About this document
In addition to using this document, we encourage you take advantage of the wealth of information available in our seller Help pages. Click Help on the upper-right side of your seller account home page.
Contents
About this document. ..2
Fine Art (Approval is required to sell in this category) . .3
Glossary. ..4
Title and Artist Style . .5
Parent and Child Titles . . 5
About This Artist ..7
About This Artwork. ..7
Adult Designation . . 8
Target Audience. ..8
Measurements .10
Unframed Dimensions. .10
Framed Dimensions .11
Images . .12
Without Variations .12
With Variations .12
"View in a Room" images. .13
Technical Image Requirements. .13
Editioned Artwork. .16
Variation Relationships. .17
When to use Variation Relationships . . 17
Size Variation. .18
Size/Frame Material Variation .19
How to set up variations for an artwork. .21
Browse & Search. . . 22
Classification - Browse . . 22
Search . . . 22
Fine Art (Approval is required to sell in this category)
Sellers are required to obtain approval from Amazon before listing in this category. For more information, see this seller Help page: Categories and Products Requiring Approval
Whether you’re selling an edition of lithographs, 18th century oil paintings, or contemporary mixed media work, accurate data is crucial to discoverability and sales in Amazon Fine Art. Providing a clear and concise listing while following a consistent format will better inform customers and enhance discoverability of your art.
Before going any further into how to maximize your business, let's first identify the types of art that may be listed in the Amazon Fine Art Store:
The following types of art are not supported and may not be listed in the Amazon Fine Art Store at this time:
The following types of artworks do not qualify for the Amazon Fine Art category:
one version of the same artwork (such as artist Edvard Munch did with The Scream)
posters of artwork, artwork printed on clothing, and decorative mousepads)
Glossary
As you begin using this style guide, you’ll run across a variety of terms that may be new to you. A few terms are listed below, and you can see a more complete list in the New Seller Glossary.
ASIN
The acronym for Amazon Standard Identification Number, a 10-digit alphanumeric number that identifies a product in our catalog. Every product is automatically assigned its own unique ASIN at the time it is created.
Browse structure
The way Amazon.com organizes products hierarchically so that customers can browse products by categories. Browse is important to sellers as a way to properly categorize products so customers can find them. The Item Type Keyword helps classify each ASIN in the correct node of the browse structure. How you classify (categorize) a product determines which area of the website the product will appear in. Proper subcategorizing helps place your product in the most appropriate browse area on the site, where customers are most likely to browse for it.
Buy box
The box on the upper right of the product detail page where qualifying offers are displayed. This is where a customer starts the purchase process by adding an item to their shopping cart. The Fine Art buy box has been designed to replicate a placard in a gallery or museum.
Detail page (also called product detail page)
On Amazon.com each product is displayed on a single page that includes all of the details about the product along with images, artwork specifications, and more.
Offer
The inclusion of a price and quantity to make a listing buyable. Without a price and quantity, the listing remains unavailable to the buyer and does not appear on the product detail page.
Parent/Child relationship
The terminology used to describe listings that are variations of a primary product. In a parent/child relationship, one parent product may have several child products. The child products are variations of the parent product. An example would be a print that comes in different sizes or framing options or both. Rather than displaying each combination of size and frame material on a separate detail page, Amazon groups all of the prints by the parent. This allows customers to choose from all of the variations, without leaving that one detail page.
Seller SKU
The acronym for Stock-Keeping Unit. A SKU is a specific seller’s product identifier with a maximum length of 40 characters. You might call it a catalogue number or inventory number. It can be a combination of letters and numbers. The SKU is a critical piece of data in every inventory file that you submit to us. If you upload an inventory file with data for a SKU that already exists, the more recent data replaces data from previous feeds. For more details on the role of SKUs in your inventory, please see this Help page: Build My Inventory File
Swatch Image
Small images that represent variations among similar products, much like a fabric or paint swatch. Swatch images are only used for child products, never for parent products.
Variations
Refers to the "child" in the parent/child relationship of a product. Variations exist when there is more than one version of a single product. The "parent" product is a non-buyable product, and the buyable "child" variations are associated with it. To illustrate, if you offer a print in blue, yellow, and red, you would create three buyable "child" products associated with the non-buyable "parent" product.
Last revised: 08/06/13
Title and Artist Style
The title and artist of the artwork are the first things customers see when visiting the detail page. The title and artist on an Amazon Fine Art detail page are designed to look like the placard in a museum or gallery.
Always check titles for consistent format and accuracy. Follow the guidelines below to create titles that make a good first impression.
Tips on how to create a great title and artist name
DoDo Not0 Capitalize the first letter of each word (but see exceptions under Do Not)- Do not use your seller or gallery name for artist name - Do not include price and quantity- Use numerals (2 instead of two)- Do not use ALL CAPS- 200 characters maximum- Do not capitalize:- Capitalize "Untitled" artworks - Designate titles with profanity as "Adult" (see "Adult Designation" section below).- Conjunctions (and, or, for) - Articles (the, a, an) - Prepositions with fewer than five letters (in, on,- Note: Include only standard text.- Do not include quotation marks around the titleType 1 High ASCII characters (®, ©, ™, etc.) or other special characters are not supported.- Do not include promotional messages such as "sale" or "free ship" (use the Promotion Manager tool to include messaging) Do not include subjective comments, such as "Hot Item," "Best Seller," "Great Gift," or "Available in 3 Colors" - Do not include search terms in titles - Do not include a size or color name in a parent SKU title
Parent and Child Titles
On detail pages, customers will see just the parent title. Include Size and Frame Material information in the title for the child item, so customers will be able to see the Size and Frame Material they selected at checkout. This allows customers to confirm that they selected the Size and Frame Material they want. This also makes it easier for you to fulfill an order because you can see the item's Size and/or Frame Material in your order reports. For more information, see the Variation Relationships section below or search on "variation" in seller Help
For the Parent of Variation Products:
[Title] field only.
For Child Products:
[Size Name] + [Frame Material]+ [Artist] + [Title]
Example of Variation Title
On the detail page, only the parent title will be displayed in the Buy Box, regardless of which Size or Frame Material and Star Appendix. buyer chooses:
During checkout, the child title will be displayed:
Editioned Titles
If offering a range of prints or only one print from an edition, the print numbers should be included in the title. See the Editioned Artwork section of this document for more information.
Title Examples:
Good:
Peter Bentley - Ovo Gallery
MERIDIAN FIRE HYDRANT. art, mixed media, pittsburgh! sandy@ovogallery.com
About This Artist
Including biographical information about the artist allows Amazon customers to learn more about the artist who created the work. This information improves the quality of your listing and can help customers discover your art.
Example:
Peter Bentley is fascinated by the way light describes form. He holds an MFA and an MA in Painting and Art History from the University of Washington and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Working from direct observation, Peter represents the vitality of everyday life in oil, charcoal, watercolor, and ink. Whether delineating the pyramidal gleams on a shiny tin can, or cutting out the negative space of sky around a tree, Peter delights in the everyday, the unseemly, and tries to capture the vitality of visual life on canvas in paint. His subjects and media vary widely, but all his works retain his strong sense of fascination with the world around him, be it sunny or grey. He loves the way forms are defined by light. Peter has painted in various locations in the US and Europe and currently lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
Note:
About This Artwork
Describing the artwork in even greater detail can help customers understand the motivation and story behind the artwork and truly connect with it. Put yourself in a collector's shoes: what would you want to know, see or understand about the artwork? Incorporating information about the history, concept, or technique of the artwork can fire the customer's imagination. About This Artwork text is limited to 2000 characters.
DoDo NotTell the story behind the artwork - describe the artist's motivations and conceptual goals- Do not include your seller name, e-mail address website URL, or any company-specific information- Describe the technique or materials used to create the artwork- Do not repeat information you provided in Artwork Specifications- Only write about the artwork for sale; this is your opportunity to tell the customer what they are considering buyingDo not include promotional language such as "sale" or "free ship" (use the Manage Promotions tool in your seller account)- Keep it short, but include critical information Use correct grammar and complete sentencesDo not include speculative language related to the potential investment value of the artwork
Good:
About This Artwork
Inspired by the elegance and composition in everyday scenes, "Mercer Street Light" asks the viewer to consider a commonplace object as the starting point of a landscape and not an item to pass up. Choosing a street corner in his neighborhood, the artist brings the significance and history of landscape representation to a view he sees every day. The artist methodically visits a scene multiple times to sketch and study the landscape in order to pick the perspective that most accurately represents each subject; and while the final composition show the artist's skill and discipline; the brush marks reflect the vitality and life of the scene. The tree in the background shoots over the road and the varying red tones indicate the sunlight passing through moving leaves. The flowers planted along a garden punctuate the image and guide the viewer down the road creating a sense of dynamic, natural movement. Bad: About This Artwork About This Artwork
OIL ON HIGH QUALITY CANVAS!! Ready to hang. Will look great in your living room or anywhere in your house.
HAND PAINTED. Dimensions are 8 x 10 in. Does not come framed. Comes with Flamingo Pink Mat. ARCHIVAL. GREAT INVESTMENT - START COLLECTING NOW!!
Adult Designation
If an artwork contains an artistic nude or adult themes, select "true" for "Adult" via the flat file or the "Add a Product" tool. As a guideline, if you use an item-type-keyword or subject that falls within the section of "Erotic" or "Artistic Nude" as defined in the ITK list or the Valid Values list, the work is considered "Adult." This will help us to correctly categorize the artwork so that customers browsing for related content are able to easily find the selection. We also use this to exclude these artworks from inappropriately surfacing in some of our features, such as artwork for children or recommendations for certain items in other categories.
Any artwork titles with profanity, must be designated as Adult."
Target Audience
A target audience is made up of Amazon customers who might be interested in owning your artwork, or occasions and situations for which your artwork would be an appropriate gift. This information will be used to merchandise artworks.
Here are some target audience suggestions:
Last revised: 08/06/13
Measurements
Comprehensive and accurate artwork measurements will help ensure that the artwork displays correctly on the detail page and in unique Amazon Fine Art features such as View in a Room.
The height and width should be measured for all items. These values are not interchangeable and must be entered correctly to help ensure that the artwork appears correctly on the detail page and in the right refinements in the Browse Nodes.
NOTE: The terms "Length" and "Depth" are used interchangeably throughout different Amazon tools.
Unframed Dimensions
Framed Dimensions
Measure the outer dimensions of the frame. Height, width, and depth of the frame are preferred.
Note: If you are entering these dimensions please also indicate if the item is framed in the "Is Framed" cell of the feed file or checking the "Is Framed" box in Manage Inventory in your seller account. This will help ensure that the information and images you provide are correctly rendered in the category features.
Framed Dimensions Example:
Images
Good images are the cornerstone of the Amazon Fine Art experience.
High quality images allow customers to see the details of the artwork. Amazon Fine Art has several unique features, including View in a Room and Framing Material variations. The images must be entered correctly in order for these features to work properly and to showcase your artwork. Since the quality and presentation of images is so important to the experience, Amazon Fine Art’s image requirements are different from the image requirements for other categories.
Understand the Types of Images
Amazon Fine Art can display several images for each artwork. As a seller, it is in your interest to provide several high-resolution images for your art so customers can make informed buying decisions. Listings with missing images are suppressed from the site, and customers cannot buy them. The type of images used varies depending on whether you are listing an artwork with or without variations:
Without Variations
With Variations
larger size is float mounted, then you must supply the correct corresponding image for each.
Note: If an artwork (with or without variations) comes framed, you must indicate that in the feed file or in Manage
Inventory in your seller account.
"View in a Room" images
Technical Image Requirements
Required- The image should be cropped to the edge of the physical artwork. If the work is framed, it should be cropped to the edge of the frame. If the artwork has a white border, include that in the image. - If any background color shows, it must be white (hex color code #fffff - Images must be at least 700 pixels on the shortest side; Amazon strongly recommends images of a least 1,000 pixels on the longest side to enable zoom for the best customer experience - Main images must be of the front of the artwork - Artwork must be photographed on a wall or flat - All color variations must have a child SKU main image representative of that specific Frame Materia or matting technique - Main images must be of a single artwork, not stacks or images containing multiple works of art - Artwork images should depict the actual artwork to be purchased; accessories (hanging hardware remains matting, etc.) that are not part of the artwork should not be show - Alternate images can be of different angles or views, but must adhere to the same image quality and size guidelines
Prohibited- Other art, items, or accessories that are not part of the artwork listing; include only what a buyer will receive.- Do not include an image of the artwork in a frame if it does not come with a frame- Watermarks, logos or anything that obscures the image of the artworkDecorative borders, text, color blocks, and other decorations- Colored backgrounds- Main images of the back of the artwork- Images containing multiple works of art- Image place holders (such as, "temporary image" or "no image available"- Promotional text such as "sale" or "free ship" (use the Manage Promotions tool instead)- Size charts, delivery zone maps, or any graphic not related to the artwork
Note:
Example of Zoom Tool - Original View
Peter Bentley Meridian fire hydrant, 2011 14×11 in Unique Work Ships from and sold by Gallery 123. $385.00 $345.00 (Art and Framing) + $40.00 Shipping Add to Cart Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
Click on the image to zoom in
Example of Zoom Tool - Zoomed View
Click on the image to zoom out
Editioned Artwork
Editioned prints and photographs have a special set of data requirements.
Use "Edition Size," "Limited Edition Range Start," "Limited Edition Range End," and "Quantity" in the following scenarios:
Scenario A: You are offering a full edition for sale all for the same price.
Scenario B: You are offering only one print from a larger edition.
○ Enter the print number for sale in "Limited Edition Range Start." In this example it will be 3. Enter
nothing in "Limited Edition Range End."
∘ This must be done separately for non-consecutive numbers even if they have the same price.
Scenario C: You are offering a range of prints from a larger edition.
∘ Enter the full size of the edition in "Limited Edition Size." In this example it will be 20.
Scenario D: You are offering a print that comes in more than one size. See the section on Size Variations.
Note:
Artworks that are in a series (for example, Edvard Munch’s The Scream) are not considered editions and should be listed as separate items even if they have the same price.
Variation Relationships
Variation relationships (also known as parent-child relationships) allow you to offer multiple sizes of the same print or framing options on editioned work.
The relationship of parent to child is established by using one of these variation themes: Size, or Size/Frame Material.
Note: Amazon category managers may remove artworks from the site if they do not have correctly established variation themes.
When to use Variation Relationships
If an appropriate variation theme exists for your artworks, you must include your artworks in a parent-child relationship.
No Variations- This artwork is considered one-of-a-kind and is not editioned in another size and does not have framing options. Paintings, drawings, and mixed media artworks will typically not have variations.Single Variation (Size)- This artwork varies on size.Double Variation (Size/Frame Material)- This artwork varies by size and each size variation has framing options.
Components of Parent-Child Relationships
There are three components of a parent-child relationship: the parent 𝑆𝐾𝑈 ,the child 𝑆𝐾𝑈 ,and the variation theme.
Parent SKU
The parent SKU illustrates what the child SKUs have in common. Although the parent SKU must be part of your artwork data, you do not offer it for sale on Amazon.com. Instead, the Amazon.com catalog uses the parent SKU to establish relationships between the variations of the artwork. The parent artwork title will be displayed in search results and should be the name of the artwork only.
Child SKUs
A child SKU is a particular artwork that varies in some way from the other child SKUs of the same parent. You can have many child artworks that are all related to one parent artwork. In Fine Art, Size and Frame Material, or a combination of both, are the only variation options.
The title format for a child or standalone artwork is the same as for a parent SKU.
Variation Theme
Variation themes set the parent-child relationship by defining how related artworks differ from each other. For example, in the Fine Art category, child artworks can differ from each other by size or whether or not the artwork has framing options.
When using the size variation, you are required to enter the size in two locations: the item dimensions and in Size Name. What you enter in the Size Name will display in the Buy Box on the detail page. The formatting in Size Name should be consistent across all of your artworks. Enter the height and width of a child variation with a lowercase "x" between the two dimensions, with one space before and after the "x" and then "in." to indicate inches. Round up to the nearest tenth of a decimal where necessary.
Correct Format: 30×40 in. or 25×36.5 in
Incorrect Formats: 24"x18" in. or 24 X 18 INCHES or 23.0625 x 18.002 in.
Sample Buy Box with Size Variation:
Size/Frame Material Variation
Use the Size/Frame Material variation if your artwork is all one size but has different framing options, or if your artwork varies by both size and frame material.
Example of single-size artworks with framing options:
NOTE:
Example of artworks with size and framing options:
When creating variations on both Size and Frame Material, you must enter child SKUs for all of the combinations.
Example Buy Box with Size/Framing Variations
How to set up variations for an artwork
When creating variations, you must provide information in these required cells:
Note: If you enter the Relationship Type and fail to enter the Size or Frame Material, you might receive an error when uploading your data or your artwork might not display properly on the website. Make sure you have entered all required variation data for your art. If you fail to enter any of the required data, your art could be suppressed from display on the site.
Do- Do fully describe each child artwork so that they will be included in browse and search results. ’ Do list the child SKUs under the parent SKU in your file. This will make it easier to manage the relationships.Do Not- Do not include price or quantity for parent SKUs. Do not include the size or frame material in a parent SKU title - Do not use a variation theme other than Size, Frame Material, or Size/Frame Material. - Do not establish relationships between artworks that are not size or frame materi variations of the same artwork
For help with properly setting up your artwork variation themes and parent-child relationships, see Creating Variations with a Flat File or the example tab on the Fine Art flat file.
Customers shop for art on Amazon.com using browse and search. Make sure they can find your artworks either way, by providing good search terms and the appropriate Item Type Keyword (for browse).
Classification - Browse
Amazon uses Item Type Keywords to classify artwork into the correct browse categories on the website. To help customers find your artwork when they browse the website, be sure to classify your artwork at the most-specific level. This means, for example, that your oil paintings should be classified as original-fine-artwork-oil-paintings and not just as paintings or art.
How to Pick and Apply Terms to an Artwork
Use the Item Type Keyword (ITK) list provided by your engagement manager to select the correct classification for your artwork.
For example, to classify a lithograph print, you would complete the following steps:
Note: The Item Type Keyword must have the same exact spelling and formatting as listed. Typos will prevent your artwork from being assigned to the correct browse node.
Search
Search terms help customers find your art. Your artwork titles and artist names are already searchable, so think about other words that describe the artwork. Think like Amazon customers when choosing your terms; use words they might enter into the search bar, including synonyms.
Guidelines for Your Search Terms
Do not use search terms for other artists or inappropriate terms. Using terms that do not match the artwork being sold is against Amazon policy and may result in the removal of your selling privileges. If you are using the text-file template to add your artwork to the website, for search terms use the generic-keywords1 through generic-keywords5 cells:
ABACADAEAFgeneric_keywords1generic_keywords2generic_keywords3generic_keywords4generic_keywords5
For more details about how to create effective search terms, see Using Search & Browse.