Shopify Magic edits at 1 megapixel: when to generate larger
Shopify media generation defaults to about 1 megapixel, resizing inputs to fit. Sume's Image API accepts custom sizes up to 3840 px and 8,294,400 pixels.
Shopify's media generation works at a default of 1 megapixel by aspect ratio: larger images are downscaled and smaller ones upscaled. That is fine for a thumbnail and tight for a large hero slot. If you need more pixels, generate larger outside Shopify. Sume's Image API accepts custom pixel sizes up to a 3840 px edge and 8,294,400 total pixels, which is about 8.3 times the Shopify default.
The numbers
Shopify limits come from two help pages. Sume limits come from the Image API docs.
| Limit | Shopify | Sume Image API |
|---|---|---|
| Generation default | 1 megapixel by aspect ratio (larger downscaled, smaller upscaled) | Chosen by image_size: named preset, auto or custom pixels |
| Custom edges | Not applicable | Both edges multiples of 16, max edge 3840 |
| Aspect limit | Upload aspect between 100:1 and 1:100 | At most 3:1 |
| Pixel range | Upload up to 25 MP | 655,360 to 8,294,400 pixels |
| File size | Upload 20 MB | Not stated in the docs I read |
| Formats | JPEG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, GIF | png, jpeg or webp in the catalog example |
Checking a Sume size
3840x2160 is 8,294,400 pixels (3840 x 2160), exactly the top of Sume's range, and both edges are multiples of 16 (240 x 16 and 135 x 16). A 1024x640 image is 655,360 pixels, exactly the bottom. A 2048x2048 image is 4,194,304 pixels, which is within range and also inside Shopify's 25 MP upload cap.
Shopify's keeps-original-format and PNG-for-transparency notes matter if you edit in Shopify afterward. Transparency needs PNG there.
When to go larger
Generate at higher size when the image will fill a wide hero slot, be cropped heavily, or be zoomed. Generate at the Shopify default when the image is a small tile; extra pixels would be downscaled anyway.
Costs depend on the model, and larger output may cost more. Read per-endpoint pricing from /v1/images/models/{model_id}/endpoints rather than guessing. Then upload the result as a file, keeping it below Shopify's 20 MB and 25 MP upload caps.
Sources
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