Technical Requirements for Images and Illustrations

On a basic level images must be in focus, properly colour and contrast balanced and free from blemishes such as lens-flare, colour-fringing, dust-marks, lens smudge marks, jpeg artefacts, excessive noise and so on.

See below for further guidelines on our technical standards.

Size matters! Although we accept image as small as 2400x1600 pixels, please note that this is the minimum image size that we will not automatically reject. Images stand a much better chance of being accepted if they are of higher resolution 6MP (about 3000x2000pixels) or higher is preferred.

Higher resolution images have a much wider range of applications and consequently better chances of being bestsellers, For pictures that are to be reproduced in print for example, a 2MP file can be reproduced in a magazine up to a maximum size of 5.5x4" (about 14x10cm) without loss of quality (at the typical offset print resolution of 300ppi). A 6MP file on the other hand could be printed up to 10x6.5" (about 26x17cm) with no loss of quality and a 12MP file up to 15x9.5" (about 40x24cm)!

Never scale images up beyond the native camera resolution, as interpolated images will be rejected!

Always use the highest resolution setting on your camera, and if shooting JPEG images (rather than RAW) use the highest quality (least compression or 'fine' quality). The more compressed an image is, the more of the data captured by the sensor is being lost when the file is processed and saved to the memory card.

Note that the JPEG format is a 'lossy' compression format, meaning that every time you open, adjust and re-save a JPEG, a bit more detail gets lost, gradually degrading the quality and detail resolution of the image. If you are planning to open and adjust an image more than once, save it in an uncompressed file format such as TIFF while working on the image and save a copy of your final file in JPEG format at the highest quality setting.

We will have to reject images where the quality has been visibly degraded through excessive JPEG compression.

Scaling up (interpolating) images to a higher resolution than the original capture resolution is no substitute for using a high resolution when capturing images. We do not recommend scaling up images in post production since this does nothing to improve image quality and detail resolution.

We also have a commitment to our potential customers here: if we have an image for sale at a resolution that seems to suggest that it was taken with a 16MP digital camera, this is the quality the customer expects to find in the downloaded file. He/she will most likely be very unhappy if the photo was actually captured on a 4MP compact and scaled up afterwards.

For this reason we will reject images that have been interpolated or that otherwise don't have the resolution and detail that you would expect from the file size. We recommend submitting images at the highest resolution your digital camera is capable of - nothing less and nothing more.

All submitted images must have the correct rotation. In other words they should appear the right way around, with what is up in the image facing up on screen. If you organise your photos with an application that rotates the previews of your photos without altering the original, you might have to rotate vertical format photos prior to submission.

We cannot accept any photos that have a date imprinted on the image. We will also reject images that have had titles or captions added in the actual image area, unless the words are an integral part of your photo/illustration/design.

We prefer images to be full frame without any kind of frame, border or other decorative elements added. 99% of the time our customers will want to use images that are full-frame without any added borders. In practical terms, borders take up valuable space in the image preview, making it harder for potential customers to assess the quality and composition of the actual image.

If a border is an integral part of your composition, for example the rough negative edges of a hand-printed black & white photo, you may include it.

Sometimes creative post-processing and retouching can result in a stronger image or a different image altogether. We will accept any strong, creative image of good technical quality, but note that images that are poorly retouched or have visibly marks from unsuccessful manipulation, will be rejected.

Only use 'creative' filters and effects if they really add something to your image – not to 'rescue' an otherwise bland photo.

Megapixel count is not everything – the images from a 8MP pocket compact camera cannot rival the quality of an 8MP or even 6MP SLR in terms of detail and resolution. Buy the best quality equipment that you can afford – we recommend using a digital SLR with a good quality lens.

We do accept scanned images, and the same quality guidelines count for these as for images captured on a digital camera.
Note that many consumer scanners are of too low quality to produce high quality scans, particularly if you are scanning from negatives or slides. A dedicated film scanner will always produce better results than a flatbed scanner with a transparency adapter, even if the resolution is identical 'on paper'.

Look out for the scanner's 'D-max', or optical density in the technical specifications, this indicates a scanner's ability to capture details in the shadow areas of a transparency or negative. The higher the D-max – preferably 3.8 or higher – the more detail and depth you will get in you scans.

Scan at the highest physical resolution available on your scanner (unless you own a scanner capable of very high resolutions). Do not use higher 'interpolated' resolutions – they are beyond the actual detail that your scanner is capable of capturing.

A resolution of between 2000 and 4000ppi would be suitable for a 35mm slide or negative. Zoom in on your scans and check them carefully for scratches and dustmarks. It is very hard to scan slides and negatives without getting any dustmarks. Use a dust-removal setting such as digital ICE if your scanner has one.

Vector art can be submitted either in EPS or AI (Adobe Illustrator) format.

We recommend saving your artwork in Illustrator 8 format to maximise compatibility. EPS files shold be compressed in a zip archive before uploading. As with photographs, we check all submitted vector images to ensure that they are of good technical quality.

Please make sure there are no bitmap elements (jpegs, tiffs, psd etc) in your vector files before uploading. Only true vector artwork, where all elements are scalable and editable, should be submitted as vector illustrations, Bitmap illustrations can be uploaded in jpeg format like regular photos.

Vector art comes in a range of formats that offer a variety of features not found in jpeg files, so they are not as cross-compatible as jpeg files. we therefore strongly recommend that you add an informative description of your artwork in the 'description' field when uploading the file. This could be anything that is not apparent from the low resolution preview and that can make it easier for potential customers to judge if your artwork is suitable for their needs.

An example description could be something like this: 'Vector art in Adobe illustrator EPS format, compressed in a zip file. The different graphics are all on separate layers so they can easily be moved or edited individually. The text has been converted to paths, so no fonts are required. The document is set up at A4 size, but can be scaled to any size without loss of quality.' Please note that this is only an example of the what you could write, so obviously don't copy this information if it is not correct for your file!

For vector art, you also need to create a preview image in jpeg format from your file and upload this together with your illustration. The minimum size of this preview is 350x350px, but you can make your illustration available for download in different jpeg sizes, as well as in vector format, by uploading a larger jpeg:

• If your attached jpeg is 1600x2400px or larger, your illustration can also be downloaded as a SMALL jpeg.
• If it is 2000x3000 or larger, your illustration will be available in SMALL and MEDIUM sizes.
• Make your jpeg 3000x4000px or larger, and the image will be available in SMALL, MEDIUM and XL sizes.
• The maximum size of the attached jpeg is 18 megapixels, or 5000x3600 pixels.