Identify the matching target
Decide whether a model should identify an exact item, a product family, or a broad category. A different package size may be an error for exact matching and an acceptable match for family retrieval. Include identifiers and version relationships in the brief so visually similar items do not become accidental label conflicts.
Mix presentation conditions deliberately
Studio photographs, shelf scenes, handheld images, and customer-style photographs answer different questions. Allocate coverage to the conditions expected in use rather than collecting whichever images are easiest to obtain. Record whether packaging, accessories, price labels, and surrounding merchandise are visible. Treat these as useful attributes instead of undocumented variation.
Keep related photographs together
Multiple angles and crops of one item should retain a common source or product relationship. Decide how those relationships affect evaluation splits. Otherwise a new view of the same photographed specimen may appear more independent than it is. Preserve original image identifiers when generating alternate sizes or background treatments for delivery. If category membership changes over time, preserve the relevant catalog version so a correct historical match is not later mistaken for an annotation error.
Check the difficult substitutions
Request examples of neighboring variants, changed packaging, reflective surfaces, and partially hidden labels. Review false matches as carefully as obvious successful matches. A project brief should also state intended commercial uses and the source documentation required for review. A product image appearing publicly does not establish availability for your proposed training project.
Review checklist
- Choose exact-item, family, or category identity.
- Set a mix of studio and in-context images.
- Group related product images for splitting.
- Include visually similar alternatives in the pilot.