Help
Searching
Searching for Images or Clips
You are able to search through the images and clips in a number of different ways. The options are selected via a series of radial buttons in the Advanced Search page. The most common search options are also always at hand in the search widget visible when you click on the keyword search field.
Keyword Search
The search engine on the SPL site scans the keywords, titles but not the captions. By default any search works in 'Fuzzy' mode and you can change it to 'Exact' mode on the Advanced Search page. A fuzzy match splits your keyword string into sub-strings and then individually matches each of these sub-strings against the words in the search engine. This is useful if you need to search for plurals of words, or if you have a particular prefix or suffix that is relevant to your needs. For instance, you could search for 'chemical', which would also match 'biochemical' and 'petro-chemical'. Any images that exactly match your keywords will appear at the beginning of the search results. Fuzzy searches can also cope in most cases with badly spelt keywords.
The phrase you enter in the 'Keywords' field can be written using the familiar Boolean operators 'and', 'or' and 'not'. Brackets can also be used to force the meaning of your phrase. For instance, one could search for 'galaxy or nebula', 'cell and not cancer', 'human and (appendix or liver)', 'mathematics or (physics and not theoretical)'. If a phrase contains spaces without operators, then the words will be joined with 'and' before a search is made. E.g. the phrase 'polluted river' will default to 'polluted and river'.
If you are aware of SPL Reference numbers, you can search for images directly by using the number as a keyword phrase. The search method in this case should be 'Keyword or image number' and you should note that Boolean operators will not work.
Contributor Search
If you wish to see all the images or clips from one of our contributors, enter the name of the contributor and select the 'Contributor' option in the Search method section of the Advanced Search page. Please be aware that the Contributors search scans the Copyright Credit message applicable to each image or clip and in some cases this is different from the contributor's name.
Search Filters
You can limit your keyword or contributor searches to one or more of our main seven categories:
- Animals
- Environment
- Flowers
- Healthcare
- History
- Science & Technology
- Space
Other filters available are "High resolution images only", "HD clips only" and the ability to restrict a keyword search to one of our contributors.
Sort Result
There are three ways in which images or clips can be ordered:
- Default
- Most recent first
- Best sellers first
The default ordering uses a mixture of the other two so that the images appearing in the first pages contain a mixture of best sellers images as well as recently added images that don't yet have any sales history. By switching to 'Most recent first' more recent images/clips are given priority whereas 'Best sellers first' gives priority to our most popular images/clips.
Previous Searches
The last 20 searches you performed can be accessed from this drop-down menu. Searches are only remembered in this list if you have logged in.
Lightboxes
Working with Lightboxes
Lightboxes are areas that you can save images to between visits to the SPL site. SPL sales staff also have access to your lightboxes, so if you need to discuss a potential order, both you and the staff at SPL can view the same lightbox simultaneously whilst you talk. SPL sales staff also have the ability to create lightboxes, based on your search needs, so that you can view them in your Lightbox area.
New lightboxes can be created at the top of the Lightboxes page, whilst the details of existing lightboxes are displayed in the body of the page, along with the first six images in that lightbox. To view a lightbox, click on the relevant 'View Lightbox' button.
Once you have a lightbox set up, you can add comments by using the 'Add Note' function. To order some or all of the images that it contains select the 'Order Now' button. You can email a lightbox to an email address specified by you so that the recipient can view the images in your lightbox. You can email a lightbox to more than one recipient by separating the various email addresses with a comma. If your lightbox has some comments, these will appear to the email recipients. Finally, if the recipient of your email has an account on the SPL site, they will be able to add your lightbox to their collection of lightboxes. Lightboxes can also be deleted or renamed via the respective buttons for each lightbox.
Lightbox View
Your lightboxes have two viewing options: 'Thumbnails', where images are displayed as thumbnails; and 'Caption', where images are displayed larger and with accompanying caption, credit line, and SPL reference number. The two views can be accessed from the navigation bar above the main display area.
Within each lightbox images can be selected through the use of checkboxes, and functions performed on these selected images via the options at the top of the page. You can 'Select all' or 'Deselect all' using the links in the navigation bar at the top of the page. Images within a lightbox can be added to your current order, deleted, or copied to one of your other existing lightboxes. You can also change the number of images that you wish to view per page. A lightbox select menu allows you to jump directly to one of your other lightboxes. In the Caption view there is also a facility to add a comment to each individual image.
Ordering
Prices
You can find what we charge for different image licences on this page.
File Sizes
Images can be ordered as digital high resolution or low resolution files. Royalty Free images are available in a range of file sizes from 0.5MB to 50+MB. At present RF images are not available for direct download from the site. Once you place an order for RF images an SPL member of staff will deliver the files to you. Clips are also at this stage not available for direct download, apart from the low resolution, watermarked QuickTime preview. Unwatermarked, broadcast quality clips will be delivered to you either by FTP or DVD.
Media Details
If you have selected to receive images as digital files, you can choose low resolution or high resolution formats. If you select low resolution, you can download the images after checkout has been completed, from a link on the order completed page (this is only available to approved users).
If you select high resolution files, you can receive images on a CD (delivered by post or courier), or directly from the website after checkout has been completed, from a link on the order completed page (this is only available to approved users).
High Resolution Images
Approved customers can download high resolution files that are already on the site. A licence fee will be charged for the images used in your project. Other customers can order high resolution files to be sent via CD/email. If you would like to become an approved customer, please telephone us on +44 (0) 20 7432 1100. For images that are not yet available at high resolution on the site, you can still order them as high resolution files, but there may be a delay of a few hours or longer or up to two days, depending on the number of images, before they can be delivered.
Although we make every effort to supply you with the images you have ordered, from time to time it may not be possible to find the exact image you have specified. In these instances we will always contact you to discuss providing you with an alternative image.
We supply our clips in a variety of formats. The formats available for
each clip are listed in its pop-up window. These formats are explained below.
Please contact us if your desired format is not available.
| HD | 1920x1080, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| HD ProRes | 1920x1080, Apple ProRes HQ compression |
| HD longGOP | 1920x1080, MPEG-2 long group of pictures compression |
| HD AVCHD | 1920x1080, H.264/AVCHD compression |
| HD 720 | 1280x720, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| HDV | 1440x1080i, HDV (MPEG-2) compression |
| HD non-standard | Any format larger than SD but not a standard broadcast file. Resolution will be detailed in the caption. These are typically square sensors (eg 1024- or 2048-pixels-square) or timelapses from digital camera stills. Played out as QuickTime files, 100% Photo JPEG compression |
| PAL (if from 16:9) | 1024x576, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| PAL native | 720x576, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| NTSC (if from 16:9) | 864x486, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| NTSC native | 720x486, 100% Photo Jpeg compression |
| Presentation (if from 16:9) | 640x360, 15 frames per second, MPEG-4 Part 2 compression |
| Presentation (if from 4:3) | 640x480, 15 frames per second, MPEG-4 Part 2 compression |
| Web use (if from 16:9) | 480x270, H.264 compression, bit rate limited to 1000Kbps |
| Web use (if from 4:3) | 480x360, H.264 compression, bit rate limited to 1000Kbps |
Special Requests
If you have any special requests regarding image selection or delivery, then please enter your comments into the area provided. This information will be sent with your order to the SPL sales staff. For instance you can use this field to let us know if your project has any specific deadlines or if you have particular requirements for the size of the files or their format.
Delivery Addresses
At this stage you should check your delivery details, and if necessary change either your order contents or your personal details. Alternative delivery addresses to your registered user address may be added and used.
If you have chosen to receive images as high resolution files on CD, you must select your method of delivery: by post or by courier. You can also choose to receive images as they become available, or in one single delivery.
You may add, edit and delete alternative delivery addresses to your registered address. To select an alternative address, select the required address and click on the 'Select' button.
Search Service
If you don't find what you are looking for you can take advantage of our free Search Service. We have a team of experienced researchers working Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm (GMT) who can send you a selection of images or clips. There is no charge for this service.