Home > Frequently asked questions > Getting Started
FAQ / Getting Started
- The file I just downloaded is not 300dpi, which is the standard for printed materials. Why?
- What does "pricing level" stand for?
- Are the images free of watermarks?
- What does "credit" stand for?
- How do I pay for your images?
- What are the 'levels' you describe? It seems that the more downloads you do the more you pay per image - which seems to contradict the packages you can buy, which say the more credits you buy, the cheaper each image becomes.
- Why are there several licenses for an image? Which license do I buy?
- As a new customer I am trying to figure out which credit package to purchase. Can you help?
- I cannot distinguish between watermarked and non-watermarked images. When I click on them, they all have a watermark. Can you help?
- I want to change my username, how can I do that?
- I have just registered but I cannot access my account, where's the problem?
- Do credits ever expire?
- I don't have a credit card nor a Paypal account. How can I buy credits for downloading images?
- I want to buy a subscription plan. How many images can I download and when does the subscription end?
- I forgot my login details, how do I find them?
- Are you a member of any professional associations?
- You say your images are free but when I try to download, the system wants to charge me. Why?
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AThe images you downloaded are output by different cameras, scanners or other equipment. The default resolution on some of them could be lower than 300 dpi. This doesn't mean that the file is not usable. Before you download a file, first make sure you check the "Print size" in both English and metric systems for both web and print use. Use any graphical software to adjust the image resolution (if you are using Adobe Photoshop, make sure you uncheck the "resample image" option before changing the resolution of the file to 300dpi). Click here for a short tutorial for changing the resolution in Adobe Photoshop.
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AThe pricing level reflects how popular an image is. Most of the images in the database are level 0 when they are submitted (images submitted in assignments are an exception). When someone downloads an image, the download will be added to the image's total number of downloads. When the amount of downloads per image reaches a specific number the level of the file is increased, increasing its pricing as well (the number of credits you pay for it). This pricing is affected only by the number of downloads the image had, not by how many downloads you have made using your account.
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AAll high-resolution images you download do not have watermarks. Only the thumbnails visible on the site are watermarked for reasons related to copyright protection. You can download a file by using the Download button located on the Image details page, right below the description. Ensure you've selected the right size and license before using the Download tab.
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AThe credit is our site currency and you use credits to download images. For each image downloaded, a certain number of credits will be deducted from your account, as per the credit price scheme displayed on the image detail page. Unused credits are kept in your account for future use for exactly 12 months from purchase date. To buy credits, see the Buy Credits page. Note: Our images can be downloaded using either credits or subscription plans. Subscription plans are not credit-based, instead you are allowed to make a number of downloads each day. The image price differs for the two payment options.
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AWe provide you with several payment options. You can pay online (PayPal or credit card; all major credit cards are accepted) or use one of our offline payment methods (regular bank check, cashiers check, bank transfer/wire). For any of the offline payment methods, please contact us at 001-615-771-5611 (INTL) or toll free 800-243-1791 (US&Canada) for more details. Make sure you create an account first and have all the payment info ready prior to making the call. Please keep in mind that there is a minimum amount of $99.99 for offline payments.
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AThe levels refer to how many times an image has been downloaded by other users, NOT to how many downloads you make on the site. If an image becomes very popular, this system gives incentive to other images that are very good (but newer) to be downloaded, encouraging their use.
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AOur images can be downloaded under various license agreements, depending on the usage intended. All our images can be downloaded under the standard Royalty Free license which is suitable for most usage types. This is also the least expensive license. There are times when this license may not fit your usage so you need to check the additional extended licenses which grant you additional usage rights. To check which license is appropriate for your usage, please see our Terms
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AThe packages are tailored for your design needs. If you use many images on the long term, then a higher package is suggested, in order to take advantage of the higher discounts. rnIf you need less images choose a less expensive package.
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AOur site provides various sizes of small thumbnails and a larger version (comp) that includes a transparent watermark (our logo as a semitransparent layer centered on the image). Note that this is needed for security reasons and the high-resolution version you will download (using the download button) is free of any watermarks.
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AUsernames can be changed from our end exclusively. Send support your request including the new username. When you select this new username, we recommend you always check availability: Registration page - desired login box, check username option.
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APlease ensure that your browser accepts cookies. The login details can be retrieved from here.
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ACredits acquired with credit packages expire one year after the purchase date. Subscription plans give you access to a specific number of images per day for one, three, six or twelve months, depending on the plan selected. When the specified period has passed, the subscription stops automatically.
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AWe strongly encourage you to contact your local bank and request an international credit card. We have customers from all over the world and we accept cards issued by any bank, as long as they are internationally valid. If all these fail, you can contact us at 001-615-771-5611 for details on how to make a payment using a regular bank check, money order or cashiers check. Note that the credits are added only after the bank clears your funds, therefore delays can appear.
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AThe subscription plans give you access to a very high discount. The bonus can even exceed 100% in specific cases. Considering the high amount of images that you can download, a daily restriction is applied in order to assure an equal split throughout the whole subscription month. You may download up to 50 images/day, each day. If you used all downloads for one day, come back the next day and continue the download. If you are trying to meet a deadline and need more images for one day, you can buy credits to be used right away. Do not purchase a new subscription plan. You cannot have two subscriptions running simultaneously on the same account. Subscriptions end automatically after their specified period. The end time is not related to the calendar month but to the date at which you made the subscription purchase.
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AIn order to retrieve your login details please access this page. Use the email address you provided upon registration.
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AYes, Dreamstime is a member of PACA since 2006 and a member of CEPIC since 2007. PACA and CEPIC are the main trade associations of the stock photography industry.
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AWe have one of the largest free image database which you can use to download and license images free of charge. We also have a commercial section but these images cannot be downloaded free of charge. In order to search for free images only, please use the appropriate tab on the main menu toolbar: http://www.dreamstime.com/free-photos Note that once you access an image detail page, you may be offered similar choices from the commercial Royalty free section on the same page. Ensure that you check only the free of charge ones.
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