If your application form has been accepted you will receive an email with instructions for getting started with myLoupe which will include the recommendation to carefully review these guidelines. When you login using the user id and password you chose in the application form you will login to your own personal administration module. From there you can upload images, edit captions and keywords, adjust pricing, view royalty reports, image requests from buyers and more.

The first step after you have prepared images according to the Image Submission Specifications below, is to decide whether you want to license them under Royalty Free (RF) or Rights Managed (RM) licensing and click "Upload Images", a new browser window will open and offer options for "Batch RF", "Batch RM" or for single image uploading "single RF images" or "single RM images". See 1st Submission below to continue.

As a new member of myLoupe you will begin your affiliation with "newbie" privileges. That is you'll be able to upload images in an unpublished state only. A quality control checker then will carefully examine your upload to be sure that your scans are dust free and meet our image quality submission guidelines. Please read and follow the image quality guidelines carefully and save us all a lot of time.

Submit a minimum of 10 but no more than 15 images for your initial submission. If you will be submitting scanned images to myLoupe please be sure that at least half or more of your 1st submission is scans. If you are 100% digital photographer and will not be submitting any scans please let us know this when you have uploaded your 1st 10 -15 images. If any of the images do not meet quality specifications you will be asked to fix any quality issues and re-submit the image. When your image files show that you are following the submission guidelines and uploading images that meet our quality standards you'll be granted to full publishing privileges. We'll continue to monitor quality of images on a random basis, but you will have the option to publish your new images instantly. Anytime you have a doubt about an image's quality or suitability leave it in an unpublished state and send us the image ID# in an email. Please note that Quality Control Reviews often become backlogged and it can sometimes be week or more before you hear about your review.

Prepare high ( or super-high) res images to the specifications below. You may at your option upload a low res image at the same time. The optional low-res image will be used then instead of the high-res as the source file for the thumbnail and other web display images. Generally we don't think this is necessary but we offer it as an option if you are not satisfied with the way your images look on the website. Filenames of hi-res and optional low-res images must be identical for the server to process them.

JPG Compression: Avoid re-compressing your JPG files too many times or it may degrade image quality. We recommend you keep master copies of your files in .TIF format and only compress them as JPG files when preparing them for upload. Files must be saved in JPG format for upload. Save as a .jpg using Photoshop's "Save As" command with a compression/quality setting of 8 to 9. 25 - 30 MB files should compress to about 1 MB. 50 - 60 MB files should compress to 2 - 4 MB. They must be less then 6.5 MB to successfully upload.

Minimum size accepted; 3000 pixels in either height or width.

The filename must have a .jpg extension and should not include spaces or any non alpha numeric characters other than a - or _ . Do NOT use a period anywhere in the filename except to separate the name from the jpg extension. Do not use spaces in your filenames. For recommendatoins on naming files you may find the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines Naming Guidelines helpful.
See upload options and preparing images for upload.

RM and RF size definitions RF images are priced by image size, so defined sizes with clear demarcations are important. They are less so for RM images that are priced solely by use. So any size RM image from 500px - 9000px will fit into one of the RM size categories whereas RF must fit within the parameters defined below.
NOTE: You just need to upload your highest resolution file, compressed as a jpg. All other sizes are generated as needed. Super-high res files should generally not exceed 6500 px unless they are panoramics.  

Image sizes - RF Super High res	An RF image that is 300dpi and a minmum of 4200 pixels at it's largest dimension and a maximum of 9000px. (RM images may be 3901px - 9000px) Compressed JPG should be 1 - 4 MB, maximum size that will upload 6.5 MB
Image sizes - RF High res	An image that is 300dpi and approximately 8" x 12" RF images must be at least 3000 but no more than 3900 pixels at it's largest dimension. Compressed JPG should be around 1 - 2 MB
Image sizes - RF Medium res	An image that is 300dpi and approximately 5" x 7" At least 2000 but no more than 2500 pixels at it's largest dimension. (RM images 2000px - 2999px)
Image sizes - Low res	Low res RF images are 710 px at there largest dimension. RM can be 500 - 710 px.
Digital SLR Capture	Digital cameras and lens should meet professional standards and capture at least 6 megapixels. There are some older professional digital SLR cameras capture images at just under 3000 pixels. Do not re-size these images to meet high-res standards unless you are using software like Genuine Fractals or Stair Interpolation Pro from FM Digital Darkroom and verify that the results meet professional standards.
NOTE: Thumbnail images, watermarked display size, comp size and low resolution images are auto-generated. We convert the web display images to sRGB for best appearance in the browser.
Color Mode	RGB either sRGB or Adobe 1998 RGB

Please do take the time to prepare your images suitably. If your images do not meet technical and quality standards they will be rejected. They may also be rejected if they are not up to professional standards in any regard.

Dust,Fibers	Images with artifacts such as dust,dirt or fibers will not be accepted. Be sure to check scanned images carefully at 100% zoom in Photoshop. Pay particular attention to edges and corners. Just like spotting prints your scanned images will usually need some "spotting" with the healing brush and clone tool. Most scans will have some dust so check carefully.
Slide Mounts, Edges	If your scan captures part of the slide mount, or scans film beyond the actual image, please crop, clone or otherwise ensure that the image you upload is a clean, finished product from edge to edge.
Sharpening	Sharpening should be avoided either in scanning or post scanning
General Quality	We expect you to upload only images that are of the highest professional standards in composition, lighting and subject. Any less diminishes your reputation and ours. Upload a well edited selection - leave the outtakes out.

After logging in to your personalized contributor section just click the "Upload Images" link. A new browser window will open with options for Batch or Single image RM or RF uploads. Embedded IPTC data will be imported from either. Uploads are done on a different server than the web server and once a day the thumbnail and other web images are transferred to the web server. Your images will not show up in buyer's searches until the web images are transferred. For this reason it may take up to 24 hrs. for new uploads to display on the website. When you have finished uploading new images close the browser window to return to your contributor administration section.

Options:

1. Batch Upload IPTC import through your web-based members administration. Up to 10 images at a time (bandwidth limitations may limit you to fewer) and will import embedded IPTC data for keywords, title & description.
   1. Click the "Batch RM" to upload Rights Managed images or "Batch RF" to upload as Royalty Free
   2. Where it says "Main Image" use the "browse" button to locate the High Res files on a local drive.
   3. Repeat step 2 for up to 10 images. Be sure you have compressed your files to a Photoshop "8" JPEG compression setting ( 9 will work for most all files under 3900px) or the upload may fail. If you do not have a broadband connection 10 images may not work. Start with 2 - 3 and determine the maximum limit for your connection.
   4. Click "CREATE NEW IMAGE RECORD" when you've "loaded" the form
   5. Upload and image processing will take a few minutes or more. When it is completed, the browser will refresh to "Multi-Edit View". Here you can verify or edit keywords, title & description. Check model/property releases, categories, and set the image to "published" status if you have publishing privileges. TIP: In the top right corner of this page is a link you can click to set all 10 images to "published".
   6. Click the "UPDATE IMAGE RECORDS" button at the page bottom to write the changes to the database.
2. Upload individual images through your web-based members administration.
   1. Select either "single RF Image" or "single RM Image".
   2. Click "Click Here to open the upload window" - a small window will open. Use the "browse" buttons to find and select your hi-res image from your local drive. You can at your option add a low res image but it is not required - then click "Submit"
   3. Return to the main window while the upload is taking place and if there is no embedded data to import enter captions,keywords, description, model release info, select categories and pricing options, and whether to publish immediately.
   4. Click "CREATE NEW IMAGE RECORD" when the upload is complete and you've completed the form
3. Bulk Upload - There is a fee of $0.15 per image for bulk uploading ( may be deferred against royalty payments). Images must be prepared per instructions below. IPTC data will be imported with this method to populate Title, Description, and Keyword fields.
   1. Prepare your images high res images as specified in "Image Size" Inclusion of a low res image is not an option at this time
   2. Save all hi-res images to a "high" folder within an RF folder or for RM save to hi-res images to a "high" folder within an RM folder.
   3. Save your files to a CD or DVD (but NOT DVD+R) and send them to:
      myLoupe, Inc.
      Bulk Submissions
      9630 S. Prospect Ave.
      Chicago, IL, 60643
      U.S.A.

Contributors are responsible for keywording and captioning their own images. You may want to consider a professional keywording service if you have trouble doing this yourself. You will be able to update and edit keywords at any time.

DO NOT start new lines in the keywords field by hitting the RETURN/ENTER key on your keyboard. Doing so places an invisible character in the field, and may block the search engine from reading keywords that follow it. Avoid using non alpha-numeric characters such as &,!,?,/,{,(,\, etc.

Use spaces to separate keywords ( keywords with commas, or semi-colons; will be automatically converted) .

The buyer's search searches only the keywords field ( this search works differently than your Administration Search). In the Advanced Search, buyers will have the option to also search the title and caption fields, but this is not a widey used feature. The search logic will automatically add or subtract common English plural endings like "s" and "es" so it is not always neccesary to have these endings in your keywords. An image with the keyword "boat" will be found when a search is made for the keywords "boats". Likewise a search for "churches" will find an image with the keyword "church".

It is unacceptable to use keywords NOT legitimately related to the subject matter. If it's not in the picture it should NOT be in the keywords! This will be considered SPAMMING the search engine and will not be tolerated. It is also unacceptable to use profanity, obscenity or anything meant to be offensive to any ethnic or religious group.

Please read our Guide to Keywording before you begin keywording and publishing your images.

We can import IPTC data saved to image files to populate Title, Description, and Keyword fields.

You are encouraged to always get a model and/or property release whenever possible. A release makes an image far more marketable. No release greatly limits the market for an image. Before uploading non property released images please review The Picture Agency Council of America's list of objects and properties that may cause problems if shown in a photograph without a release (new window will open if link is clicked). An image that does not have a release and has recognizable people should not be licensed under the broad Royalty Free license but should only be offered under the more restrictive Right Managed licensing. Add a restriction like "For editorial use only" to make it clear to the buyer that this image has no release. The same holds true for images of places or objects that are copyrighted, trade marked or otherwise known to be problematic. The more restrictive Right Managed licensing model is less risky for subjects that may require additional clearances for publication. You can add a restriction like "May require additional clearance for non-editorial use".

Contributors are not required to upload their releases along with the image files but you are encouraged to do so. Instructions for preparing a release(s) for upload will follow. If you do not upload your releases be sure you will be able to deliver them in the event a buyer requests them. If you claim an image is released but then cannot deliver the release if requested to do so could lead to litigation.

Instructions for uploading releases

1. Scan the signed release on a flatbed scanner as either grayscale, or lineart, at 72dpi, and 100% of size. Crop as much unnecessary white space as you can to save on file size.
2. If there are multiple releases for the image combine the scans into one image file.
3. Use Photoshop's levels to adjust brightness and contrast so that your scanned text is legible and the white paper of the form is white (white space will compress more efficiently that gray or noise).
4. Your releases should be legible but otherwise you don't need to be concerned with scanning artifacts as you would be with an image scan.
5. Use Photoshop's "SAVE FOR WEB" command. Select JPG at about 30% to try to keep the file size under 100 KB. Click "Save" and select a location on your hard drive where you will be able to find the file for upload. Name the file with a name that associates it with the image but without any spaces or non alpha numeric characters except for the - dash. Be sure your file has a .jpg extension.
6. Use the "upload releases" browse button on the "Add Image" form or the "Edit Image Record" form to locate the release .JPG on your hard drive and the file will be uploaded and added to the image database when you click the submit button at the bottom of the page.

Please limit the uploading of similars to images that have genuine distinctions between them. Similars are only accepted if they show different perspectives and variations on a theme or subject. But please edit your images and do not upload multiple shots that are essentially the same. If you have similar shots that show variations edit the selection to no more than 4. If we think you have too many similars of one subject we may delete some.

We will not accept any image or similar that is being offered simultaneously on a micro stock site. While we do not require exclusivity we do require that images distributed through other channels use a comparable pricing model. To attempt to license an image for hundreds of dollars that can be licensed for only a few dollars as micro stock is unfair to our clients and will not be tolerated. Similarly it is misrepresentation to upload any image as Rights Managed that has ever been licensed as Royalty Free or is being offered simultaneously as Royalty Free. Remedies to this infraction may include un-publishing or deleting images, and the possible termination of the Contributor's account.

For Illustrators with EPS vector graphic files the image preparation and upload varies only slightly. The Batch Upload function does not currently support .EPS files, use the "single RM image" or "single RF image" tabs depending on whether you want to license the Illustration as Rights Managed (RM) or Royalty Free (RF). On the "Add Image" page do NOT use the "Click Here to open the upload window " link but just below is a link "To upload .EPS vector graphics click here" which will open an upload window to upload the .EPS file and the .JPG copy you will make for display. Create a .JPG copy of the .EPS file rendered at 500 pixels at the largest dimension. The JPG file is used to generate the watermarked display image, comp files (500 pixels) and the thumbnail image. Be sure the JPG file has an sRGB color profile. You can use Photoshop's "Save for Web" to ensure it will be sRGB. If you use "Save for Web" set the quality to no less than 60% .

Your EPS file is treated as a High Resolution image for RF pricing. For RM pricing the file type or size does not effect pricing.