Frequently asked questions
Here at Alamy, we want to make your experience with us as pleasant as possible. We hope we’ve answered the most common questions below, but if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, please just contact us at the relevant department. We’ll be happy to assist you.
General questions
- What is Alamy
- Why should I use Alamy?
- Can I download images from the Alamy site?
- Can I download zoom and comp images from Alamy for layout purposes?
- How can I use an image once I have bought it?
- What does ‘Royalty-Free’ mean?
- What does ‘Traditional Licence’ mean?
- What does ‘Rights-Protected’ mean?
- Does Alamy sell image CDs?
- How do you protect the privacy of the information I submit?
- Which browsers does the site support and how can I get technical help?
Licensing and releases
- What is licensing (Royalty-Free/traditional) and how does it affect my purchase?
- What is a release?
- How do I see if an image has a release?
Pricing, ordering and purchasing
- What currencies does Alamy support?
- How do I set up an account?
- Can you perform a picture search for me?
- How can I get a price for an image I want?
- How do I buy an image?
- How do I view previous orders?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- How do I know the site is secure for money transactions?
- How can I print my invoice?
Downloading and using images
- What are the image specifications (file sizes, etc.)?
- How do I save the image I have bought onto my computer?
- How long does it take to download an image?
- Can you ISDN me an image?
- Can I cancel once I have downloaded an image?
- How large can I print your images?
- If I need to download a picture I have just bought again, will I be charged?
General Questions
What is Alamy?
Visit our section About Alamy and see our press releases to find out more.
Why should I use Alamy?
- Our technology enables you to find the image you are looking for in a fraction of a second.
- Whatever your budget, whatever your criteria, you’ll find an image to suit at Alamy.
- Alamy offers favourable commission rates for our photographers and operates an open-door policy to newcomers.
Can I download images from the Alamy site?
Yes. All images on Alamy are available in high resolution for immediate download. You will need to register to access these images. Alamy is a 100% digital agency, therefore we do not hold transparencies
Can I download zoom and comp images from Alamy for layout purposes?
Yes. To save a comp click (Mac users click and hold, PC users - right-click) on the image to view your save options. The comp image is free for layout of uses. For other uses you will need to purchase the images.
How can I use an image once I have bought it?
With all Images you must check to see that the image has the appropriate Model or Property release if this is needed for the usage you wish to use the image for. For more information on Releases see our release information page. Once these restrictions have been checked Royalty-free images have no limits on their use. Please note not all of Alamy’s RF Images are Model or Property released. Traditionally Licensed images are available only for use during the duration of the licence. Please refer to our explanation about Releases for more information.
What does ‘Royalty-Free’ mean?
Please refer to our explanation about licencing Royalty-Free images.
What does ‘Traditional Licence’ mean?
Please refer to our explanation about Traditional Licences.
What does ‘Rights-Protected’ mean?
Please refer to our explanation about Traditional Licences and rights protection.
Does Alamy sell image CDs?
Alamy does not sell physical CDS, but offers Virtual CDs - hassle-free, Royalty-Free CDs. Just like physical CDs, they contain themed collections of Royalty-Free images for a set price, but with Virtual CDs, you can download the images straight away and access them at any time.
To see our collection of VCDs, simply enter a search term on the homepage. On the search results page, click the Virtual CDs link at the top of the page.
How do you protect the privacy of the information I submit?
Please refer to our Privacy policy.
Which browsers does the site support and how can I get technical help?
For best results, we recommend that you use the following browsers for PC or Mac when viewing the Alamy web site:
- Internet Explorer 5.0 and above
- Netscape 7
- Safari
- Mozilla
- Firefox
- AOL 8 and above
- Opera 6 and above
If you experience further technical problems please contact us.
Licensing and releases
What is licensing (Royalty-Free/traditional), and how does it affect my purchase?
When you buy an image from Alamy, you purchase the right to use that image in a particular way. This is called a licence. We offer a Royalty-Free licence, a Traditional Licence and the option to rights protect an image (Rights-Protected optional). The price of an image can be affected by the file size, the licence chosen and how the image will be used, see our licensing page for more information.
What is a release?
A model or property release is a written agreement between the model/property owner and the photographer whereby the model/owner gives his/her permission to the photographer to use the photographs commercially. Releases generally permit the use of the image(s) for all purposes, with exceptions for controversial, sensitive or defamatory uses. To find out more, see our release information page.
Please note that not all of Alamy's Royalty Free images are Model or Property released. It is your responsibility to check whether a model / property release exists and whether the usage, you are using it for, requires a release.
How do I see if an image has a release?
On the image details page there is a section called "Releases" which is split between Adult and Property fields. If there is a Yes against the field the Contributor has stated to Alamy that the relevant release is available. It is your responsibility as a buyer to decide if the image requires a release.
Should you wish to obtain a copy of the release, please contact us and we will try to obtain the release from the relevant Contributor. Please give us up to seven working days to perform this request.
Please note that Alamy gives no legal assertion that an image marked as having a model and/or a property release has these releases. Releases are held by Alamy’s contributors and Alamy does not verify in any way the information they attach to their images.
Pricing, ordering and purchasing
What currencies does Alamy support?
When registering you will be asked to choose your preferred currency for viewing prices and payments. Alamy currently supports US dollars, Pounds Sterling and Euros.
Once you have chosen your preferred currency and completed registration you can change to a different currency at any time by:
- Clicking on the My Alamy link at the top of the page
- Then clicking Change your login details
If calculating an image price, be sure to save any licence changes before changing your payment currency.
How do I set up an account?
You may Apply for a 30 day credit account online via My Alamy. Please contact us should you require any assistance. Accounts are set up at the discretion of Alamy.
Can you perform a free picture search for me?
Yes, please contact us if you would like to request a free search.
How can I get a price for an image I want?
Click here for more information on pricing and using our price calculator.
How do I buy an image?
Click here for details of the steps you need to take to buy an image.
How do I view previous orders?
Log on and click the My Alamy link at the top of the page - from here you will find a menu, click the Orders and downloads option, you can also download images from here at anytime during the duration of the licence purchased.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept American Express, Visa and Mastercard or we accept payment on account. Please contact us if you would like to set up an account. Accounts are set up at the discretion of Alamy.
How do I know the site is secure for money transactions?
We take your security and privacy very seriously and we aim to make your experience with us entirely safe and problem free. We use the latest encryption technology to ensure security. Please see our security and privacy policy.
How can I print my invoice?
Log on and click the My Alamy link at the top of the page - from here you will find a menu, click the Orders and downloads option, you can print an invoice of any of your previous orders from here at anytime.
Downloading and using images
What are the image specifications (file sizes, etc)?
See our Image Specification page.
How do I save the image I have bought onto my computer?
Please refer to our explanation about downloading images and saving them to both a PC and a MAC.
How long does it take to download an image?
See the table below for average download times.
Typical download times for RGB JPEG files File size Compressed file size Time (minutes) 28.8 56K ISDN T1 600K 60K 2 1 < 1 < 1 10MB 100-400K 20 10 5 2 28MB 2-8MB 40 20 10 5 48MB 4-12MB 60 30 15 7 Can you ISDN me an image?
We can ISDN images, but there may be a charge. Please contact us to arrange this service.
Can I cancel once I have downloaded an image?
You may cancel your order after you have downloaded an image. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy.
How large can I print your images?
This will depend on how you are outputting an image, what the target resolution is and the kind of hardware you are using. Consult your printer or reproduction bureau for the best advice. We also offer an interpolation service to give you higher resolutions of an image without impacting the quality. Please contact us for more information about interpolation.
If I need to download a picture I have just bought again, will I be charged?
No. To download again: Log on and click the My Alamy link at the top of the page - from here you will find a menu, click the Orders and downloads option, then click the Image download link next to the correct order number. You can do this at anytime during the duration of the licence purchased.