# Shopify catalog prep: one master file, every product size

URL: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/shopify-catalog-prep
Markdown: https://helpcenter.readypixl.com/articles/shopify-catalog-prep.md
Section: Workflows
Summary: End-to-end recipe for Shopify catalog — one source image exports at multiple sizes (catalog grid, hero, mobile, social). For ecommerce teams at scale.

Shopify catalogs need product images at multiple sizes:

- **Catalog grid thumbnail** (small, square)
- **Product page hero** (larger, square or near-square)
- **Mobile catalog** (smaller version of grid)
- **Social media variants** (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook)

For each new product, that's 4-6 different exports per image. Multiply by 100 products and you're at 400-600 individual exports.

ReadyPixl's pipeline handles this in one batch run: one source image → multiple sized outputs.

## What kinds of source images this is for

This pipeline assumes your catalog images come from one of these:

- **AI-generated product mockups** (ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Kimi)
- **Mockup tools** (Placeit, Smartmockups, Printful's mockup generator)
- **Stock images** licensed for resale
- **Vendor-supplied product images** (dropship suppliers, distributors)
- **Pre-cut PNG assets** from your design team

If your catalog is built from images your team produced themselves, the pipeline still works — this article just doesn't cover the sourcing side. See [Picking source images that clean up well](../background-removal-tips/picking-source-images) for sourcing guidance.

## Common Shopify catalog sizes

| Use case | Size |
| --- | --- |
| **Catalog grid thumbnail** | 1200 × 1200 px |
| **Product page hero** | 2048 × 2048 px |
| **Mobile catalog** | 800 × 800 px |
| **Instagram / Pinterest** | 2048 × 2048 px |
| **Facebook product post** | 1200 × 1200 px |

Most Shopify themes work well with **2048 × 2048 as the master upload size** — Shopify itself generates smaller thumbnails on the fly. But for performance-conscious sites, exporting at multiple sizes manually gives you better control.

## The strategy

Two pipeline patterns depending on your needs:

### Pattern A: One master file (simplest)

- Export every product image at a single high-resolution size (e.g., 2048 × 2048)
- Let Shopify auto-generate smaller thumbnails
- Best for: small to medium shops, when you don't want to manage multiple file sizes per product

### Pattern B: Multi-size exports (best quality)

- Export every product image at the catalog grid size, product page size, and mobile size separately
- Upload the right size to each Shopify theme location
- Best for: high-traffic shops, performance-conscious sites

This article covers Pattern A in detail (most users) and notes how to extend to Pattern B.

## The pipeline (Pattern A — single 2048 × 2048 master)

| Step | Tool | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **Color Removal V2** | Removes a solid background color (for scenes, textures or photos use AI Background Removal) |
| 2 | **Trim** | Cuts off the empty edges |
| 3 | **Image Adjustment** | Normalizes brightness/color across the catalog |
| 4 | **Reposition** | Centers product on 2048 × 2048 canvas |
| 5 | **Frames** | (Optional) Adds branded background |

## Step-by-step

1. **Open the editor** at readypixl.com. Drop your product image folder in.
2. **Add Color Removal V2.** For sources on white or solid backgrounds:

   - Tolerance: **20-30**
   - Auto-Trim: **ON**
3. **Add Trim.** Defaults fine.
4. **Add Image Adjustment** if your images came in at different brightness/color across the batch:

   - Brightness: small adjustment based on what you see in the preview
   - Saturation: +5 to +10 for product-image punch
   - White balance corrections via Red/Green/Blue channels
5. **Add Reposition** for the master size:

   - Unit: **px**
   - Canvas Width: **2048**
   - Canvas Height: **2048**
   - DPI: **72**
   - Alignment: **Center**
   - Inside Padding: a small amount (breathing room)
6. **(Optional) Add Frames** if you want a branded background. Pick or upload a PNG with your shop's accent color.
7. **Click Download All.** Output zip ready to upload.
8. **Save as preset** named *"Shopify catalog 2048."* Reuse on every product batch.

## Pattern B: Multi-size exports

For shops that need separate exports at multiple sizes per product, the workflow is:

1. **Build the pipeline once** for your largest needed size (e.g., 2048 × 2048).
2. **Run the batch** — get 2048 × 2048 outputs.
3. **Re-load the same source folder** with a different pipeline:
   - Same Color Removal V2 + Trim + Image Adjustment as above
   - Reposition with Canvas Width / Height set to the smaller size (e.g., 1200 × 1200 or 800 × 800)
4. **Click Download All again** — get the smaller-size outputs.
5. **Save each pipeline as its own preset:** "Shopify 2048," "Shopify 1200," "Shopify 800."

Switching between exports is one click each.

## For very large catalogs (500+ products)

- **Split into batches by product category.** Easier to manage, easier to recover from a bad batch.
- **Watch browser memory.** A 500-image batch at 2048 × 2048 PNG can produce a 2-3 GB output zip — that's a lot for a browser to manage.
- **Use Chrome or Edge for big batches.** They handle large memory loads better than Safari or Firefox in our testing.
- **Save originals separately.** ReadyPixl outputs are derived files; your originals are the source of truth.

## Tips

- **Brand consistency matters.** Pick one background style (pure white, off-white, branded color), one padding amount, one image adjustment profile. Use them across every product image. Buyers notice consistency without being able to articulate why.
- **2048 × 2048 is the safe default for Shopify.** Larger files (3000+) increase load times without much visible quality gain. Smaller (under 1500) can look soft on retina displays.
- **For Shopify Plus / high-traffic stores**, consider Pattern B (multi-size exports) and serve the right size per device. Pagespeed gain is real.
- **Combine with [Watermark Image](../pipelines/watermark-image)** as a last step if you want subtle brand stamps on every catalog image.

## What Shopify catalog prep can't fix

- **Inconsistent source conditions.** If your sources came from very different places (some AI, some stock, some vendor-supplied) with very different lighting and color, Image Adjustment can't fully normalize them. Re-source the outliers if consistency matters.
- **Missing angles.** Pipeline runs on what you give it. Missing back-of-product images isn't fixable in batch — go source or generate them.
- **Bad product positioning.** Reposition centers the cleaned product on the canvas. If your source had the product way off-center with weird padding, the pipeline can't recover what isn't there. Crop or re-source.

## What to read next

- **[The pipeline concept](../getting-started/pipeline-concept)**
- **[Etsy design prep](etsy-design-prep)** — same shape, smaller scale
- **[Reposition](../pipelines/reposition)** — full canvas reference
- **[Image Adjustment](../pipelines/image-adjustment)** — for batch color correction
- **[Watermark Image](../pipelines/watermark-image)** — for branded catalog images
- **[Picking source images](../background-removal-tips/picking-source-images)** — for sourcing images that clean up well