The product image requirements
Printed, sewn, laser-etched, or engraved. Not stickers. This is where applications die.
You can have a perfect trademark and still fail Brand Registry on a photograph. Amazon requires visual proof that the brand is permanently part of the product — and it has a specific, published definition of “permanently” that rules out the cheapest and most common way sellers brand their goods.
Amazon’s three image requirements
1. It must be a real photograph
Amazon: it “does not consider a mock-up or digitally altered image of the product or product packaging (e.g., the brand name or logo photoshopped on the product or packaging) as valid proof of intellectual property ownership… If an application contains altered images, it will be rejected.” Stock images and computer-generated mockups are named as unacceptable too.
This trips up pre-launch sellers constantly. If your product exists only as a supplier render, you do not yet have what Brand Registry requires. Get physical samples photographed.
2. It must be clear, and it must match
The image cannot be blurry, the brand name must be easily readable, and it must match the trademark name on your application — Amazon says this includes the preferred form of capitalization. Amazon is explicit about the consequence: “If the brand name in your application does not match the branding on your product or product packaging, the application will be rejected.”
3. It must be permanently affixed
Amazon’s definition, verbatim: “Permanently affixed brand names are typically added during production and can be printed, sewn, laser-etched, or engraved onto items. Stickers, labels, hung tags, or stamps are not considered permanently affixed since they can be easily added or removed after production.”
What passes and what fails
| Method | Amazon’s treatment |
|---|---|
| Printed directly onto the product | Accepted — named in Amazon’s definition |
| Sewn-in label | Accepted — and required for apparel |
| Laser-etched | Accepted — named in Amazon’s definition |
| Engraved | Accepted — named in Amazon’s definition |
| Printed directly onto the packaging | Accepted — Amazon’s stated route for products that cannot be branded themselves |
| Sticker on the product or box | Rejected — explicitly listed as not permanently affixed |
| Hang tag | Rejected — explicitly listed |
| Adhesive label | Rejected — explicitly listed |
| Stamp | Rejected — explicitly listed |
| Photoshopped or rendered mockup | Rejected — Amazon says altered images get the application rejected |
| Stock photography | Rejected — explicitly listed |
The category rules most guides miss
Apparel is stricter than everything else
Amazon: “For apparel, all brand names and logos must be either sewn-in labels or laser-printed on the garment’s interior. Visible branding on the exterior of the garment or tags with the brand name are not sufficient.”
Read that twice if you sell clothing. A large screen-printed logo across the chest of a t-shirt — the most obvious possible branding — does not satisfy this requirement. Amazon wants the interior neck label. If you are having garments produced, specify sewn-in labels at the factory; retrofitting them later is expensive and slow.
Products that cannot carry a mark
Amazon names the exception: “Certain products such as furniture, jewelry, soft toys, wigs, and handmade items might not have permanently affixed brand names. In these cases, the product’s packaging must have a brand name that is permanently affixed.” Note that the packaging is then held to the same standard — printed on, not stickered.
Products where branding is part of the object
Amazon notes that “other products, like phone cases or clothing, can have branding included as part of the products themselves.”
File specifications
At least one product image is required. Accepted formats are .jpg, .png, and .gif, up to 5 MB. Practically: shoot in good light, get close enough that the branding is legible at a glance, and submit more than the minimum if any single shot is ambiguous.
What to do if your product is already made and stickered
You have three honest options, and none of them is a trick to get past the reviewer:
- Rebrand the packaging on your next production run — printed cartons or printed poly bags satisfy the rule and usually cost very little at volume.
- Add a printed insert or printed box for existing inventory, if your supplier can turn it around.
- Wait and enroll after the next run. Meanwhile, keep the trademark application moving — that is the long pole anyway, and the one thing you cannot compress.
What you should not do is submit an edited image. Amazon says altered images get the application rejected, and a rejection on those grounds is a worse starting position than a delay.
Get the trademark right while you fix the packaging
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Sources. Everything on this page about Amazon’s program comes from Amazon’s own published documentation: Amazon Brand Registry program page and FAQ, Requirements and tips for enrolling a brand in Amazon Brand Registry, What is Amazon Brand Registry? How does it work?, Amazon Brand Registry Application Guide (rev. March 2025). Verified July 2026. Amazon revises its program terms without notice — check Amazon’s pages for current requirements before you rely on any detail here. MARQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon. This page is general information about U.S. trademark law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship.
Product image questions
What does “permanently affixed” mean for Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon states that permanently affixed brand names are typically added during production and can be printed, sewn, laser-etched, or engraved onto items. Stickers, labels, hung tags, and stamps are explicitly not considered permanently affixed, because they can be added or removed after production.
Can I use a sticker or hang tag for Brand Registry?
No. Amazon lists stickers, labels, hung tags, and stamps as not permanently affixed, on the product or on the packaging. An application relying on them is liable to be rejected.
Does Amazon accept mockups or stock photos for Brand Registry?
No. Amazon states it does not consider a mock-up or digitally altered image — for example a brand name photoshopped onto the product or packaging — as valid proof of ownership, and that applications containing altered images will be rejected. Stock images and computer-generated mockups are also not accepted.
What are the Brand Registry image rules for clothing?
Amazon states that for apparel, all brand names and logos must be either sewn-in labels or laser-printed on the garment’s interior, and that visible branding on the exterior of the garment, or tags carrying the brand name, are not sufficient.
What if my product cannot have the brand printed on it?
Amazon addresses this directly. For products such as furniture, jewelry, soft toys, wigs, and handmade items that might not have permanently affixed brand names, Amazon requires the product’s packaging to carry a permanently affixed brand name instead.