# GS1 Image Standards for Product Photography | PhotoRobot > GS1 Product Image Standard 5.0 explained: shot list, file names, formats, clipping paths, and the stricter rules in the US, Germany, Austria and Australia. GS1 image standards, built into robotic product photography GS1 Product Image Standard · Release 5.0. Sources checked 18 October 2026. Retailers and data pools use GS1 rules to decide which product images they accept: the shots, the file names, the formats. PhotoRobot captures the whole shot list in one robotic session. Here is what the standard really asks for, and where national guidelines are stricter. - 5.0: the current GS1 release, ratified July 2026 - 6: markets compared, rule by rule - 24–360: frames in a GS1 360° spin ## What GS1 actually specifies, in 60 seconds There is no single “GS1 photo rule”. There is a family of documents, and each one answers a different question. - **Which images, what size, which format, what name?** GS1 Product Image Standard (Release 5.0 · July 2026). The global standard. Formerly the Product Image Specification; Release 5.0 merged in the Product Image Sharing/Delivery Guideline and took its new name. Source: [GS1 Product Image Standard, Release 5.0 (July 2026)](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/product-image-specification/) - **Can a shopper read the pack on a phone?** Mobile Ready Hero Image Guideline (Release 2.2 · August 2026). Hero images that show the brand, product type, variant and quantity (the “4Ws”) at thumbnail size. Source: [GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Image Guideline, Release 2.2 (August 2026)](https://ref.gs1.org/guidelines/mrhi) - **Which face is the front?** Package and Product Measurement Standard (Release 3.3 · August 2026). The default front is the largest surface the brand owner uses to promote the product. Image facing codes follow it. Source: [GS1 Package and Product Measurement Standard, Release 3.3 (August 2026)](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/ppm/) - **How does an image travel to the retailer?** GDSN attributes and GS1 Web Vocabulary (Data model). As a URL plus attributes such as the file type code, file name and file format, not as an attachment. Source: [GS1 Web Vocabulary: ReferencedFileTypeCode](https://gs1.org/voc/ReferencedFileTypeCode) - **What will my retailer actually reject?** National GS1 guidelines (US · Germany · Austria · Australia · Netherlands). Colour space, clipping paths, ppi, URL rules. This is where most hard requirements live. The global standard mostly says “should”. The hard rules sit in national guidelines and retailer onboarding, which is why one image set can pass in the US and be rejected in Austria. Check which release you are quoted. The gs1.org overview page still shows Release 4.4 (April 2024), and GS1 Australia’s download is Release 3.0 from June 2017, so a “GS1 requirement” may be nine years old. ## The GS1 shot list, captured in one session ### Product images | Code | Image type | Use | |---|---|---| | A | Web product image | The product alone, 900–2400 px | | B | Web image with supporting elements | As A, with props or extras | | C | High-resolution product image | Print and zoom, 2401–4800 px | | D | High-resolution with supporting elements | As C, with props or extras | | E | 360° image | 24 to 360 frames, clockwise seen from above | | H | Mobile Ready Hero Image | Brand, type, variant and quantity readable on a phone | | U | Optimised hero or pack image | Cropped and tuned for small screens | | 3DR | 3D model | A 3D file of the product | ### Informational panels | Code | Image type | Use | |---|---|---| | L2 | Nutrition facts | The nutrition panel, readable | | L4 | Ingredients | The ingredients panel | | L5 | Nutrition and ingredients | Both panels in one image | | L7 | Certification seals | Claims shown as seals and logos | | L8 | Preparation instructions | How to prepare or use | | L11 · L12 | Drug facts · Supplement facts | Regulated panels for health products | | L13 | Lighting facts | The lighting facts label | ### Detail and context | Code | Image type | Use | |---|---|---| | F | Detail | A close-up of a feature | | M · N | Montage · Application | Several views together · the product in use | | R | Ambience | Mood or lifestyle setting | | Q | Size comparison | Scale against a known object | | J | Sustainability | Recycling and sustainability information | Facing codes: 1 front, 2 left, 3 top, 7 back, 8 right, 9 bottom. Angle codes: C centre, L left, R right, N no plunge (straight on). Packaging state: 1 in package, 0 out of package, A · B case · inner pack, D · E · F prepared · plated · styled. - Packs in 3D: the preferred hero is centre front at 15° elevation, plus 15° rotations to the left and right. - Planogram views: straight on, zero plunge, one per face. At least front, top and left; up to six. - In or out of the pack? If in doubt, GS1 suggests shooting both. - The product is centred and fills about 95% of the canvas. Never scale an image up to reach a size. ### How PhotoRobot gets there - Defined camera rows: a 0° row for planogram views and a 15° row for marketing angles, in the same session. - 360° spins of 24 to 72 frames, on one or more rows, alongside the stills. - The bottom view: flip the product and move the camera to 90°. - OCR reads nutrition and ingredient panels while you shoot. [Watch a GS1 capture run](https://www.photorobot.com/videos/ocr-gs1-image-capture-features) · [Centerless Table](https://www.photorobot.com/robots/centerless-table) · [CASE 850](https://www.photorobot.com/robots/case-850) · [MultiCam](https://www.photorobot.com/robots/multicam) ## GS1 file names, decoded `09520123456764_A1C1_s01.jpg` - `09520123456764` GTIN-14: Positions 1–14. A GTIN-13 gets a leading zero. - `_` Separator: Position 15. - `A` Image type: Web product image (see the shot list). - `1` Facing: 1 = front. - `C` Angle: C = centre. - `1` Packaging: 1 = in package, 0 = out of package. - `_s01` Optional suffix: A serial for alternates; a language (_en) or end date (MMYY) also fit here. - `.jpg` Extension: Not part of the base name. - `09520123456764_E1_R15_C01.jpg`: 360° frame: row at 15°, column (frame) 01. - `09520123456719.1`: Planogram front, in its own scheme: .2 left, .3 top, .7 back, .8 right, .9 bottom. - `09520123456764_C1C1_s01_v01.jpg`: GS1 Germany’s pattern: high-resolution front, centred, in package, with a version number. The GTIN-based name is still in the global standard, but the Mobile Ready Hero Image Guideline 2.2 calls it a legacy system, effectively deprecated in favour of a GDTI (Global Document Type Identifier). Most data pools still expect GTIN names today, so check what yours asks for. PhotoRobot builds file names from templates: barcode, row angle, turn angle, a zero-padded frame index, frame labels and a GS1 variable. Need a preset for a specific scheme, such as planogram names or Austria’s E1_R15_C01 spins? Talk to us. ## Formats, masters and colour | | Storage (master) | Sharing (delivery) | |---|---|---| | Format | TIFF, LZW-compressed | JPEG or PNG | | Background | White with a clipping path and no extra layers, or transparent | JPEG: white (RGB 255/255/255). PNG: transparency allowed | | Clipping path | Yes, in the TIFF | JPEG if required. PNG cannot carry a path | | Role | The recommended full-quality master | What data pools and retailers receive | | Image | Size (square) | |---|---| | Web product image (A, B) | 900–2400 px | | High-resolution image (C, D) | 2401–4800 px | | Mobile Ready Hero, optimised pack (H, U) | 600–4800 px, JPEG or PNG | | Secondary images | 600–4800 px | | 360° frames (E) | at least 400 × 400 px, JPEG or PNG | | Source | Colour | |---|---| | Global standard, Release 5.0 | Says nothing about colour space, bit depth or ppi | | Older global releases (up to 3.0) | ICC profile or colour space must be known and defined; RGB, 8 bits per channel; 300 ppi | | GS1 Germany, ECR Austria | ECI RGB v2, 8 bits per channel, 300 ppi | | GS1 Australia planogram images | sRGB IEC61966-2.1, 120 ppi | | GS1 Germany 360° spins | sRGB | 8 bits per channel is the baseline in every GS1 document we reviewed. 16-bit is not a GS1 requirement anywhere. 16-bit TIFF masters are on our development roadmap as an option beyond GS1, not a setting you can switch on yet. See [PhotoRobot case: 16-bit TIFF masters](https://cases.photorobot.io/bit-depth/). PhotoRobot exports JPEG, PNG, WebP and TIFF, on white or with a transparent background, and can capture RAW alongside JPEG. Working to a national colour space or ppi? Tell us which guideline and we’ll go through the setup with you. ## Clipping path or transparency? - **Global, Release 5.0** (recommended): Strongly recommended: a clipping path and a flattened white background. A path must be closed and sit slightly inside the product edge. PNG transparency is allowed but cannot carry a path. - **Germany** (required): Exactly one closed path in a JPEG, no alpha channel, 1 px tolerance, up to 10,000 points. - **Austria** (required): Exactly one closed path, drawn by hand with the pen tool, 1 px tolerance, up to 1,000 points, shadows outside. Images without it are not accepted by business partners. - **Australia** (required): High-resolution JPEG with one active clipping path, validated by GS1 Australia and the retailer. Up to Release 4.2 the global specification recommended a clipping path “within one pixel” (§3.3.4). Release 4.3 (September 2023) removed that wording; the 1 px rule lives on in the German and Austrian guidelines. PhotoRobot produces a transparent background (alpha) with AI matting. Where a partner needs a path, an optional script generates one from the alpha with a set tolerance and point budget; it is not written by default. Supplying Austria? ECR Austria judges automatically generated paths not good enough in practice, so plan a manual check. ## Data that travels with the images - **On-pack text.** GS1 has image types for nutrition (L2), ingredients (L4) and other panels. PhotoRobot OCR reads those panels during capture and exports the text as JSON or XML. - **GDSN attributes.** In GDSN an image is a URL plus attributes: referencedFileTypeCode (PRODUCT_IMAGE, PLANOGRAM, 360_DEGREE_IMAGE, MOBILE_READY_HERO_IMAGE…), uniformResourceIdentifier, fileName, fileFormatName, isPrimaryFile and effective dates. - **URL delivery rules.** GS1 US: the fileName must match the downloaded file, and links must not point to PDF or HTML pages. ECR Austria: HTTPS on port 443, no login, URLs up to 2,000 characters, a response within 5 seconds, HEAD requests allowed, a new URL for every new image, up to 40 MB. - **Embedded metadata.** GS1’s metadata list (GDTI, brand, product name, GTIN, dates, colour mode…) is rarely embedded in practice; data pools rely on GDSN attributes. The Mobile Ready Hero Image Guideline suggests XMP for the 4Ws. Connecting exports to a PIM or a data pool? Tell us which one; the right integration depends on your setup. ## Regional notes: where the rules get stricter ### United States GS1 US Product Images Application Guideline (Retail Grocery & Foodservice), Release 3.0, August 2019. - Voluntary, with five classes: planogram (straight on, one per face), functional (all six sides), primary (angled down, out of package), informational (barcode, nutrition, ingredients) and lifestyle. - Square images on solid white with natural shadows; a TIFF master (the guideline mentions 40–200 MB) and JPEG for sharing. - In GDSN the fileName must match the downloaded file and fileFormatName the format; no links to PDF or HTML pages. Source: [GS1 US Product Images Application Guideline for the Retail Grocery & Foodservice Industries, Release 3.0 (August 2019)](https://community.syndigo.com/gtkim45673/attachments/gtkim45673/IMBoard/123/1/GS1%20US%20Product%20Images%20Application%20Guideline%20for%20the%20Retail%20Grocery%20%26%20Foodservice%20Industries%20(Aug%202019).pdf) ### Australia GS1 Australia Product Launch and photography service; hosted specification Release 3.0, June 2017. - Planogram image: JPEG on white, RGB, sRGB IEC61966-2.1, 120 ppi, longest side 324 px. - High-resolution image: JPEG at 4000 × 4000 px and 300 ppi, with one active clipping path. - GS1 Australia and the retailer validate the images before they reach the National Product Catalogue. Source: [GS1 Australia: Product Launch FAQ](https://new.gs1au.org/resources/faqs/product-launch), [GS1 Australia: photography service](https://new.gs1au.org/our-services/photography) ### Germany GS1 Germany, Product Images and Media Assets – FMCG, v5.2, 2023. - JPEG at maximum quality, ECI RGB v2, 8 bits per channel, 300 ppi, at least 2401 px; no alpha channel, no layers. - Primary and hero images must contain exactly one closed clipping path: 1 px tolerance, up to 10,000 points, border up to 5%. - 360° spins in sRGB, 24–99 frames, at least 1136 × 640 px. Names follow GTIN_C1C1_s01_v01.jpg, and at least one primary image goes through GDSN. Source: [GS1 Germany: Product Images and Media Assets – FMCG, v5.2 (2023)](https://www.gs1-germany.de/fileadmin/gs1/fachpublikationen/product-mages-and-media-assets-v5.2-.pdf) ### Austria ECR Austria / GS1 Austria, Guideline for Product Images, v3.0, June 2026. - JPEG (quality 12) or TIFF with LZW only: interleaved, IBM PC byte order, no pyramid, no layers; ZIP is not allowed. ECI RGB v2, at least 300 ppi and 2401 px, up to 40 MB. - Exactly one closed path drawn by hand with the pen tool: 1 px, up to 1,000 points, shadows excluded. Automatically generated paths are judged not good enough in practice. - Views C1C1, C1L1, C1R1 and C1N1; 360° spins as E1_R00 or E1_R15 with columns C01–C24. Image URLs: HTTPS, no login, up to 2,000 characters, answered within 5 seconds. Source: [ECR Austria / GS1 Austria: Guideline for Product Images, v3.0 (June 2026)](https://www.gs1.at/sites/default/files/2026-06/Guideline-for-Product-Images-2026.pdf) ### Mexico GS1 Mexico. - We found no public GS1 Mexico image specification (October 2026), so the global GS1 Product Image Standard is the reference. - GS1 Mexico itself works with PhotoRobot technology to offer image services to its member companies (see the testimonial below). - Supplying a Mexican retailer? Ask for its onboarding rules alongside the global standard. Source: [GS1 Product Image Standard, Release 5.0 (July 2026)](https://ref.gs1.org/standards/product-image-specification/) ### Netherlands GS1 Netherlands, Digital Files & Product Images, v2.2, March 2025 (healthcare). - Written for pharmaceuticals and medical devices rather than groceries. - Product images as JPG at 1500 × 1500 px on a white background. - File naming that also covers the individual components of a product. Source: [GS1 Netherlands: Digital Files & Product Images, v2.2 (March 2025)](https://www.gs1.nl/media/mgwkzeih/guidelines_digitalfiles_productimages_eng_22_mrt25.pdf) ## Proof > PhotoRobot technology has revolutionized our processes by improving their quality and speed, capturing every detail with precision and professionalism, and creating new services for our associates, which in turn provides them greater product projection across different digital platforms. > > Fer Real & Javier Macias, GS1 Mexico [See packaged-goods examples in the gallery](https://www.photorobot.com/gallery?category=CPG) · [Grocery product photography](https://www.photorobot.com/blog/grocery-product-photography) ## Go deeper: the Robotic Photography Handbook Coming soon. Shot lists by product category, built on the GS1 Global Product Classification: which image types a food, beverage, health or lighting product needs, from L2 and L4 to L11, L12 and L13. ## FAQ ### What are GS1 image standards? Rules published by GS1, the not-for-profit organisation behind the barcode, for how product images are captured, named, formatted and shared between brands, data pools and retailers. The core document is the GS1 Product Image Standard; national GS1 organisations add stricter local guidelines. ### What is the latest version of the GS1 Product Image Standard? Release 5.0, ratified in July 2026. It renamed the GS1 Product Image Specification to the GS1 Product Image Standard and absorbed the former Product Image Sharing/Delivery Guideline. Release 4.5 (April 2026) introduced the optimised pack image and harmonised sizes and formats. ### What does A1C1 mean in a GS1 file name? It is the image code after the GTIN: A = web product image, 1 = front facing, C = centre angle, 1 = in package. So 09520123456764_A1C1.jpg is the front, centred, in-package web image of that GTIN. ### How are planogram images named? With their own scheme: the GTIN, a dot and the facing number, for example 09520123456719.1 for the front, .2 for the left and .3 for the top. Back, right and bottom (.7, .8, .9) are optional. ### What size should GS1 product images be? Square. Web product images 900–2400 px, high-resolution images 2401–4800 px, Mobile Ready Hero and optimised pack images 600–4800 px, 360° frames at least 400 × 400 px. Never scale an image up to reach a size. ### Clipping path or transparent background? The global standard strongly recommends a closed clipping path on a white background; PNG transparency is allowed but cannot carry a path. GS1 Germany, ECR Austria and GS1 Australia’s high-resolution images require exactly one clipping path. ### Why TIFF with LZW compression? The standard recommends a full-quality, LZW-compressed TIFF as the stored master, and JPEG or PNG for sharing. The master keeps the path and the quality; the sharing copies are what data pools receive. ### Which colour profile should GS1 images use? Release 5.0 does not specify one. Older releases required the ICC profile or colour space to be known and defined. GS1 Germany and ECR Austria ask for ECI RGB v2; GS1 Australia’s planogram images use sRGB. ### How many images are in a GS1 360° spin? At least 24 and at most 360 frames, all at the same camera angle, rotating clockwise seen from above. Frames are named GTIN_E1_Rnn_Cnn, where R is the row angle and C the column. ### What is a Mobile Ready Hero Image? A hero image designed to be read on a phone: it shows the brand, product type, variant and quantity (the 4Ws) clearly at small size. GS1’s guideline is at Release 2.2 (August 2026). ### What is the difference between planogram, marketing and informational images? Planogram images are straight-on views of each face for shelf planning. Marketing (primary) images show the pack at a slight angle, typically 15°, for e-commerce and print. Informational images show panels such as nutrition facts, ingredients and barcodes. ### How do images get into GDSN or a national product catalogue? As URLs with attributes such as referencedFileTypeCode, fileName and fileFormatName, published through your data pool. Data pools check the links: GS1 US requires the file name to match, ECR Austria sets HTTPS, response-time and size limits, and GS1 Australia validates images for the National Product Catalogue. ### Do GS1 images have to be 16-bit? No. Every GS1 document we reviewed works with 8 bits per channel; 16-bit is not a GS1 requirement. 16-bit masters are on PhotoRobot’s development roadmap as an option beyond GS1. ### Can PhotoRobot capture a full GS1 image set? PhotoRobot captures the GS1 shot list in one session: 0° planogram views, 15° marketing angles, 360° spins and informational panels with OCR, with file names built from templates. What your partners accept also depends on their national rules, so we set up the workflow with you for the guidelines you deliver to. ## Delivering to retailers that work with GS1? Tell us what you photograph and which countries and data pools you supply. We’ll show you how the shot list, file names and exports fit together. https://www.photorobot.com/contact