Product Attributes and Categories

Hello,

I sell prints that you can buy as a poster or canvas in my store. I have created different variations for each product that consist of the type and many different sizes. But I have run into a bit of a problem when I categorize it.

So say, from my home page, I hover over my shop and click the canvases, I get to my shop and shows me all the products, and since my made product image is a canvas, that’s all good.

Bus say I click the posters category, that category still shows that same canvas. Now it’s still the same product, so this makes sense.

My question is, is there a way to add categories to specific variations, not the entire product?

My goal is to have it so that when people click on the posters category, the shop shows the product photo for the posters, and when you click on a product, the drop-down already has posters selected. Same for if someone did that for the canvases.

For example art.com has this. If you hover over “best sellers” then click “canvas art” it shows the canvases. But if you instead hover over “best sellers” and click “giclee prints” it shows the same products except the poster variation, not the canvas. Also in either scenario, if you actually click on a product it still gives you the option to choose between a canvas or a print. So it’s still the same product the only difference is what variation shows up when you click on the category.

Is there any setting in WooCommerce that would allow me to do this or is this WordPress issue? I would really appreciate any sort of guidance!

Thank you!!