An Image swatch uses a small photograph to represent an option. It helps shoppers compare qualities a solid dot cannot show, such as a leather grain, fabric weave or wood finish.
The sample appears in the selector. It does not become artwork placed over the product; use Design for that.
How to set it up
- Create a Swatch palette with named sample images.
- In the template editor, choose Add → Choice → Image swatch and set its Label.
- Link the matching Shopify product option, or add manual values.
- Choose the palette under Swatch palette. Check that the value names resolve to the intended images.
- Choose the swatch shape and review Colour fallback, the Default value and Required settings. Save and Preview.
Frequent uses
Show a photograph of green leather instead of a green dot, let shoppers compare linen and merino textures, or offer several wood finishes.
Use Product views alongside the selector when you also want the full product photo to change with the chosen material or color.
Check before publishing
Review every swatch for missing images and misleading fallbacks. Palette entries match option values by name, ignoring case and surrounding spaces. “Forest green” does not automatically match “Green”.
When the template is assigned to another product, its linked values can change. Make sure the palette covers those new values too.