Frequently Asked Questions
What is the turnaround time for most orders?
Can I have my images in more than one format?
How long do you keep images after an order has been completed?
Can I request additional DVD copies of an order?
Why do my images look different to the negatives?
What images have the most chance of selling on libraries?
What is the turnaround time for most orders?
For most orders around 20 to 80 images, we usually anticipate a trunaround time of 5 working days. This can differ depending on our current workloads however. Please email us if you require a more definative timescale.
Can I have my images in more than one format?
Yes, we can supply as many formats as you need. We supply TIFF images by default but can also offer and other format if requested. Only TIFF and JPEG files are commonly used however.
How long do you keep images after an order has been completed?
We typically keep images for 3 months. This enables us to provide additional copies of the image should there be a problem with delivery or in the unlikely event that an image has been provided with defects.
We can store your images on a permanent basis should you require us to. We charge a fee for this service depending on the amount of images you would like stored. Please contact us if you are interested.
Can I request additional DVD copies of an order?
Yes, we can supply two copies for you initial order and additional DVD’s at a later date should you need them. We may request a small charge to cover the cost of delivery and the media depending on the number requested.
Why do my images look different to the negatives?
This could be for a number of reasons. Firstly, no two computers display an image exactly the same way. A combination of different monitors, graphics cards and display settings mean its impossible for any image to be the same across all systems.
The majority of users looking for stock photography use Apple Mac systems which have usually have a very high quality display. Apple Mac’s are generally used for print and design work. We edit images to match the Adobe Gamma settings where possible to ensure that the image is the right contrast.
If the image is very off then it could be that your display is not configured properly. Check with your monitor’s manual on how to optimise the display. There is also a great deal of software available which can help you calibrate the display and obtain the best midtones and contrast. While we won’t promote any software or hardware a search for ‘monitor calibration’ on google will produce many results.
How do I caption my images?
Virtually all image libraries allow you to caption your images on their website once uploaded. However, this means copying the keywords for every library you submit to.
It is possible to embed captions and description directly into an image. This is referred to as IPTC data. Image libraries will automatically extract this information once uploaded. Almost all image editing software will have the ability to caption images (apart from low end applications such as Windows Paint).
If you do not have any software capable to performing this task there are many available, some of which are free to download and use. Try ‘image captioning software’ via google to review such products.
What images have the most chance of selling on libraries?
This is not a question that anyone can really answer, however you can get a better idea of what the competition is like by searching for similar images online. Search the image library you are submitting to and see which images have been downloaded the most (only some libraries will let you see the number of downloads).
There is now a huge amount of images available for customers to purchase so you need to ensure that your images are of a high quality. This means that you can envisage someone wanting to purchase an image for use with an article or page design. Would an image make a nice website header for instance?
There is no fast answer to which images sell the best. Try to concentrate on the images you know customers like and see how these sell online.