Quality control help page

Because of the large number of images each day we take a random sample of images and if all images in that sample are fine then we pass all images awaiting QC. If we find one failure then all images awaiting QC will fail. All images submitted should meet our QC standards so when we look at a random sample this should represent the quality of all images submitted.

We see all kinds of technical problems with images and you can have a read of our blog on common QC failure reasons and how to avoid them.  Make sure you check your images against our useful PDF guide on how to pass QC to see definitions and examples of all our QC Failure Reasons.

Images normally go through QC in a day, but it can take longer than this depending on how busy we are or if it’s a national holiday. Our QC team work Monday to Friday, so if you are uploading over the weekend there will be a delay and our team will get through to your submission as soon as possible. Once we’ve checked your submission, we’ll send you an email to let you know how you’ve got on.

We’ll send you an email as soon as your images have been checked and we’ll update your submission in Alamy Image Manager (AIM) to let you know either way.

We receive over 100,000 images a day so it’s simply not possible for us to check every image. We check a small sample of your images and if all images in that sample are ok then we’ll pass the whole submission. If we find one failure then all images awaiting QC will fail.

We take the view that every image you submit should meet our QC standards so when we look at a random sample we expect it to represent the quality of all images submitted. Our top tip is to check all images at 100% (actual pixels) before you submit.

For your first submission we need all images to have valid EXIF camera data. We need this info so we can check your camera equipment can produce high enough quality images for our customers. If your images don’t have EXIF data but you’ve checked our help pages and our guidelines for submitting images to Alamy) and feel that your camera meets our requirements then feel free to drop us an email at qc@alamy.com.

Typically, we only accept stock images from DSLRs (or equivalent) or a popular branded Smartphones that were released in 2020 or later. Almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras, SLR-like Bridge Cameras cannot produce images that meet our guidelines. See our rough guide to digital cameras for more info.

We’re not currently accepting any imagery created by artificial intelligence. We have an ethical position on our approach to AI imagery which you can read in our blog here. Please do not upload any type of content created by AI as it will not pass QC, and it will be removed immediately from the Alamy platform if found.

Once you add your caption and at least 5 image tags they’ll be on sale after 24 hours once the search engine has updated.

The stars on your dashboard indicate your QC Rank which is based on your pass/fail history. The more stars you have, the quicker your submissions will be checked by our QC Team. 

One Star: You fail QC frequently suggesting you’re not checking your work against our technical requirements before you upload. Your work takes longer for the QC Team to review and your upload ability could be frozen for 10 days 

Two Stars: You’ve passed your first submission and starting to consistently pass QC. Keep checking your work before you upload; your rank will improve, and your submissions will be looked at by the QC Team quicker 

Three Stars: Your QC history is good, and your submissions will be spot checked by the QC Team as quickly as possible 

Four Stars: You consistently check your work before submitting. The QC Team prioritise reviewing your submissions and we spot check less of your images 

Five Stars: Well done! You obviously check your work thoroughly before you upload, and you’ve got a great QC history. We’ll only be spot checking submissions from you meaning you should fly through QC 

QC Ranks can move up or down based on your QC history and at the discretion of our QC Team. 

There are a number of reasons why images might fail. Have a read of our guide on how to pass QC to avoid them.

1. Use a DSLR camera (or equivalent), or a popular branded Smartphone that was released in 2020 or later

Most point & shoot, or bridge cameras will struggle to pass our QC checks, you’ll need a camera with a good quality lens and large enough sensor. See our rough guide to digital cameras for more info.

2. Check your images at 100%

All images should be checked at 100% (actual pixels) for correct exposure, colour cast, noise, camera shake and that no sharpening has been applied etc. using professional imaging software.

3. JPEGs

You can shoot or illustrate in whatever format you like, but you’ll need to submit your images to us as JPEGs.

4. File size of over 17MB (when uncompressed/open)

Your JPEG file is likely to have a compressed size of 3-5MB. Opening a JPEG in an image program such as Adobe Photoshop will show you the uncompressed/open file size.

Images are used in a number of different ways – from small low-res web use to large hi-res for billboards, so it’s important we check your images to make sure they meet the standards our customers need. Our Quality Control Team (QC) look at your images at 100% to see if there are any technical errors. Check out our guidelines on how to pass QC, they’re really useful if you’re new to Alamy and we recommend you read them before sending us your images, so you know what our QC team are looking out for.

Our system doesn’t let us delete images during processing or quality control. If they pass QC, you can delete them under the ‘optional’ tab in the Alamy Image Manager.