eBay, please stop darkening photo backgrounds

[argus_museum]

@shipscript (and others interested in photo quality),

This topic got considerable notice back in December, but quickly branched into other discussions.

What I'm talking about is the uniform way that eBay post-processes images to darken the backgrounds. I like the classic product image look where the background goes partially white (or near white) and try to achieve that look for my eBay photos.  EBay always post-processes these images, adding what looks to me like a uniform grey veil.

If you Photoshop the image to compensate (or add contrast and brightness in the listing app) the highlights of the product merge into the background. And it doesn't even help much because eBay still puts the grey veil on. The result is a mess. 

Note that this is not a matter of the well-known fact that different screens and devices produce images of different contrast, color, and brightness. The image capture below shows side-by-side images on the same screen. The left one shows the eBay listing and the right one shows the Mac Preview app for a basic product shot from one of my current listings.

It makes sense that eBay post-processes images, but if they are going to do it, they could at least do it well.

Mike

[chapeau-noir]

It gives a "dirty" look to my photos, which I spend time cleaning up. Really annoying.

[movieman630 · Accepted solution]

I've been complaining about that since it started.  I work hard to edit my photographs and give them a nice clean white background.  Ebay dulls them so they "stand out" amid their white website background.  My argument is why does it really matter?  Does the photo need a clear delineation from background? 

It looks sloppy and dirty.  The photos of their "products" are supposed to be appealing are they not?  The products are the "main attraction" not the background of the website.  If anything make the background of your website "off white". 

Two things could solve this in a hurry.  Leave our white's white and add a very subtle border around our images to frame them out from the background of the website. 

OR change the background color of your website.

Product photos are the most important and should be allowed to look their best.

I've also been pulling for a "dark theme" choice for ebay's website for a long time.  Other websites do it no problem I don't see why we can't have that here.  My eyes are constantly beat up by white backgrounds on websites so I always select the dark theme by default.  It's much easier on my eyes.

If youtube can offer a dark theme background why can't ebay?

[chapeau-noir]

@movieman630  At the rate eBay goes with their site enhancements, I'd be afraid their dark theme would end up looking like this:

 

[movieman630]

Ha ha...  I do shudder every time they use the term "rollout".

[argus_museum]

@movieman630 @chapeau-noir 

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@movieman630 wrote:

The photos of their "products" are supposed to be appealing are they not?  The products are the "main attraction" not the background of the website. 

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I guess if you are a web designer at eBay, showing off the background color is the main objective of the listing.

Mike

[chapeau-noir]

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@argus_museum wrote:

@movieman630 @chapeau-noir 

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@movieman630 wrote:

The photos of their "products" are supposed to be appealing are they not?  The products are the "main attraction" not the background of the website. 

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I guess if you are a web designer at eBay, showing off the background color is the main objective of the listing.

Mike

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It did probably take quite a while to dial-in that exact Dismal Gray of tighty whities that have been laundered to death.

[cinstance]

Very annoying indeed. I adjust my photo to have the correct white point and a perfect balance of the shadow and highlight, but it looks crap once loaded to Ebay. The shadow becomes too dark and the white becomes dirty grey. 

Ebay please do not mess up with out photos or at least give us a button to disable the effect.

[duffy4444]

   I have noticed the same problem when I upload my photos.

   When you upload photos, there are already "buttons" to brighten up whites, handle contrast, and even sharpen the items you just loaded. I use them on almost every photo I upload, and have gotten used to undoing the tinkering that eBay does to my photos.  It just takes a few extra seconds to a minute to go thru all the photos in a listing and correct them.

    Would I rather not do it? You bet... but as with most irritating things eBay does to complicate our lives and unnecessarily drag out the time it takes to list, there are workarounds. Just get used to it, as eBay is not known for correcting seller frustrations. Buyer frustrations? Yes... seller frustrations? No.

     Accept > Adjust > Adapt, and you'll be just fine once you find and use the workarounds that are available.

Cheers, Duffy