company provides. The separate thing is the personalization part, which they’ve now said you can’t use a mock-up for the first photo. This policy is going in place on sept 15 so we’ll find out what they’re going to do then.
@@KaraBuntinTutorialsActually, for the personalisation part you mention, it says you cannot use a blank mockup image or a mockup with a placeholder text. It does not say you cannot use a mockup. The main listing image must be an image of a finished product. So for example, a mug mockup image with a picture of a rooster saying Happy Father's Day - that's ok. A mug image which is just a blank mug, or has "Your Design Here" is NOT ok.
Also, for Production Partner images, this is what Etsy says:
"If you create an original design (e.g. artwork or a pattern) that a production partner prints onto a base item (like a t-shirt or mug), you may use a stock photo mockup to illustrate the end product buyers will receive". So yes you can use a mockup, you just cannot use a blank mockup, or a mockup image of a totally different product, or a random image you found in google.
I understand many people are misinterpreting the policies. I hope Etsy can re-word it to avoid all the confusion.
@@anadan3806 The reality is that they've written this in a deliberately vague way so that they can enforce it however they want to. And nobody will know what's going to happen until Sept 15, when the policy goes into place. Until then it's all speculation and people interpreting a vague policy the way they want to read it.
This makes total sense. Everyone is tired and seeing the same mock up over and over on the first 10 pages of etsy ! Seller should be posting a pic of the finished product. !!
I think that’s why they’re doing it.
If I selling on of a kind paintings I can't use mockoups? Or it is allow but no in the first photo?
Not in the first photo.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials thank you! It's mean a lot of changes for a lot of shops😬
@@KaraBuntinTutorials can you please point out specifically in the new terms where it actually says you can't use a mock-up for the first photo. I am not interpreting it this way. They only reference the terms "original photos," "actual finished product," "real deal" Which leaves a lot of room for interpretation! These terms can be mock-ups if you make them yourself and they accurately represent the finished product. When done right, shoppers shouldn't be able to tell it is a mock-up. I don't think the shift will be this drastic. All along Etsy has been trying to push transparency and I think they are pushing people away from generic mock-ups that don't accurately represent the product. If the shift was this huge, Etsy would say no mock-ups and give sellers a timeline for when the new policy is in effect. The only concrete change I see is it is "it is prohibited to use a photo of the blank product or a mockup with placeholder text (e.g. “Your Text Here”) as the main image." and "not stock or commercial images" for sourced items. Which makes sense! They want the first thumbnail image to accurately represent the product that will be received. You can do this with original mock-ups. Also, they mentioned that nothing has changed, they are just providing clarity. I have read through all the new policies and I am aware there are in fact changes, but a shift this huge to no use of mock-ups in the first image would involve a much larger announcement and deadlines for change. I really think they are just providing clarity on the policies that have always been there. Original photos that accurately represent the product that will be received or those from the print provider!? Thoughts?
@ByKristinaNicole my thoughts are that it says you’re required to use real photos, and that there’s a lot of liberal interpretations of this going on now because people don’t want to do that because of the time and expense. The policy is written pretty clearly for non-personalized POD, and the fact that it refers back to the personalization section indicates to me that there’s a difference. Having said that, the policy isn’t written clearly on purpose, and i think they have reasons for doing that. I also think that they’ll have to clarify because if they do want 100% “The real deal” for the first photo (and i think they do based on the reference to asking customers to use their review photos) they’re going to have to be more direct about it. As it’s written now people will interpret the pieces they want to interpret the way that suits them best, based on what results in the least work and cost for themselves.
@@KaraBuntinTutorials That was the only thing that stood out to me, making me believe they wanted a photo taken by the seller was the "customer review photo" component. I look forward to some updated information from Etsy! As a product photography coach for makers it would very much benefit me if Etsy did away with mock-ups for most products, however I still feel like that is extreme! Thanks for the conversation! 🥰
The policy needs to be rolled back entirely and reworked. It's incredibly vague and also effectively destroys a ton of POD shops that offer more than a couple of different items. My shop has 1400 unique items, it would be impossible to go back and print every single one of them and take photos. And there are tons of shops like mine.
I think they're trying to clear people out.