After uploading images via FTP or the Web form, uploaded images are processed and eventually appear in 2 groups on the image submission page:

Items ready to submit for review – Description and tags (keywords) are extracted from the IPTC meta data. “Select” to submit for review, or edit/review the individual image submissions.

Items requiring correction - Fill in, edit and correct image meta data:

1. Click the “Edit Item” link under “Items Requiring Corrections”
2. Fill in the image meta data:
   Title: 50 characters that best describes your image.
   Description: Describe what’s in your image in one or two sentences. Do not add a list of keywords to the description.
   Tags: Enter up to 50 tags (minimum 15) to describe your image. Tags must be lowercase and separated by commas. For example: duck, pond, lake, water, quack, beak, paddle, white, yellow, park
3. Tick if you agree with the warrant and click Submit.  A message to the reviewer is not typically required.

After submission your images will progress through to image review stage.  In the meantime you can continue to upload and submit more images!

Here’s what you should know after submitting images into the review queue:

• On the Author Dashboard, progress bars show you how far through the review queue each image has progressed as well as the time since the image was uploaded.  A progress bar which is 3/4 filled for an image uploaded 3 days ago indicates the image will possibly be reviewed tomorrow.
• Your items will be reviewed and you will receive an approval or rejection e-mail for each submission. This can be changed to a daily summary email from the Author Dashboard | My Settings page.

Following the review process:

• Items which are approved appear for sale on the marketplace with no further action required on your part.  The new Portfolio tab is accessible from the top of the Author Dashboard.
• Items which are rejected fall into two categories: Soft and Hard reject. Soft rejected items are those which require small adjustments before they can be accepted on the marketplace. These are viewable through the new Hidden Items tab on your Author Dashboard and can be edited and re-submitted. Hard rejected items are those which do not meet our image requirements and cannot be accepted for sale on the marketplace.
• If your images are not accepted please refer to the individual rejection emails or review our image requirements.

In the meantime you can upload more images!

Please review Envato Copyright 101 article which covers the basics of copyright. Envato has also developed house rules which, if followed when works are submitted to Envato, will help minimize the risk another person’s copyright or other intellectual property rights being infringed.

In addition, there are a number of specific intellectual property matters relating to PhotoDune that you should review.

Specific Intellectual Property Matters

• Images containing trademarks, logos or copyrighted products should not be submitted.
• Trademarked Fonts can not be accepted. e.g. the distinctive cursive used to write Coca-Cola or The New York Times.
• We cannot accept images (whether photographed or likenesses) of the British Royal Family.
• NASA images are usually not copyrighted and can be used for educational, informational or commercial uses however certain restrictions apply.
• Identifiable map and globe designs are copyrighted  and must be accompanied by either information that permits use or appropriate release forms.
• Vintage photographs must meet at least one of the following conditions:
  • Copyright is held by the submitter, through inheritance. A property release form must be submitted to prove copyright ownership.
  • A date of creation is provided that proves that the image is in Public Domain and therefore not covered by copyright.

Release Forms

Images of recognisable people and certain landmarks and buildings must be accompanied by a model or property release form.

Photographs of banknotes must take into account both copyright issues and counterfeiting ones. Furthermore, in some countries laws and regulations prohibit currency from being photographed.

The following bank note submissions are not accepted:

• Flat scans of any currency (including full, flat photos)
• UK bank notes with the Queen’s face visible
• All Canadian currency (they are trademarked)
• Bank notes used in a derogatory manner

Photographs of bank notes that meet the following conditions are generally allowable:

• Bank notes shown at angles (not flat-on to camera) or out of focus
• Withdrawn or expired currency
• Currency not trademarked

Stamps

Stamps may be covered by copyright laws that vary country to country. If stamps are not in the public domain a release form is required.

The subject matter of your images must not contain inappropriate or explicit sexual, violent or drug-related content.

Example of what is not acceptable:

• Offensive words, vulgar gestures or negative religious symbols are not accepted.
• Offensive language which might appear in either direct or indirect ways within a photo. Examples of this are T-shirts with lewd or offensive slogans in either English or other languages, or graffiti which might also contain offensive language or symbols.
• Direct or perceived misuse or purposeful disrespect of religious symbols or artifacts in an image.

Nudity

Not acceptable:

• Visible pubic hair or pubic area, female nipples, female or male genitals.  Includes semi-removed clothing and hands covering nudity.
• Buttocks with very spread legs – Seated/squatting in underwear/swimwear with spread legs
• Transparent, semi-transparent or partially transparent underwear; “peep-hole” (stockings are acceptable provided the rest of the underwear is opaque)

Acceptable:

• Nudity with arms, legs or non-sexual item covering breasts,nipples, buttocks or pubic area
• Opaque underwear or swimwear
• Female topless cropped above nipple line
• “Sexual” scenes with no visible breasts, buttocks or pubic areas
• Buttocks with legs in “natural stance”

If a subject appears or is obviously under age 18, no nudity should be allowed with the exception of modest swimwear in context

To avoid image rejection please ensure your submissions also meet the following criteria:

• Feature sharp focus on the subject. Background blur and bokeh is acceptable and often desirable, but the subject should be sharp.
• Well lit, free from harsh shadows, with contrast inside the digital sensor or film’s dynamic range.
• Properly exposed.
• Should not contain excessive noise.
• Should not contain moiré patterns.
• Should not contain any chromatic aberrations or “fringing”.
• Smooth color gradients.
• Maximum quality settings – no excessive compression artefacts.

Images which are highly digitally edited or use alternate processes (eg. cross-processing, lomography, HDR images) may be suitable for PhotoDune, provided they retain image quality at large sizes and are commercially useful.

Think about the reasons they are accepted:

• Does it say something?
• Does it have a message to tell?
• What different elements make the image special?

What makes an image commercially useful? A photograph can be technically skilled and aesthetically pleasing but still not sellable. What makes an image versatile is its ability to communicate a message, and if that message is only coherent and powerful to you, it won’t sell.

There are always niches to fill. As the PhotoDune library expands we’ll tip you off as to which categories need a little extra attention, and which are done to death.

Image titles are extracted in the following order from IPTC/XMP Data:

1. IPTC-Title
2. IPTC-Headline
3. IPTC-ObjectName
4. XMP-Title.

Ensure that your titles, descriptions and tags are formatted to meet our guidelines.

• All information should be in English and should use only Latin characters.
• Titles should be no more than 50 characters long. It is recommended, but not required, that our image title naming conventions are used.
• Enter at least 15 and a maximum of 50 tags. Any tags beyond 50 will be dropped from your image information but will not cause a problem with your upload.

If you wish to edit the tags or description after your image has been approved, you may do so by viewing the image in your portfolio and selecting the Edit tab. Note: Titles are unable to be edited after import.

What are the Technical Image Requirements?

Images that you upload must be RGB formatted JPG files, of at least 2 megapixels (2.0MP) in size.

Images which are photo-real and are commercially useful as flat .jpeg files may be submitted to PhotoDune, while graphic, vector and 3D-render should generally be submitted to either GraphicRiver or 3dOcean – Envato Marketplaces that cater specifically for these types of content.  Your PhotoDune account automatically gives you access to all of the Envato Marketplaces including VideoHive and AudioJungle where you can upload motion graphics, footage and stock music.

How to Ensure Images are Accepted for Sale?

Here are some specific guidelines that can maximise image acceptance.

• What to upload? – Will it sell?
• What is the required image quality?
• How is image meta data handled?
• What subject matters are inappropriate?
• Can bank notes and stamps be submitted?
• What are model and property releases?
• Copyright and Intellectual Property