Choose product background size after you know where the image will appear. A wide banner needs horizontal breathing room, a square listing needs a stable center, and a vertical placement needs room above or below the product. Plan the safe space before generating the background so one scene does not become an awkward crop later.
Draw the crop map before you generate
Use a simple map for each placement:
The exact pixel size belongs to the destination specification. This guide focuses on composition: subject scale, safe space, background detail, and what can be lost when the frame changes. Treat product background size as a placement decision, not a cosmetic export setting.
Keep one visual direction across variants
Start with the approved background direction, then change the crop map rather than changing the whole concept. Keep the product's scale, horizon, and light direction coherent. If the vertical version needs more space above the product, extend the scene before shrinking the product so far that it stops reading.
Use the AI background generator after you define the destination shapes. The current workflow documents aspect-ratio and resolution choices in AI Design, along with adjustments such as inpaint, outpaint, erase, and upscale. Review every variant before download because a clean wide composition can fail when the crop changes.
For a sneaker, a usable first crop plan might keep the full sole and toe visible in a square listing, place the shoe slightly lower with open space above in a vertical ad, and move it left in a wide banner so copy can sit on the right. Write those positions before generating. If the shoe becomes too small in the vertical version, extend the scene before shrinking it further; losing the sole changes the product information, not just the composition.
Check the three failure points
- 1
- Cut-off subject: the product or its shadow touches the crop edge. 2
- Lost hierarchy: background detail becomes more prominent than the product. 3
- Broken light: the crop removes the source of the light or changes the apparent shadow direction.
Use outpaint when the concept is useful but the frame needs more scene. Use erase for a distracting object. Use inpaint when one marked area needs a local change. These are route suggestions; inspect the full image after each adjustment.
Plan the delivery set
Name each variant by placement rather than by a generic "final." Record the intended shape, subject scale, protected area, background treatment, and review result. Recheck the map whenever the copy length, CTA location, or destination UI changes; a new text block can consume the safe space even when the image itself has not changed. Keep the master direction separate from its crops so a later change does not silently alter every placement.
The channel background guide can help you choose the destination treatment before you map the crop. The catalog specification guide covers consistency across products; this page is about variants after the visual direction is approved.
FAQs
How do I choose the right product background size?
Start with the placement, then protect the product silhouette, base, and any copy-safe area. Use the destination's current image specification for exact dimensions.
Should I make one image fit every aspect ratio?
Not always. One master scene can support several crops, but a placement that changes the product's scale or removes its shadow needs a planned variant.
When should I use outpaint instead of shrinking the product?
Use outpaint when the product is already readable and the scene simply lacks safe space. Shrinking too far can weaken the product's role.
Can Pippit change an image's aspect ratio?
Pippit's AI Design workflow documents aspect-ratio selection and background expansion tools. Review the resulting crop for subject scale, edges, and shadow before download.