What is Stacking?

Stacking, or image combination, allows users to combine up to 10 images into one "stack" or custom collage images. This can be done through a pre-set template or by manually combining images into one frame.

Who Should Use Stacking?

Online retailers use stacking for a variety of purposes to display their images on both their own eCommerce site as well as marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay. The following are the most common use cases:

Multipacks

When selling a pack of one product, such as socks or underwear, it's common to create the main image which displays all products that are included in the pack. This might be a range of different variants, several of the same variant, or a combination of the two - as in the examples below    

Multi-Variant Listings

This option is historically seen on images used in an online marketplace. Marketplaces usually have their own requirements for stacked images, so it's best practice to double-check the marketplace standards before creating your own.

A multi-variant listing is a listing in which there are multiple versions (colors for example) of the same item for sale on a single product listing. Unlike in a multi-pack listing, the products are for sale individually, but the buyer must choose which one they want to purchase on the listing page.

On marketplaces, there is fierce competition between sellers for buyers' attention. Every time a potential buyer is exposed to one of their listings in search results, by displaying the main image containing every variant available, sellers can increase exposure of their inventory, thereby increasing the chance of a sale.  Sellers also save time and fees compared to creating individual listings for each product variant. 

These competitive conditions normally don't exist on a retailer's own branded website so these kinds of images are rarely used. Multi-variant type images can be unattractive, make websites look inconsistent and a bit chaotic. From a best-practice point of view, they should be avoided outside of marketplaces.

How Do I Access The Stacking Extension?

Stacking can be accessed from the dashboard of your account, in the Extension Store on the menu on the left.

Pixelz charges $1 per stacked image to your order total and is offering the subscription free of charge for 14 days. After the 14-day introductory period, you would pay a $25 per month subscription fee ($19 monthly for annual payment) to keep the stacking feature available in your account.