Background

What is BrightQube?   [top]

BrightQube is the new online creative resource that revolutionizes the way the world finds images. BrightQube’s unique approach to finding images utilizes a Dynamic Mosaic which allows users to view all image possibilities at once. The Dynamic Mosaic’s interactive zoom, pan and filter controls enable users to find the perfect image quickly and easily, making browsing through hundreds of pages of results a thing of the past.

How does the site work for buyers of digital imagery?   [top]

BrightQube makes images easy to find and provides a simple process for licensing and downloading images. As you find the images you want to use just add them to your shopping cart, then select the sizes you are interested in for each image, get the price and checkout. After the checkout page, you will be presented with a Download page that has a link to the high resolution file. Click on that link and download your file. (An email is also sent to you with the links for downloading the images.) You will be authorized to download the file only once per license purchase.

Are you a member of PACA (Picture Archive Council of America)?   [top]

Yes, BrightQube is a member of PACA starting October 2007.

Registration and Login

Am I required to register and login?   [top]

Nope, you don't have to register to use the site. You can purchase a licensed image without becoming a member (which is free). But if you do register you can keep track of the images you have purchased and downloaded. Other benefits of membership include keeping lightboxes you've created for future visits. If you aren't a member, any lightboxes you've created will not be retained after your visit. We don't currently keep credit card information.

Duh, I can’t find my password...how can I login?   [top]

Our lives are full of passwords these days. If your BrightQube password escapes you we make it easy to get the password reset so you can use the site. Click "Sign In" at the top of the most pages. On the "Sign In" page we added a "Forgot Password?" link above the password box. Click that and the resulting page asked for the email address you used to register for the site. When you enter that address, an email is sent that includes a new password which you can use to login. Once you are logged in, you can go to the account section and change your password if you want.

Why is the authentication email indicating an error?   [top]

We have seen that in very rare cases, some email addresses will not be confirmed, at no fault of the user. If yours is in this category either try another email address, or send an email to contact@brightqube.com. We are working to find and rid ourselves of this annoyance. Thanks for your patience.

My Account

Why do I need to set-up an account?   [top]

You don’t have to register and establish an account to use the site or acquire licenses to download images. But if you do register we can keep track of information for you. When you login we can keep track of Lightboxes you create and provide you history information about your orders. We don’t currently keep credit card information.

How do I set up an account?   [top]

It’s easy. Just click “Sign In” at the top of the BrightQube banner on the search result page. There is a new member section where we ask you to provide your name, email address and a password, as well as a confirmation of the password to make sure we have it correctly. After you click “Create and Account”, you’re registered with a new account!

What if I forget my password?   [top]

If your BrightQube password escapes you we make it easy to get the password reset so you can use the site. Click “Sign In” at the top of the most pages. On the “Sign In” page we added a “Forgot Password?” link above the password box. Click that and the resulting page asked for the email address you used to register for the site. When you enter that address, an email is sent that includes a new password which you can use to login. Once you are logged in, you can go to the account section and change your password if you want.

Why am I not getting email messages from BrightQube? I know I provided a valid address.   [top]

If you are using a spam filter or a free email provider such as Hotmail, ensure that the filters are not accidentally marking our emails as spam. This is possible especially for the automated notifications we send to our contributors.

How do I update the information for my account profile?   [top]

Not a problem...just login using your current account email address and password. Then change the information, confirming any password change, and hit the Update button.

We don't use credit cards or Paypal to purchase images. Can we set up an invoicing arrangement with you?   [top]

Yes, for qualifying entities, we will create a Corporate account. This will enable you to create log-in profiles for each of your users, allowing them to download unwatermarked, high-res files for use in campaign mock-ups and design specs for clients. We will then work with your billing department to reconcile and invoice your payments due on a periodic cycle. Please contact accounts@brightqube.com to make arrangements.

Inventory of Media Items

I regularly use a collection I don’t find on BrightQube. When will you have that collection "in stock"?   [top]

We continue to work with leading brands as well as special niche sources of imagery throughout the industry. When we find a collection that contains material that under represented or missing from our inventory from a subject matter or at the concept level, we work to secure that collection for our customers. If indeed you cannot find what you are looking for, please drop us a line and let us know the subject matter that you regularly seek. Please email requests to request@brightqube.com.

Why is Dreamstime the only Microstock provider?   [top]

There are a few major players who are the leading Microstock agencies and there is duplicate imagery among them. We chose a good leader who has a great selection and offer you their inventory to select from.

Are the images free of watermarks?   [top]

Yes, all high-resolution images you purchase and download have no watermarks. The only images watermarked are the thumbnails visible on the site.

What image file formats do you support?   [top]

All images are the highest quality JPG files.

What color spaces do the images files use?   [top]

All images are in RGB color space.

Finding Images

How can I download a lo-res comp for approval before purchase?   [top]

To download a comp, all you need to do is the following:

1. Sign in as a member. But, no worries, there is no charge for membership and you do receive some membership benefits that will help you operate more efficiently (i.e., saving your lightboxes between visits, viewing order histories).
2. Click on the image of interest and go to the "Detail View"
3. Once you get to the larger Detail View, you will see a "Download Comp" button in the lower right hand corner. Click on the Download comp button and you will be all set.

Why do you call it "find" instead of "search"?   [top]

Did you really begin your day wanting to spend it searching? Or finding want you need? We use the term "find" because that is really what you want to do. The search may be the fun part when you are looking for the lost shrine of Bigaowa, but not when you are looking for the right photo for your needs. Finding is what we believe you really want to do.

I want to be able to find by "X, Y or Z". When will that feature be available?   [top]

We are focused on you, the finder. Because of this, we are always looking for ways to make your job easier when using our site. Whatever X, Y or Z is, we probably have it in our future feature function map and will roll it out as soon as it is ready. If in the meantime you think you have a good idea we haven’t thought of (we aren’t Kreskin), or wish to help us “re-prioritize” our feature map, then drop us a line to request@brightqube.com.

When I select a sorting option, how are the images displayed in the mosaic?   [top]

The sorting results are currently displayed such that the items with the most relevant criteria are clustered in the center of the display. So if you are sorting “Price, Low to High”, the items with the lowest prices will be displayed in the center of the mosaic and the prices of items will progressively get higher as you get farther from the center.

What's a lightbox?   [top]

A “lightbox” is a special storage area where you can place images you find interesting. If you are a registered user, each named lightbox you create remains associated with your account and available to you on future visits. (If you are not logged in or not a member, any lightboxes created during your visit will not be kept after you leave the site).

I need to access a specific image directly. I have its file ID from a previous search and don't want to search through all of the images again. How can I do that?   [top]

We currently don’t support finding images by file ID. It’s on the list for future features though.

Licensing Images

What method of payment do you accept?   [top]

We provide payment methods using credit cards as well as PayPal. We currently accept Visa and MasterCard directly. PayPal supports all major credit cards as well as direct payment from bank accounts.

What if I have trouble downloading from the link I was sent?   [top]

We suggest downloading your licensed images immediately after your purchase is complete. If you have difficulty with the link for some reason get, send an email to contact@brightqube.com and let us know your situation. We will check your account, the image you requested, and the link provided you. If possible, please send the email from the machine on which you ordered the photo. This will help our anti fraud algorithms make sure you are the person that did in fact pay for and did not yet download said image.

I don’t really like the picture I purchased. I would like a refund. How do I initiate that?   [top]

Really? We are sorry the picture was not what you hoped. We strive to ensure you have every opportunity to preview and ensure what you are purchasing is what you need. If the photo you received was a completely different picture than the one you purchased, then we understand why you would want a refund (although we are not sure how that happened, our system is pretty reliable). If this is the case, please send an email to contact@brightqube.com. Please include the email with the link you were sent, and please send the email from the account under which you are registered on the site (if you are not registered, then send it from any email account).

Do I have to give credit for the image?   [top]

This is required for editorial use and is strongly recommended otherwise and highly valued. We included “Credit Line” examples in the Detail View for each image.

What license is granted with the images?   [top]

The regular downloads are accompanied by our Royalty-Free License. Royalty-Free describes material that may be used for profit, without paying royalties.

May I use the images on business cards?   [top]

If the design of the business card is unique, meaning you don't sell the same design to different companies, you can use the images as long as the total number of cards (for all employees) doesn't exceed 500,000 copies. Note that the images cannot be used as part of a logo with any type of license that we provide.

Can I use the photos I downloaded in more than a single project?   [top]

If each project is different as a concept (not a template based presentation) then you can use the photos for more than one client, you don't have to buy them twice. If the concept is the same you cannot use the images because this will be seen as redistribution. The total number of copies shouldn't exceed 500,000 copies.

May I use the image on a postcard sent to my customers?   [top]

The images downloaded using the regular Royalty Free license can be included on postcards sent to a company's clients and/or partners ONLY if the postcard is advertising the company's services and products, thus is an advertisement. You cannot sell these postcards and the maximum amount should be less than 500,000 copies.

Can I use the images in web templates resold to other buyers/clients (as an identical design)?   [top]

Images downloaded using the regular Royalty Free license CANNOT be used within web templates supposed to be resold to more than one customer or by any means which can be seen as a way of reselling or redistributing the images. Images downloaded using the regular Royalty Free license can be used in templates designed for a SINGLE client, templates that are part of the same site's layout (e.g. as the layout for a sub-page is common to many pages from the same site, a common term among web designers names it a template, but this doesn't mean that the template is to be sold to more than one customer). If you have any doubts about a usage please contact us at contact@brightqube.com.

What's the maximum amount of copies allowed?   [top]

The total number of copies in which you include the image should not exceed 500,000 copies for the Royalty Free license. This doesn't apply for electronic use.

I was able to download the image file completely but it doesn't open. What should I do?   [top]

If the file downloaded completely but your software program doesn't open it, try again using another program and resave it. If you still experience problems contact support.

The file saved as an .exe application. What should I do?   [top]

If your browser saved the image with an .exe extension, simply remove the ".exe" part from the end of the filename and make sure the files ends with a ".jpg" extension. In order to change the extension of the file under Windows, right click the file and choose "Rename" from the menu. In order to change the extension of the file under Macintosh systems click, hold and press CTRL on your keyboard.

How can I download images?   [top]

Use the “Add to Cart” or “Buy It Now” button on the thumbnail view or detail view of an image to place the image in your virtual shopping cart. Select the “Cart” page from the BrightQube banner (“Buy It Now” takes you straight into the Cart).. Select the size appropriate for your application for each image in the cart. Then use the Checkout button to pay by credit card or use the PayPal button to use pay through you PayPal account. If you use a credit card we ask for billing information and an email address. We send an email to your with links to the images you just bought licenses for. Just click on the links to download each image. For orders paid through PayPal, we use the email address provided for that service.

I paid for a photo to download about six months ago and put it on my brochure. I'd like to use the same photo for a website I'm developing. How would that work?   [top]

If the new usage is included under the same license (like in this case) and meets all requirements (such as maximum amount of printed copies for a brochure-old usage + a book cover-new usage) then you don't need to pay once again for the image. If the new usage is not included in the previous license (such a royalty-free-old usage VS. selling postcards-new usage) you will have to acquire a new license, one that is appropriate for your new usage.

I need a copy of the model release associated with an image that I have downloaded. Is it possible to get a copy? If so, is there a cost?   [top]

If you have lost a file that was previously downloaded, you will need to repurchase that image.

How many of my employees can use the images?   [top]

The Royalty Free (RF) license is a one-person license and can be used only by the account owner or his employee, for the company's own projects or clients and cannot be transmitted to another party.

Why am I not getting your messages? I know I provided a valid address.   [top]

If you are using a spam filter or a free email provider such as Hotmail, ensure that the filters are not accidentally marking our emails as spam. This is possible especially for the automated notifications we send to our contributors.

Can you please tell me exactly how to download the images from your website on to my computer? I have no idea where the JPEG is being downloaded to. It doesn’t show up on my computer desktop.   [top]

The location of the saved file may depend on your OS version and browser type. Internet Explorer on some WIN operating systems may save the file in the Temporary Internet Files folder, while some Mac browsers will save it on the desktop. You can do a search after the latest JPG files located on your computer that include "brightqube" in their filename. Another choice would be to try to download the file again and read carefully all instructions listed on the Download Confirmation page in order to be able to specify the desired location.

Can I receive an invoice for my order?   [top]

A history of all orders made from your account is available on the “Account” page. Login and select that page. Then click on the History tab. All orders are currently paid for through credit cards or via PayPal at the time of any license purchase. If you are a major agency or company that has an invoicing capability and wish to open a business account on BrightQube, let us know. We’d be happy to discuss how we can work together. Just drop us a line at sales@brightqube.com.

General Site Information

You know, your site would be much better if it did this. Are you planning to do this? Or have you decided that would be silly?   [top]

Our future feature function map is replete with wonderful and fantastic things. Your “this” may be among such features and functions. We firmly feel that fast and fastidiously is finest way to field your fix. If you would like to suggest a new feature or function for the site, or suggest that some feature or function be accelerated, please send emails to request@brightqube.com.

This is SUPER COOL! Can I/we license the technology for our application?   [top]

Sure, for a Billion Dollars (pinky at the corner of the lips). Seriously, there are several who have asked about this possibility. . We will likely at some point look to offer this technology in a licensing or partnership arrangement. We do have patents pending. Please direct such interest to sales@brightqube.com and we’ll have the right people get back to you.

This thing stinks. Such-and-such is broken. How may I help you bumpkins fix such-and-such?   [top]

If you have found a bug, or something is not working as any normal human being would want it to, please submit an email to contact@brightqube.com.