diff --git a/backend/inference.py b/backend/inference.py
index 99de817..8f93b20 100644
--- a/backend/inference.py
+++ b/backend/inference.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Cites METADATA-35..115, SETTINGS-30/45/90.
 
 import base64
 import hashlib
+import io
 import json
 import time
 import urllib.error
@@ -13,12 +14,53 @@ from typing import Any
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
+from PIL import Image
 
 from .db import get_connection
 from .crypto import decrypt
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/v1")
 
+# METADATA-35: Call 1 (and Call 2) send clean processed photos at 1024 px long edge or less.
+_INFER_MAX_LONG_EDGE = 1024
+
+
+def fit_long_edge_png(png_bytes: bytes, max_long_edge: int = _INFER_MAX_LONG_EDGE) -> bytes:
+    """Downscale a PNG so max(width, height) <= max_long_edge. Never upscale. Keep alpha.
+
+    Used only for the inference request payload; stored processed_blob / Woo media stay full size.
+    Unreadable or non-image bytes are returned unchanged so a bad blob cannot crash Call 1.
+    """
+    if not png_bytes or max_long_edge < 1:
+        return png_bytes
+    try:
+        im = Image.open(io.BytesIO(png_bytes))
+        im.load()
+    except Exception:
+        return png_bytes
+    w, h = im.size
+    long_edge = max(w, h)
+    if long_edge <= max_long_edge:
+        # Already within budget; re-encode only if we need a stable PNG (caller always base64s).
+        return png_bytes
+    scale = max_long_edge / float(long_edge)
+    nw = max(1, int(round(w * scale)))
+    nh = max(1, int(round(h * scale)))
+    # Preserve alpha: convert palette/etc. to RGBA when needed, LANCZOS downscale.
+    if im.mode not in ("RGB", "RGBA", "L", "LA"):
+        im = im.convert("RGBA")
+    out = im.resize((nw, nh), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+    buf = io.BytesIO()
+    out.save(buf, format="PNG", optimize=True)
+    return buf.getvalue()
+
+
+def _image_part_from_processed(png_bytes: bytes) -> dict:
+    """Build one OpenAI-style image_url part from a processed PNG (METADATA-35 sized)."""
+    fitted = fit_long_edge_png(png_bytes)
+    b64 = base64.b64encode(fitted).decode()
+    return {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": f"data:image/png;base64,{b64}"}}
+
 CALL1_SEED = (
     "Classify the slab's species, wood categories, edge type, and figure from the supplied "
     "photos, choosing ONLY from the supplied synced taxonomy lists (invent no category, term, "
@@ -203,17 +245,12 @@ async def call1(slab_id: str) -> dict:
     client = InferenceClient(base, key, model)
     act = _active_prompt(conn, "call1")
     prompt_text = act[1] if act else CALL1_SEED
-    # Build vision message with processed photos (1024px) + taxonomy lists.
+    # Build vision message with processed photos (METADATA-35: long edge <= 1024) + taxonomy.
     photos = conn.execute(
         "SELECT processed_blob FROM slab_photos WHERE slab_id=? AND processed_blob IS NOT NULL ORDER BY seq LIMIT 8",
         (slab_id,),
     ).fetchall()
-    image_parts = []
-    for p in photos:
-        image_parts.append({
-            "type": "image_url",
-            "image_url": {"url": f"data:image/png;base64,{base64.b64encode(p[0]).decode()}"},
-        })
+    image_parts = [_image_part_from_processed(p[0]) for p in photos]
     tax = _taxonomy_lists(conn)
     text = (f"{prompt_text}\n\nSYNCED TAXONOMY (only legal choices):\n{json.dumps(tax)}\n\n"
             f"SKU={row['sku']} length_in={row['length_in']} thickness_in={row['thickness_in']}")
@@ -359,10 +396,7 @@ async def call2(slab_id: str) -> dict:
         "SELECT processed_blob FROM slab_photos WHERE slab_id=? AND processed_blob IS NOT NULL ORDER BY seq LIMIT 8",
         (slab_id,),
     ).fetchall()
-    image_parts = [
-        {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": f"data:image/png;base64,{base64.b64encode(p[0]).decode()}"}}
-        for p in photos
-    ]
+    image_parts = [_image_part_from_processed(p[0]) for p in photos]
     brand = conn.execute("SELECT value FROM settings WHERE key='brand_voice'").fetchone()
     geo = conn.execute("SELECT value FROM settings WHERE key='geo_context'").fetchone()
     text = (f"{prompt_text}\n\nDIMENSION FACT BLOCK (exact, invent no numbers):\n"
diff --git a/backend/requirements.txt b/backend/requirements.txt
index e1b760c..b10e221 100644
--- a/backend/requirements.txt
+++ b/backend/requirements.txt
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ python-multipart==0.0.9
 pytest==8.3.3
 httpx==0.27.2
 cryptography==43.0.1
+Pillow==11.3.0
 # stdlib only for sqlite3, logging, json, contextvars, threading
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_inference.py b/backend/tests/test_inference.py
index 9e2b2ce..f72c9ce 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_inference.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_inference.py
@@ -126,3 +126,82 @@ def test_test_inference_unconfigured(env):
     r = client.post("/api/v1/admin/test-inference")
     assert r.status_code == 200
     assert r.json()["ok"] is False and r.json()["mode"] == "fail"
+
+
+def _rgba_png(w: int, h: int) -> bytes:
+    """RGBA PNG: opaque body + transparent top-left block (capture-like alpha)."""
+    from PIL import Image
+    import io
+    im = Image.new("RGBA", (w, h), (10, 20, 30, 255))
+    for y in range(min(80, h)):
+        for x in range(min(80, w)):
+            im.putpixel((x, y), (0, 0, 0, 0))
+    buf = io.BytesIO()
+    im.save(buf, format="PNG")
+    return buf.getvalue()
+
+
+def test_fit_long_edge_png_downscales_over_1024():
+    """METADATA-35: Call 1 images long edge <= 1024; never upscale; keep alpha."""
+    from backend.inference import fit_long_edge_png
+    from PIL import Image
+    import io
+
+    src = _rgba_png(800, 1067)  # inventory 3:4, long edge 1067
+    out = fit_long_edge_png(src, max_long_edge=1024)
+    im = Image.open(io.BytesIO(out)).convert("RGBA")
+    assert max(im.size) == 1024
+    assert min(im.size) < 1024
+    w, h = im.size
+    assert abs((w / h) - (800 / 1067)) < 0.02
+    # Transparent block still transparent near origin after downscale
+    assert im.getpixel((0, 0))[3] == 0
+    assert im.getpixel((5, 5))[3] == 0
+
+
+def test_fit_long_edge_png_leaves_small_unchanged_dims():
+    from backend.inference import fit_long_edge_png
+    from PIL import Image
+    import io
+
+    src = _rgba_png(400, 300)
+    out = fit_long_edge_png(src, max_long_edge=1024)
+    im = Image.open(io.BytesIO(out))
+    assert im.size == (400, 300)
+
+
+def test_call1_sends_long_edge_at_most_1024(env, monkeypatch):
+    """METADATA-35 end-to-end: messages to the model use <=1024 long edge."""
+    client, conn = env
+    conn.execute("INSERT OR REPLACE INTO settings(key,value,value_enc) VALUES ('inference_enabled','true',NULL)")
+    conn.execute(
+        "INSERT INTO slabs(id,sku,length_in,thickness_in,status,server_rev,client_rev,created_at,updated_at) "
+        "VALUES ('s1','SLAB-01',100,2,'calibrated',1,1,'t','t')"
+    )
+    big = _rgba_png(800, 1067)
+    conn.execute(
+        "INSERT INTO slab_photos(id,slab_id,seq,processed_blob,created_at) VALUES ('p1','s1',1,?, 't')",
+        (big,),
+    )
+    conn.commit()
+    from backend.inference import InferenceClient
+    from PIL import Image
+    import io
+
+    captured = {}
+
+    def fake_chat(self, messages):
+        captured["messages"] = messages
+        return json.dumps({"species_id": 1, "species_confidence": 0.9})
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(InferenceClient, "chat", fake_chat)
+    r = client.post("/api/v1/slabs/s1/inference/call1")
+    assert r.status_code == 200, r.text
+    content = captured["messages"][0]["content"]
+    imgs = [p for p in content if isinstance(p, dict) and p.get("type") == "image_url"]
+    assert len(imgs) == 1
+    url = imgs[0]["image_url"]["url"]
+    assert url.startswith("data:image/png;base64,")
+    raw = base64.b64decode(url.split(",", 1)[1])
+    im = Image.open(io.BytesIO(raw))
+    assert max(im.size) <= 1024
diff --git a/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md b/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md
index 2d21a89..fd3e6ea 100644
--- a/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md
+++ b/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ The listing is built in two inference calls, both optional. Call 1 (vision) read
 | METADATA-25 | Species, character, length, and free-text thickness are not product attributes. | M3 | — |
 | METADATA-30 | Product tags come from the synced Woo set and are all optional; no hardcoded prefixes, and the bare fig tag is kept. | M3 | — |
 | METADATA-100 | Call 1 free-text observations (character, inclusions, voids, checks) are mapped to existing synced feat-* tags only; WooCommerce is the authority for feat-* definitions. | M3 | — |
-| METADATA-35 | Call 1 runs only when inference is enabled, automatically after a calibrated draft uploads or on demand, and sends the clean processed photos at 1024 px long edge or less plus user metadata and the synced taxonomy. | M3 | — |
+| METADATA-35 | Call 1 runs only when inference is enabled, automatically after a calibrated draft uploads or on demand, and sends the clean processed photos at 1024 px long edge or less plus user metadata and the synced taxonomy. | M3 | backend/tests/test_inference.py |
 | METADATA-40 | Call 1 returns species, wood categories, edge, figure, and feature-tag suggestions constrained to the synced lists, each with confidence. Grade is not suggested by Call 1 (owner judgment). | M3 | — |
 | METADATA-45 | Call 1 confidence at or above the threshold (default 0.7) pre-fills review fields; below it the field stays empty for the owner to fill by hand or re-run Call 1; suggestions are always editable. | M3 | — |
 | METADATA-50 | Typed values always win over inferred values. | M3 | — |