Last week we ran into a major issue with our Amazon account following the ongoing Amazon Handmade reclassification.

I fully understand Amazon’s image requirements and why white backgrounds are enforced in general. However, in certain edge cases, particularly within Handmade, there really needs to be some flexibility or an alternative solution.

We have been selling on Amazon Handmade for over 5 years without issue. Suddenly, all ~500 of our listings were hit with search suppression at once. This coincided with the Handmade reclassification from legacy “GUILD” product types to standard product types.

This has effectively wiped out all of our Amazon sales overnight.

We are a very small, family-run Handmade business (just two of us) specialising in engraved glassware (wine glasses, tumblers, gin glasses, etc.). Our products are engraved to order and photographed in-house.

The core problem, white backgrounds do not work for our products

All of our product images are photographed on a black background. This is not an aesthetic choice, it is a practical necessity.

Engraved glassware relies on contrast. On a white or light background:

• The engraving becomes extremely difficult to see

• The glass edges blend into the background

• The product looks flat and unclear

• In many cases, the engraving is almost invisible

We have tested this extensively, including physically re-engraving glasses and re-shooting on lighter backgrounds. The results are objectively worse and misrepresent the product.

Background removal is not a viable solution either

I am very technically capable and have invested significant time into trying to remove backgrounds using professional tools and AI segmentation.

While background removal technically “works”, it introduces new issues:

• Dark internal reflections from the original black background remain inside the glass

• The glass appears partially transparent or greyed out on white

• The product can look tinted or even black, which is misleading

• The final images look unnatural and low quality

On a white Amazon background, these images perform noticeably worse and risk confusing customers.

Inconsistent enforcement across Amazon

After researching similar products, I can see many engraved glassware listings:

• Selling successfully

• With Prime

• With high review counts

• Using dark or black backgrounds

These listings appear to remain unaffected, which makes it feel as though exceptions or grandfathering may exist for certain sellers or product types.

Our questions

Given the Handmade reclassification that is currently in progress:

• Is the recent account-wide search suppression a direct side effect of the Handmade reclassification process, rather than a new standalone enforcement?

• Are there any documented exceptions, alternative image treatments, or manual reviews available for products where a white background fundamentally misrepresents the item?

• How are other engraved glassware, and other sellers still using dark backgrounds without suppression?

• Is there a recommended path for Handmade sellers whose products rely on contrast to be accurately displayed?

We are not trying to avoid compliance. We simply want to represent our products accurately and fairly, without destroying years of work and reviews overnight.

Any insight from Amazon or experienced Handmade sellers would be hugely appreciated.