How to Add a Border to Product Images in Shopify

Adding borders to product images can help highlight key visuals, create a consistent brand aesthetic, and improve the overall design of your Shopify store. Whether you want to do it through code or using Shogun’s drag-and-drop editor, we’ll walk you through both methods step by step.

In this article, you will learn about:

• Why Add Borders to Product Images?
• Use Cases for Borders in Ecommerce
• Adding a Border to Product Images Using Code Changes in the Theme
• Using Shogun to Add a Border to Product Images Without Code

Why Add Borders to Product Images?

For ecommerce merchants, borders are more than just design elements—they are tools to enhance user experience and increase conversions. Some key benefits include:

• Increased visibility: A distinct border around a product image can help it stand out, especially on white or minimalistic backgrounds, ensuring customers don’t overlook important products. Studies show that product images with clear visual contrast can increase engagement by up to 94%.
• Better branding: A consistent border style can strengthen your visual identity and make your store appear more cohesive and professional. According to Lucidpress, consistent brand presentation across platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.
• Improved visual hierarchy: Borders can be used to highlight bestsellers, featured products, or limited-time offers. 
• Boosting perceived value: A well-framed image can give a product a more premium appearance, reinforcing trust and credibility. Consumers are 60% more likely to consider or contact a business with well-presented images.
• Encouraging action: Borders in specific colors (like red for discounts) can subtly nudge customers towards making a purchase. For instance, in a test comparing red and green call-to-action buttons, the red button outperformed the green by 21%.

Experimenting with different border styles and colors can help merchants identify the best-performing design for their audience by using A/B testing tools.

Use Cases for Borders in Ecommerce

While borders are commonly used for product images to enhance visibility and branding, ecommerce merchants can leverage them in strategic ways to improve user experience, boost conversions, and create a more engaging store layout. Below are key scenarios where borders can play a crucial role, along with supporting data and sources.

1. Highlighting Limited-Time Promotions

• Borders can be used to visually separate promotional products from regular listings, making them instantly recognizable to shoppers.
• Best practice: Use red or bold-colored borders for urgency-driven promotions and softer pastels for exclusive offers.

2. Distinguishing Product Variants

• When selling multiple variations of a product (e.g., different colors or materials), borders can help visually group or separate them.
• Example: Nike uses subtle border changes to differentiate sneaker variants, making it easier for customers to select the right option.
• Best practice: Assign borders that match the product’s main color or use contrasting shades to make options clearer.

3. Enhancing Collection Page Readability

• On collection pages, borders can create a structured, grid-like layout that improves product scannability, especially on stores with large catalogs.
• Example: SKIMS’ collection page uses structured spacing and subtle dividers to create a clean grid layout, improving product scannability and enhancing the browsing experience.
• Best practice: Use thin, neutral-colored borders to create separation without overwhelming the design.

4. Creating Interactive Borders for Engagement

• Borders that change color or thickness on hover can increase engagement, encouraging users to explore product details.
• Example: Casper’s product comparison page uses a subtle shadow effect on hover, enhancing engagement by drawing attention to individual products and making them feel more interactive
• Best practice: Apply subtle hover effects, such as color shifts or animated borders, to make browsing more engaging.

5. Seasonal and Thematic Borders

• Ecommerce stores running seasonal campaigns (e.g., Black Friday, Christmas) can use thematic borders to match the campaign’s aesthetic.
• Best practice: Rotate border styles seasonally and test their impact on conversion rates using A/B testing.

Adding a Border to Product Images Using Code Changes in the Theme

If you’re comfortable making small edits to your Shopify theme, you can add a border to product images using CSS. Here’s how:

Step 1: Access Your Shopify Theme Code

• Log in to your Shopify Admin.
• Navigate to Online Store > Themes.
• Click Actions > Edit Code on the theme you want to modify.

Step 2: Locate the Right CSS File

• In the left-hand sidebar, open the Assets folder.
• Locate and open theme.css (or base.css depending on your theme).

Step 3: Add Custom CSS Code

At the bottom of the CSS file, add the following snippet:

.product img {
    border: 2px solid #000 !important;
}

You can customize the border color, width, and radius to match your store’s design.

For those who want a more dynamic look, you can add a hover effect that changes the border color when customers hover over the product image:

.product__media img:hover {
  border-color: #ff6600; /* Adjust hover color */
}

Step 4: Save and Preview

1. Click Save.
2. Navigate to a product page on your store to verify the changes.

Using Shogun to Add a Border to Product Images Without Code

If you prefer a no-code solution, Shogun’s visual editor makes it easy to customize product images with borders while maintaining full control over your store’s design. This method is perfect for merchants who want quick visual adjustments without needing to modify code.

Step 1: Open Your Product Page in Shogun

• Click” Import a page.”
• Log in to your Shopify Admin.
• Navigate to Apps and open Shogun Page Builder.
• Click on “Build or edit a page”, then find and select your product page.

Step 2: Select Your Product Image

• Click on the image element to open the customization panel.
• Look for the Borders settings.

Step 3: Customize the Border

• Toggle on the Border option.
• Adjust the border width, color, and style (solid, dashed, double, etc.).
• Modify border radius for rounded corners.
• Add padding, margin, or shadow effects for a more dynamic look.
• Experiment with different border styles on different product images for variety.

Step 4: Leverage Advanced Features in Shogun

Shogun provides additional customization options that allow for a more refined design:

• Apply hover effects: Make images change border colors or thickness when customers hover over them.
• Adjust spacing: Fine-tune how images align with text and other elements to create a balanced layout.
• Use dynamic borders: Customize border styles seasonally or for promotional offers by using Shogun’s scheduling features.
• Enable animations: Create subtle entrance animations for product images, making them more engaging.
• Use custom styling for mobile devices: Optimize the appearance of product images on different screen sizes.

Step 5: Save and Publish

• Click Save.
• Preview the changes in Shogun.
• Click Publish to make the changes live on your Shopify store.

If you’re looking for a quick, visually driven solution, Shogun offers a flexible and user-friendly alternative to coding, allowing for real-time previews and instant design updates. With Shogun, you can ensure consistency, speed, and ease of use when customizing product image borders.

Advanced Customization: Dynamic Borders and Special Effects

For a more engaging design, consider these advanced techniques that help increase conversions and engagement:

• Borders that change color based on sales or promotions – Use Shopify’s built-in tags to dynamically assign different border colors. For example, discounted products can have a red border, while bestsellers can have a gold outline, immediately grabbing attention.
• Animated borders – Apply CSS animations to make borders subtly pulse or shift colors, directing focus to high-value products.
• Gradient borders – Instead of a single-color outline, use CSS gradient properties to create a multi-tone effect that adds depth and a premium look.
• Shadow and glow effects – Add subtle shadows or glow effects to give images a floating or 3D appearance, making them more visually appealing.
• Borders that disappear on hover – Interactive elements like disappearing borders can create a sleek and modern experience, drawing users into exploring more products.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you experience issues when applying a border, consider these solutions:

• Border isn’t appearing? Ensure the border width and color are set correctly in Shogun. If coding manually, use !important to override conflicting styles.
• Border looks uneven? Adjust the image padding and margins to ensure proper alignment.
• Border affects layout? Test different border-radius values and ensure it doesn’t disrupt surrounding content by adjusting the container’s dimensions.
• Border disappears on mobile? Use Shogun’s device-specific styling to apply borders properly across all screen sizes.
• Border is too thick or thin? Experiment with different widths to achieve the right balance without overwhelming the product image.
• Borders interfere with product images? If borders cover part of the image, reduce padding or adjust image placement to maintain a clean look.