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How do I upload images to my gallery? What are the basics I need to know about creating print ready images? My largest, highest quality file returns an error when I try to upload it to my Imagekind galleries. Why, and what can I do? Will my copyrighted images be safe? What is the difference between a public, private, and locked gallery? What is the difference between a Free, Pro and Platinum Account? Will all of the images in my Gallery be in the public Member Art marketplace? What are best practices for adding subjects, genres, mediums, and tags to my images and/or galleries? What do I need to know about image tags? What type of file formats can I upload to my gallery? Are there file size limitations for uploading? Can I upload multiple images at a time? What is a print-ready image? What size can I make my prints? What options do I have with borders? Can you tell me more about image resolution? Why have my images not shown up in my gallery? Why are some of my print sizes greyed-out and unavailable? What color profiles do you use? Can I proof my images? Can I send in original art? How do I make digital files of my original (non-digital) artwork? Do I lose ownership of my images when I upload them to Imagekind? What is acceptable content? How do I determine if my images need an "Adult" rating? What can you tell me about Copyrights & Trademarks? Having trouble uploading images? My Portfolio: What is a selection? How do I reorder images within a gallery? How do I move images to another gallery? How do I delete images? How do I edit an image individually? How do I add tags to multiple images? How do I remove tags from multiple images? What does "Set Defaults" mean? What happens when I clear selection? How do I add subjects to my images? How do I remove subjects from my images? How do I add medium, genre and décor information to my images? How do I return to the "My Galleries" page with "My Portfolio"? How to I add or remove a watermark?

How do I upload images to my gallery?

First, Sign In to your Imagekind account. Click on the "My Portfolio" tab.You can either click on the "Upload Images" button. this will take you to the upload page. (You'll need at least one gallery to upload images.) You can choose the gallery where you want to place your image(s) or you can create a new gallery. Click to drag images or click on the upload box to open your computer's directory. Once images are selected, or dropped into the upload box, uploading will automatically begin. Once the images have finished uploading, you'll see a green check mark on each image thumbnail.

Multiple uploads can be done at once, the exact number depends on the size of the individual files.

*Errors do occasionally occur, please retry uploading if you receive an error, making sure your internet connection is secure and that you are logged in to your account (login sessions can sometimes timeout).

What are the basics I need to know about creating print ready images?

To learn the basics about uploading to Imagekind and the file types we recommend please click the link below:

http://www.imagekind.com/printing.aspx

My largest, highest quality file returns an error when I try to upload it to my Imagekind galleries. Why, and what can I do?

Very large files are much more susceptible to errors. When transferring large files, there is more opportunity for time-outs and errors. Files over 500MB will fail very regularly, and can also cause other files being uploaded at the same time to fail.

Some artists are concerned that if they cannot upload extremely large files, that their images will not be clear and crisp at the larger sizes. If your image is 10,000 pixels on its largest size, it will still print a 40"x60" image at a resolution of 166.66ppi. A resolution of 166ppi on a large piece still looks clear, sharp, and terrific! Our minimum resolution for printing is 100ppi. Even when examined close up, this printing resolution is very good for large prints.

You can try changing the file to a high quality JPEG file to shrink the file size. We recommend this, as the file transfer will be much faster with no file quality issues. After you have finished all of your editing work on your image, save a 2nd copy of your image has a Highest Quality JPEG (in Photoshop, this would be Maximum size 12) with minimum compression. Since we never edit or change the files you upload, you will not see any degradation of the images by saving them this way. For more information on preparing your files to print, please see our Printing Basics page HERE.

NOTE: PNG files that are 16bit or 32bit will not upload properly. Please have your PNG files as 8bit, or use a different file type to save and transfer your files.

*We do not recommend 16 bit TIFF files or RGB file format

Will my copyrighted images be safe?

Your artwork is safe and secure on our website.

Customers, shoppers, and other members have no access to your original high-resolution files. No one can re-purpose or otherwise re-distribute your digital images/files. When you upload a print-ready file, it is immediately converted into a low-res preview and the original is archived to our servers for print-on-demand (only) here in our shop.

Only Imagekind staff has access to your copyrighted property, digital assets, etc. The only way your images leave our shop is as a purchased print (framed or unframed) on fine art paper or canvas. From that point on, all basic copyright laws apply, just the same as if someone were to buy your prints and walk out the door of a "brick and mortar" gallery or print shop.

What is the difference between a public, private, and locked gallery?

By default, Imagekind galleries are set to Public. Your gallery will be publicly searchable in the database of Member Art. This means that any Imagekind user will be able to view, search, and purchase your art. Your images will be immediately available for viewing in your account after you have uploaded them.

With a private gallery, you and anyone will be able access your gallery directly through your unique URL http://yourscreenname.imagekind.com/galleryname, but your gallery and images within it will not be included in the publicly searchable Imagekind marketplace. This allows you to upload, set-prices, configure default frames, and write descriptions and tag your images prior to them being offered for sale in the Imagekind marketplace. Once your gallery is configured as you wish, you can change it to a public gallery.

You may also choose to lock your gallery with a password to completely control access. Users will only be able to access this gallery if they have the exact URL and are given the password you have selected. There are many reasons why you might set up a locked gallery. This is ideal for families who want to share art amongst themselves but don't necessarily want to offer it for sale.

To change the privacy settings of your gallery, sign in and go to My Account, then to the gallery you want to set to private. There is a link under the gallery name where you can change the settings.

What is the difference between a Free, Pro and Platinum Account?

All Imagekind Accounts provide users with the same quality selection of museum quality frames & mats and print-on-demand services.

All Imagekind accounts include the option to submit galleries to be included in the publicly searchable database for all users to view and buy. All accounts also allow members to set and earn commissions on prints sold through their Imagekind gallery.

With any Imagekind account you can also earn a 5% framing commission with a free membership, 10% framing commission with a pro membership, and 15% framing commission with a platinum membership. This means that you'll make money on the framing, matting and glass services anytime someone purchases a custom framed piece of your art!

An Imagekind Free Account provides you three galleries where you can have unlimited* uploads, 10 tags to classify your work, two groups, and two categorization options (ie: subjects, genres, etc).

A Pro Account includes up to 100 galleries where you can upload an unlimited* number of images. You are allowed 50 tags to classify your work, create up to 10 groups, and has 4 categorization options.

A Platinum Account includes up to 250 galleries where you can have an unlimited* number of images. You are allowed 100 tags to classify your work, create an unlimited number of groups, and you have 8 categorization options.

Pro and Platinum accounts also give members advanced sales reporting, such as what size image was purchased, on what material, and where it was sent. In addition to having more room for image tags, and have more categories in which to organize your work, Pro and Platinum members also have priority placement in search results and eligibility as featured members. Premium memberships now come with customizable storefronts where you have control over how to display your art.

These accounts are perfect for commercial photographers, illustrators, digital artists, painters, "brick and mortar" gallery owners, and anyone seeking additional sales channels to market their creative works. Imagekind helps expand the reach of your art to the whole world.

* Imagekind reserves the right to limit and/or terminate memberships that abuse the system with excessive uploads.

Will all of the images in my Gallery be in the public Member Art marketplace?

Generally, yes. However, all images are subject to Imagekind's approval. If the image in question fails to meet our content guidelines, Imagekind has sole discretion to remove the item, make the gallery private, or ask you to rate it R.

What are best practices for adding subjects, genres, mediums, and tags to my images and/or galleries?

This information is how your search engines (both our internal search engine and outside search) find your work! It is vitally important the all the information is entered for each image, and JUST AS IMPORTANT, that the information is an accurate representation of the content.

When deciding what information to include for an image, It's important to think about this from the shopper's perspective. Does the information you are providing most accurately reflect your imagery. Will your image appear in or out of place, with the imagery other artists are providing under this category?

Subject:
Determine what the primary subject and/or theme is for each images, and focus on those main aspects. If a horse is depicted with a sunflower in it's mane, then "floral", "botanical", and "still life" would not be appropriate subjects.

Tags:
You have a bit more leeway with tags than subjects. You can include more terms so customers can better find the kind of imagery they are searching for. For instance "field" and "horse" would be appropriate for a customer looking for an image for horses in a field and would provide a stellar shopping experience. However, if the image is a photograph, and the tag entered is "watercolor," "pastels," or "oil painting," these would also not be appropriate tags.

Medium:
Please look through all of the mediums and sub-mediums before making a choice. for instance, "Digital" Medium refers to digitally made art, art made on a computer. "Digital photography" is under Medium, "Photography" and Sub-Medium, "Digital"

Genre:
Please refer to this list https://www.imagekind.com/faq.aspx?CID=8#FAQ_168 for accurate descriptions. While all art, on some level, may be "decorative," it is again, important to consider when the customer selects, "Decorative" does your image *best* fit into this genre? Would the customer expect to see this type of image, in this categorization?

Descriptions:
It's important to describe the artwork itself for customer who are looking for more information about the subject, technique, or other relevant information. Information entered that does not pertain to the image, would not be considered relevant. Gallery Description and Profile information can be used to expound on the artist statement, theory, or other information related to the larger body of work the artist is presenting.

It's also important to note that more tags and subjects, are not necessarily better or more helpful. To reiterate, once again, think about what terms the customer would be using to search or browse to find an image similar to yours.

Please note: If we find that inaccurate or inappropriate terms are being used, we may, at our discretion, take action to remove the irrelevant information from images, or remove the image itself.

What do I need to know about image tags?

Tags are keywords that to help shoppers find your work.
When adding tags to your images, think like a shopper! What words REALLY describe your work? Use real words that will be the best magnets to your art. Does it use a lot of blue? Maybe consider simply using "blue" as one of the tags. Remember, the more descriptive words you use the more options you are giving a shopper to discover your work. If you use a word that someone else is NEVER likely to enter in a search box, then you're not helping shoppers find you. Using hyphens in your tags? Think twice! Would a shopper use a hyphen the same way you do? Also, only use single words unless you think two word tags are required (for example "New York").

What type of file formats can I upload to my gallery?

Imagekind accepts JPEG, PNG, and TIFF formats for online upload to galleries.

Are there file size limitations for uploading?

For our web-based uploader our file limitation is 500MB. This will produce great prints at any size that we offer. Also, images should be 8 bit.

Can I upload multiple images at a time?

Yes, on newer browsers our website uploader can take multiple images at the same time. If you see the browse button and are only able to upload 1 image at a time, this is likely because of an outdated browser. If you are able to upgrade the browser on your system to the most current version, you should be able to access the new version of the uploader.

What is a print-ready image?

Print-ready images of fine art are typically professionally photographed or drum scanned, cropped and color corrected. Print-ready images are also in focus and free from artifacts which may only show up at extreme magnification. Print-ready works can also be high resolution photographs, digital illustration and vector art.

Imagekind is different than a photo sharing site or online artists' profiles site. We are selling fine art reproductions of your work and we want your customers to receive the highest quality prints available. We can only do this if you upload the largest quality file possible. For more in depth information on preparing your files, please click here.

What size can I make my prints?

When you upload an image, we use predetermined image size and quality rules in determining what the maximum allowable print size for your image. Maximum print size is primarily determined by the pixel dimensions and quality of the image to be printed. The images you upload will not be printed at a resolution any less than 100ppi (pixels per inch). These rules, applied at the time of upload, activate or deactivate the available print sizes which are displayed to consumers and in your gallery admin.

For example, if you attempt to upload a 600 x 800 pixel image (thumbnail size), at a minimum resolution of 100 pixels per inch, this would only render a 6" x 8" print and our upload client would tell you that the image is too small. In contrast, if you upload a 4400 x 6000 pixel original or larger, depending on the resolution quality (artifact free, in-focus, etc.), we would be able to print it in all of our available sizes from 44" x 60" right down to 8" x 10" and all of the print sizes would be active and available.

Ultimately, we recommend uploading the largest file (in pixel dimensions) which you have available, up to 10,000x10,000 pixels. This will allow us to offer your image in as many print sizes as possible. For more in-depth information on preparing your files, please click here

What options do I have with borders?

All fine art prints are trimmed to include a 1/4" border. You may request prints be borderless or "trimmed for full bleed" in the Special Instructions in the Checkout process.

If you want a wider border than 1/4", the border needs to be included in the image file prior to uploading. We don't add or edit borders of artist image files so please make sure the size of the border is accurate at the print size you are ordering.

*Please be advised: Adding borders to a rectangular image may change the aspect ratio of the image and it's important to take this into consideration when adding borders to images.

Can you tell me more about image resolution?

The resolution of your file is how much digital information is present in 1" (one inch) of your image at your print size. Digital images are measured in pixels, so the image resolution of an image is measured in PPI - "pixels per inch." As the number of pixels per inch decreases, so does the sharpness, detail, and overall quality of your picture. For this reason, we have set our minimum printable resolution at 100ppi. Our system is set up to not allow any image size that will print below 100ppi to be available for purchase.

Sometimes the term PPI is confused with DPI. DPI stands for "dots per inch," and refers to how many drops of ink are present in one square inch of your printed image. Imagekind prints at 1400dpi, so your images always look great.

For more information on output resolution, please click here.

Why have my images not shown up in my gallery?

You should see your images below the upload tool in your gallery admin shortly after the upload process has completed resizing your images for thumbnails. If you do not see them, errors may have occurred including lost connections, corruption of data during the transfer of very large file uploads, files that are less than 800 x 800 pixels which are too small to render fine art prints (in this case you should see the error message - "file too small") or files that have some other complication.

Occasionally, we have seen members mistakenly upload images into the "Create" process and not into their own gallery. So, make certain you are actually logged-in and using the upload client from within your gallery admin. Also, if you are not seeing your images in the public search, you may have your gallery set to private. Once you gallery is public you still may not see some of your images in the public marketplace. If your images are tagged as "adult" their display will be limited to only Imagekind members who have chosen to view adult images.

If you suspect an upload failure, give it another try. If you have repeated upload troubles, make a note of any error messages you see (capturing a screen shot is best) and contact us at care@imagekind.com.

If your files are "too small," we suggest reading here.

Why are some of my print sizes greyed-out and unavailable?

When you upload your images, you may see some sizes are not available for purchase. If you do not see a size available, then our system has determined that your file is not large enough to render a good quality print at that size.

To trigger all the print sizes that Imagekind has to offer, you may want to invest in having your artwork professionally photographed or scanned. For a list of digital capture vendors, please click here.

What color profiles do you use?

Imagekind utilizes a fully color managed environment. This means that all of our output devices -including monitors, printers, and print media, are properly calibrated and profiled. If you embed an ICC profile into your images, then we will be able to accurately reproduce your images, true to the original file's color. Whether you work in the sRGB color space or AdobeRGB(1998), just be sure that your file includes that information.

Can I proof my images?

We are happy to proof any image of yours at the base price. See our base price list.

Just login to your account, go to the public view of your gallery/images and you can purchase your work. As long as you are logged-in, the base prices of the prints will be displayed. Add them to your shopping cart. We'll print and ship them to you ASAP.

Can I send in original art?

No. Imagekind only accepts digital images in a digital file format. See how to digitize your original art below.

How do I make digital files of my original (non-digital) artwork?

If you have original artwork in a non-digital format, we recommend taking digital photographs or professionally scanning your original artwork.

If you are a digital photographer this question is not an issue for you, but if you are a painter, traditional illustrator or printmaker you will need to create high-resolution digital images of your works.
If you have the interest, the time and tools, here are some simple guidelines for the "do-it-yourselfer":
Use a "prosumer" quality camera (6 MP, or greater).
Create for yourself a little studio area with plenty of room to work.
Refine and replicate your technique on multiple pieces of art - practice.
Hang your artwork perfectly horizontal - flat to a wall or on an easel.
Center your piece of art to the height of the camera - a tripod is essential.
Square your piece of art to the focal plane of the camera - again, a tripod is essential.
Use full spectrum light so that your colors are accurately represented.
Insure that the lighting is even with no glare or shadows by using diffuse light from the sides of the artwork.
Shoot from far enough away to insure good depth of field (perfect focus) and to avoid any focal distortions.
Use a professional digital image editing program to finish your image - i.e., Photoshop, Fireworks and others.
Crop out any background or existing frame edges so that the digital file represents only your artwork.
Add whitespace around your image if you want it printed with whitespace.
Do any color correction if necessary.
Print a sample on a high quality color printer to proof your work.
Upload your images to your Imagekind gallery and get your business started!

Do I lose ownership of my images when I upload them to Imagekind?

No. You are not transferring ownership of your artwork to Imagekind and retain any and all rights in and to the content that you upload to Imagekind. By submitting content to Imagekind, you are granting us a nonexclusive license to produce your image for an Imagekind product. Please read our Terms of Use for more detailed information.

What is acceptable content?

Please do not upload inappropriate content, such as things that are obscene, violent, harmful, offensive, discriminatory, or illegal etc. We reserve the right to determine the appropriateness of anything posted on Imagekind and remove without notice any items that fail to comply with these policies. We also reserve the right to cancel any order, in part or in full, if we deem the contect is inappropriate as stated above. Please see the Imagekind Etiquette Policy and our Terms of Use for a full description of acceptable content.

How do I determine if my images need an "Adult" rating?

Breasts and buttocks are OK to be in the public marketplace, but must be marked with the "mature rating". Images with visible genitals or pubic hair, drawn or photographed, must also be rated Adult. We do not allow any images that show explicit sexual acts or arousal , or description of sexual acts in the titles or description areas of the images.
We rely on our artists to rate their images appropriately. If you are not sure about a rating, feel free to send a note to care@imagekind.com and we can give you advice, but usually, if you are not sure, it is probably better rated Adult.

This is not implying nude works are offensive or in poor taste. We realize that the area between art, erotica, and pornography can be gray, so we must draw a line, so that all members of our site can be comfortable using it. Additionally, we have many visitors of all age levels viewing the site, and we want to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

While we try to keep an eye on newly uploaded images, we cannot possibly monitor every image that is uploaded. If you see anything that you think needs to be rated differently, or that is outside of the guidelines here, please email us. We will determine the course of action to take. Reporting an image does not mean we will or will not remove the content from the website.

*We reserve the right to cancel any order, or any part of an order, that includes content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, vulgar, harassing, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, inflammatory, libelous, tortious, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, or invasive of another's rights including but not limited to rights of celebrity, privacy and intellectual property.

What can you tell me about Copyrights & Trademarks?

Intellectual property issues are important when it comes to what kind of content you can use on our site. Copyright law limits you to using only work that you have created yourself from original elements. You may not use content that is substantially similar to someone else's. Most works are protected by copyright law even if they do not have a copyright notice. Therefore, you should assume that you need to obtain permission to use any material that you did not create. Please do not use images of celebrities or corporate products, trademarks, images, text, or designs copied from the internet without written permission from the owner of that content.

A trademark is a distinctive word, phrase, logo, domain name, graphic symbol, slogan, or other device that is used to identify the source of a product and to distinguish a manufacturer's or merchant's products from others. The test for infringement is whether your design creates a likelihood of confusion for the public. In other words, you cannot create products with a design that is likely to cause confusion with a trademark.

For more information, please visit the United States Copyright Office at http://www.uspto.gov.

Having trouble uploading images?

If you are having trouble uploading images, please verify that your images are the proper file type, format, and size. If you are still having troubles, please email us at care@imagekind.com and we will try to help you out!

My Portfolio: What is a selection?

A selection is a group of images that you have selected to which you can perform a particular action. You can choose to add one image at a time or an entire gallery to a selection before performing functions on the images such as editing, deleting or moving the images. To add an image to a selection, click on the "Add to Selection" button located under every image. The image will then be placed on the bottom of the page in the selection area. Once there, you can perform a number of functions. To remove all images from your selection click on the "Clear Selection" button or remove one image at a time using the remove button located under each image.

How do I reorder images within a gallery?

To reorder images within a gallery simply drag-and-drop the images into the desired ordered. For galleries with more than 21 images, the last image on the bottom row of one page will show up as the first image on the top row of the next page. This allows you to move images between pages by using drag and drop.

How do I move images to another gallery?

To move images from one gallery to another, add the images to your selection. After clicking onon "Images," you can then choose "Move Images" from the menu. You will then be taken to the "Move Images" page where you will be able to choose the gallery that you want to move your images to from a drop down menu. When you have selected the destination gallery, click on "move images."

How do I delete images?

To delete an image add the image you wish to delete to your selection. Once your images have been added click on "Images" in the menu and select "Delete Images." You will then be taken to you a landing page to confirm that you want to delete all the images in your selection. Remember, deleting images is final, so make sure you really want to delete all the images in the selection set.

How do I edit an image individually?

If you prefer to edit you images one at a time, simply click on the image whose details you want to change and you will go to the "Edit Details" page for that image. Alternatively, you can just add one image to the selection and use the menu functions to perform the desired actions (just as you would with a larger selection).

How do I add tags to multiple images?

Add tags to multiple images by adding the images to your selection. Click on "Tags" in the menu and chose to either remove or add tags. If you chose to add tags, you will be directed to the "Add Tags" page. There you will be able to add multiple tags depending on your membership level (10 for free, 50 for pro and 100 for platinum). Tags should be entered separated with a space, to enter a phrase as a single tag, enclose the entire phrase in quotes, e.g.; "Space Needle."

Tags are added in addition to existing tags. If you exceed the tag limit on some images but not others, an error message will appear for the images where the tags failed to be applied. You will then have the option of making the error-related images the selection and try again with fewer tags.

How do I remove tags from multiple images?

To remove tags, click on tags in the selection menu and choose "Remove Tags." You will then land on the "Remove Tags" page where you will see a list of all the tags currently applied to your selection of images and the number of images that each tag is associated with. You can then choose to remove tags by clicking on the remove button located next to each tag, or remove all tags by clicking on the "Remove All Tags" button.

What does "Set Defaults" mean?

We encourage you to choose how you would like your image to be purchased, whether it be is as a framed print or a canvas wrap. We refer to this as "set defaults." The selection you make will determine how your customers can purchase with the one click add to cart functionality.

To set defaults click on the "Set Defaults" in the selection menu. On the "Set Defaults" page you can choose either to set the default to be either a framed piece or a canvas piece. You will then be walked through the framing engine and be able to pick for frames; size, paper, framing,mats and glazing. For canvas you may choose; the size, the wrap type and the canvas type. Due the variation in aspect ratios that may be part of your selection, we have placed a default square image in the frame engine process, that way you may have a more universal sense of what the final product will look like.

Once you have made your selections and hit save, the defaults will be applied to all images in your selection. Given the variation in image size, aspect ratio, etc, some framing or canvas configurations may not work for all of your images. You will be notified if any failed to be applied and you will then have the option to make the images that did not successfully have their default applied become your new selection.

What happens when I clear selection?

Clearing a selection removes the images from the selection at the bottom of the page. No action is taken on the individual images.

How do I add subjects to my images?

Subjects help classify your work to make it easier for your customers to find you. Add subjects to your images by clicking on "Categories" In the selection menu. Hover over "Subjects" and you will be given the option to add or remove subjects from the selection. On the "Add Subjects" page, drag-and-drop the relevant subjects from the top box into the area below. The number of subjects you can apply to an image is limited by your account type. Free members may have 2 subjects per image, pro up to 4 and platinum account holders may use up to 8 subjects. If the limit for number of subjects has been reached an error message will appear identifying the images to which the new subjects failed to be applied.

How do I remove subjects from my images?

To remove subjects from your image click on the "Categories" tab in the selection menu. Hover over "Subject" and choose remove "Remove Subjects" from the menu. The "Remove Subjects" page will show all subjects which are currently attributed to the images in your selection and the number of images they are applied to. To remove subjects either click on the remove button located next to the subject you want to remove, or remove all subjects by clicking on the "Remove All Subjects" button.

How do I add medium, genre and décor information to my images?

Add Medium, Genre and décor information to your images by clicking on "Categories" in the selection menu and choosing the category you wish to add. The selections you make on the "Edit Genre," "Edit Medium and "Edit Décor" pages will override your current genre, medium and décor settings.

How do I return to the "My Galleries" page with "My Portfolio"?

To return to the "My Galleries" page, simply click on the "View all Galleries" link located in the header, next to the number of images selected.

How to I add or remove a watermark?

To add or remove a watermark from a selection of images, select "Edit Images Info" in the "Images" tab. On the "Edit Image Info" page in the Watermark section, to add a Watermark check the box that says "Watermark Large Image" and click on the "Save Watermark" button. To remove a watermark, uncheck the box and click "Save Watermark."

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