Image link attributes

The image link attribute stores the images that are used for item definition.

The product and item images are important for businesses that operate eCommerce sites. Images enrich the client experience and helps clients to make a purchasing decision. For other applications such as the Product Master Server system, the images are used for reference purposes. Different media such as print and Web have specific requirements for images that limit the color, size, resolution, and type of image.

Images are required by the retailers with an eCommerce or Print catalog system that consumes data from a Product Master Server system. The business requirements for images include:
Rule definition
Rule definition involves size, color, resolution, and compression.
Creation
Image creation involves source image capture (high resolution).
Derivative generation
Derivative generation involves creation of images by transformation rules on the source image.
Image association
Image association involves assigning images to the products.

You must have business processes for generating images. For example, you must capture the image using high resolution. An image server (such as Adobe graphics server) processes this to generate multiple images based on the defined set of business rules. Store the images in the image repository and notify the location of the generated images along with the metadata to the imaging team. When the images are ready, the Creative team accesses the images from the Product Master Server system and creates an association among the images.

For data modeling perspective, you need to ensure that each item contains a multi-occurrence of images with the following item-image attributes:
Image type
This attribute might be swatch, primary, alternate, room view, or other types.
Image URL
This attribute is a reference to image location in repository. Preferably thumbnail image that will fit within the IBM® Product Master interface.

Best practices

You need a business process for generating images. For example:
  • Capturing the image using high resolution.
  • Using an image server to process the images.
  • Storing the images in the image repository.
  • Notifying the location of the generated images along with the metadata to the imaging team.
  • Accessing the images from the Product Master Server system.
  • Creating an association among the images.