How to Add Variant Image Swatches in Shopify Horizon Theme (Product & Collection Pages)
Horizon is Shopify’s newest free theme, released in 2025, part of the Horizon collection. Along with Atelier, Savor, Fabric (and others like Ritual, Vessel, Heritage, Tinker, Pitch, Dwell), these are all Horizon‐type themes. These themes include built-in version image swatches (for product pages and collection pages) without needing to install any app.
In this post, we’ll show you how to enable image swatches in Horizon themes (including Atelier, Fabric, Savor, etc.) so that your product and collection pages display variant image swatches seamlessly.
How to Enable Variant Image Swatches in Horizon Themes
- Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize in your Shopify admin.
- Open the default product (shown on top) or simply click on any product.
- In the left-hand sidebar, select Product information.
- Locate the Variant picker block.
- Change the style from Dropdowns to Buttons.
- Toggle on Swatches to enable built-in variant image swatches.
- While still in the theme editor, open Theme settings.
- Click on the Swatches section.
- Toggle Use variant images to On.
Now your swatches will display using variant images instead of just plain colors, and you can fully customize them by adjusting the width, height, and borders in the theme editor.
Please make sure to assign images to each variant in the Variants section on the product edit page. If you’ve completed all the steps but your swatches still don’t appear on a fresh Shopify store, the issue might be related to the product’s selected category.
If you’re looking for even more flexibility, such as showing multiple images per variant or advanced customization beyond what Horizon themes offer, you can use our Rubik Variant Images & Swatch app. It works seamlessly with all Shopify themes and gives you full control over variant-specific image galleries, swatches, and product media display. For a detailed guide, check out our blog post on Shopify Multiple Variant Images & Variant Image Swatch Guide (2025).
FAQ
Do Horizon themes support swatches without an app?
Yes. Horizon and its related themes like Atelier, Savor, and Fabric include built-in product page and collection page swatches, so you don’t need to install a third-party app.
How do I enable variant image swatches in Horizon themes?
Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize, select your product, then open Product information > Variant picker, switch style to Buttons, and toggle on Swatches.
Can I show variant images instead of just colors?
Yes. In Theme settings > Swatches, turn on Use variant images, which makes the swatches display actual variant photos.
Why are my swatches not appearing after setup?
Make sure you’ve assigned a main image to each variant in the product editor. If the issue persists on a new Shopify store, check the product’s selected category.
Can I customize the style of my swatches?
Yes. You can adjust width, height, and borders directly in the theme editor to match your store design.
What if I need more advanced variant image features?
You can use Rubik Variant Images & Swatch, which allows assigning multiple images per variant and works with all Shopify themes.
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