Gekko Images Star System

Gekko Images has developed a quality rating system which is applied to all images across the Gekko collection. This system provides buyers with both an indicator of quality as well as a spread of prices. Rights-managed images are rated from 5 to 1 star, royalty-free 3 to 1 star.

The highest star represents the best quality images and 1 star the least. This manifests itself as price discounts. For example with royalty-free a 3 star image selling for $100 would sell for $66 as 2 stars and $33 as 1 star.

How do I apply the star rating?

In iView Mediapro 3 it is the rating field. If you are using iView Mediapro 2.6 all images come into Gekko with 1 star. As part of the approval process you need to set the star rating for each image. You do this on the thumbnail page.

For royalty -free above each thumbnail there is a drop down with 1,2,3 in it. Just select the appropriate star rating for each image and then approve as normal. For Rights-managed it will be 1,2,3,4,5

If you are using iView Mediapro 3 then you can use the star rating in iView and send the rating up with the image. Gekko will set the iView rating for each image as it comes into Gekko. You still have the option to change the star rating once the images are on the site.

How should I set the rating?

Like the licence type there are some simple guidelines to help you rate your images accurately. If you follow them and work with the Gekko photo editors you are sure to have the correct ratings set.

1. Within each licence type high quality images should be set to the highest star rating. These represent your best work and work which you feel is equal to the best stock images online
2. You may have lots of images which are not quite up to the standard of you best portfolio class work but, nonetheless have economic value. Set these images to 2 stars. (4 or 3 for rights-managed)
3. 1 star images are any ‘snap shot’ images. These are images which are of very low economic value or are very common and therefore have little intrinsic value.

And some final advice... don’t agonise over the decision. Go with your first instinct. Any images which we feel are not quite right will be picked up during the approval process. And you can always alter them later.