Guide to Downloads and Royalty Free Licensing.

All images on The Image Street website can be downloaded for both commercial and personal use with a choice of Royalty Free Licenses.

Choosing the appropriate license for your image can sometimes be a little confusing and this guide aims to give some explanation and add some clarity.

Licensing your Image Street image is actually very straight forward but firstly, why do we need a license anyway?  Well, quite simply, when we purchase anything we're always entering into some sort of contract with the seller. Both the buyer and seller are entitled to certain rights and it offers protection and peace of mind.  Many of us are familiar with the licenses associated with music downloads which allow certain usage rights, for example; you may be limited to burning three copies of an album to CD.

Licensing an image follows similar lines in that we are given certain usage rights when purchasing the image. We're not just purchasing the image, but also the right to use it in certain ways.

The Image Street has simplified the process to make downloading our images as easy as possible.  When you find an image you would like to download, first select  "Add to Cart" then click on "Download".  You'll be presented with a range of download options which offer a choice of image size, each of which is available with either a Standard or Extended Royalty Free License.

A Royalty Free license entitles the user to download the image once but then re-use and copy it many times for a broad range of uses from websites and email to magazines, books and advertising flyers.

The Standard License is subject to certain limitations which in general terms means that usage is limited to 10,000 times and usage is restricted to those listed. So, you could download and use the image for a print run of up to 10,000 promotional flyers but not 20,000 Calendars. The latter requires an Extended License.

The Extended License removes the 10,000 usage limitation so is suitable for those wanting to produce higher volumes. The Extended License also covers a wider range of print and electronic products such as Greeting Cards and Screensavers.

In both cases it is important to review the license text to ensure that your intended use does not fall outside the usage rights offered by the licence.  This is the responsibility of the buyer!

Some images are marked as "Editorial Use Only".  These may only be used as part of editorial or advertising copy in magazines, newspapers, books, book covers, textbooks, editorials, directories etc.  Again, a Standard license allows the use of the image up to 10,000 times and is more limiting in how the image can be used.  Beyond that an Extended License is required.

That pretty much deals with the Commercial Royalty Free licenses offered by The Image Street. The following is a summary of the differences between Standard and Extended Licenses.

Standard Commercial License Use:

Print Usage (Non-Resale, up to 10,000 copies)

• Advertisement
• Decoration
• Brochure, pamphlet, document, report
• Any non-resale print or product
• Any print project covered under Editorial Standard License

Electronic Usage (Non-Resale)

• Web page advertisement
• Web page design element
• E-Newsletter design element or advertisement (up to 10,000 e-mails)
• Electronic document (up to 10,000 copies)
• Multimedia presentation (up to 10,000 copies)
• Any electronic project covered under Editorial Standard License

Extended Commercial License Use:

Print Usage (Resale and Unlimited Run)

• Book jacket or interior page
• Greeting card design
• Poster for resale
• Calendar for resale
• Mug or T-shirt design
• Software packaging, CD/DVD/video or audio tape label
• Trade show display, billboard, exhibit
• Any print project covered under Standard Commercial License
• Any print project covered under Editorial Full License
• Any item/product for resale

Electronic Usage (Resale and Unlimited Run)

• Electronic greeting card
• Web application template
• Presentation software template
• Screensaver
• E-mail template
• Any electronic project covered under Commercial Standard License
• Any electronic project covered under Editorial Full License

Standard Editorial License Use:

• Web-based news article or press release
• Personal or corporate blog
• E-Newsletter editorial (up to 10,000 e-mails)
• Printed editorial in limited run (up to 10,000 copies) newspaper, magazine, or other printed media

Extended Editorial License Use:

• Large circulation newspaper editorial
• Magazine editorial
• Publication/book of historical nature (educational materials, encyclopedia, etc.)
• Any unlimited run printed editorial
• Any unlimited run electronic editorial
• Any editorial covered under Standard Editorial License

Quick Bangkok

After a cheap, cheerful and very tasty meal an early night was had to try and get a reasonably early start next day.  I wanted to check out some of the main sites along the river so hit the road at 1100am and caught the BTS Skytrain to Sathorn Taksin where you can pick up a tourist boat from Central Pier.  A single journey on one of the traditional "long tail" boats up to the Grand Palace area costs about 500Baht, subject to negotiation!.  Much better value is the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat which, for 150Baht, gets you a one day pass for unlimited travel up and down the river taking in all the main tourist sites.

My first stop was at Wat Kanalayanamit Pier where a huge Vihara, Buddha Image Hall, can be found.  This is home to Luang Pho To, highly revered among the Chinese who call it by it's Chinese name, San Bao Gong.  I always find these places wonderfully calm and relaxing and a great escape from the bustle of the city.

Just a little way up the river is Wat Pho, home of the largest Reclining Buddha in Thailand. Many tourists don't go any further than the Wiharn containing the Buddha itself which is a shame as the site has so much to offer.  The temple is older than Bangkok itself having been founded in the 17th Century by Rama I. Rama III constructed the Reclining Buddha and subsequently expanded the temple in 1832 making a centre of learning, effectively creating Thailands first university.  The temple has some 95 Chedis which are unique in that they are of square construction instead of the more common round, bell-like structures found elsewhere.

Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn which, unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit as I wanted to make it to the Grand Palace with time in hand.  Wat Arun is one of the more famous sights of Bangkok and luckily I got some shots as we passed on the boat.

Thai kings stopped living at The Grand Palace at around about the turn of the 20th Century but it is still the regarded as the Spiritual Heart of Thailand and is maintained as the seat of power.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha makes up one corner of the complex and makes for superb photo opportunities. The temple houses a Buddha image carved from a large solid piece of green jadite (jasper) and is regarded as a personal chapel of the Royal Family.

The rest of the complex is made up of the Outer and Central courts where business of government was carried out. Only two throne rooms are open to the public with the rest of the buildings only viewed from the outside.

There is a strict dress code enforced at the Grand Palace.  Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc.  Luckily there is a booth just inside the entrance where suitable clothing can be borrowed.  200 Baht is required as a deposit and is returned when you leave.

Beware of the touts outside who will seek out those in shorts, like me, and try and tell you can't go in without proper clothing.  They will offer to help. . . for a price!  Just politely remind them that you can get some clothing for free inside.  Similarly, there are also touts offering tours. Steer clear of them, you can also get a tour inside for free.

So that was my Quick Bangkok, I tried to cram in as much as I could in the short space of  time that I had and it's amazing just how much you can achieve sometimes. Just need to get back and do the rest some time!