Black Friday homepage hero image for Shopify: one set, many sizes

Shopify's 2026 BFCM checklist says to update the homepage with seasonal creative: put seasonal motifs in the hero image and extend that imagery across your other sales channels for a consistent look. Make one hero from a reference, then render it again at each channel's ratio. Sume's image models take aspect_ratio and up to 16 reference images on the ChatGPT Image 2.5 models.

Shopify's step is quoted from its checklist, read 2026-09-30; Sume facts are from the image generation docs. The checklist does not give pixel sizes, so check your theme's hero slot yourself.

What does the checklist ask for?

Step 11 frames the homepage as the place for seasonal offers, especially when you add specialty scents, colorways or patterns for the season. The point is consistency: the same look on the homepage and the other channels you sell on.

Which ratios can I render?

The docs list 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3 and 4:5 among others, and say a model only accepts the values in its descriptors, so read supported_parameters first. Quality is set with quality: auto|low|medium|high|xhigh|max.

How do I keep the look the same across sizes?

Pass the first approved hero as a reference image for each later render, and keep the seasonal motif in the prompt unchanged. For edits and image-to-image calls the docs say to prefer aspect_ratio: "auto" to match the reference; omitting the field is not the same as auto. Cropping the approved hero is the safer route when the composition must not move. More on batches in bulk image generation.

Should I put text or a transparent background in the banner?

Add the sale text and price in your theme, not in the generated image, so it stays editable. The docs list a background option with transparent, but do not rely on it for banners; render an opaque background and let the theme lay it out. Review the final image for products or claims that differ from what you sell.