It is with great excitement that we are finally releasing the Symbiostock to grfx converter:

This is a very long time in the making and represents the full achievement of our plans stated back over a year ago with the former project.

SYMBIOSTOCK >> GRFX CONVERTER

http://community.grfx.co/symbiostock-to-grfx-converter-ready/

All the information needed is provided on the above page.

Also you may check out the thread prior to this: http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/grfx-ready-welcome-to-indie-stock/msg416119/

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Questions?

All questions and support are addressed on the community site: http://community.grfx.co/

Once you've converted over and set up a beautiful theme of your choice, post your site here. We'd love to see it.

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For Illustrators

grfx was designed for illustrators.Photographers will not find it useful since it does not support property/model releases.

   
• Extremely light-weight.
• Converts your old categories and tags
• Besides parent jpeg files grfx supports zips, eps, ai, svg, psd, and more.
• Offer multiple licenses. Offer specific products / sizes with your licenses.
• Watermarks your images.
• Extracts iptc data.
• Supports superior color models such as Adobe RGB
• Extends woocommerce.
• VAT Tax support available.
• Compatible with any woocommerce supported theme.
• Vastly simplified.
• Replacement plugins soon available for former project customers (ie, sitemap generator, seo, etc)
• Hosting a site to much work for you? Set up with us on our network: http://www.grfx.co

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We wish you  all the best as microstock continues to evolve.

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Special thanks to Dennis Crow for use of the lion image.

Thanks for dropping the ball on photographers. 

I can neither confirm nor deny that I am able or unable to ...

Um...

It processes jpegs... our standard currency...

Technically...well...

Boy, what can I say... we need a technicality here...

HEY - aren't you an illustrator!?

Check this out http://semmickphoto.com/image/vector-of-a-marijuana-leaf-with-caduceus-symbol/

Semmick, it really looks like your an illustrator!

  thanks

I do not serve microstockers, doncha know... but if you want to join indie-stock...

and of course our super awesome illustrator network at www.grfx.co is for people who are full time illustrators...but converting your site... aren't you an illustrator 

removed.

apparently you have to pay to get a site hosted on their servers. 

Leo,

How do you envision the future landscape for the indies?
If a photographer has also some illustrations, should he set up one site on grfx.com and another with photos only on Symbiostock?

Quote from: click_click on April 23, 2015, 09:43
removed.

apparently you have to pay to get a site hosted on their servers. 

Or you can use the totally open source and liberating free version https://github.com/orangeman555/grfx

Contact me if you have any questions.

Quote from: LesPalenik on April 23, 2015, 09:52
How do you envision the future landscape for the indies?

It would be nothing like the one we see now. Certainly more diverse. It would really redefine stock, and take away it's assumptions. 

Think of independent movies or the so-called indie-games. Indies, true to the culture, really fly or die based on their originality and approach.

With grfx I've simply coined 'indie' to really fall away from the microstock tree -- far from the tree.

Indie's would typically be less about quantity and more about quality. We won't give away the grfx secrets, but the indie approach would be about giving more attention to less images, instead of a little attention to a lot (ie, the micro-workflow).

We are simply applying the indi-culture to  image stock. No doubt you are aware of independent movies which did quite well ... the same with many other independent ventures. Indie-stock is about taking control and redefining your work and approach. Again, not sharing secrets - its about learning SEO to the limit and really capitalizing on it. So regarding that part of our landscape, to say "I'm an indie-stock artist" one would already assume you've learned how to market your images through the search engine.

SymbioProject stressed this, but few acted on it.

The landscape in general would be more diverse and original, because people are not forcing themselves into the cookie-cutter style of microstock. It would define itself quickly as artists pull different stunts to go viral, and get exposure. It would be fun.

grfx, thanks to clipartof.com, installs with a pre-made non-micro license template that you can implement with a simple button. I'd jump in and try it.

Microstock had a bit of a golden age, a quick flare between 2006 and 2008, if I'm not mistaken. Indi-stock, of course, being marketed on a broader level through search engines and social media, becoming a bit of a new entrepreneur trend, would probably not be so short-lived because the landscape in general is diverse and broad, not confined to an agency server or group. Based on organic search, and a whole different set of strategies, and the amazing mobility of independent people (as opposed to the rigitity and slowness of giant corps) it would probably adapt by the week, month, and year naturally.

It would, of course, be more work, but certainly better than being at the end of a dead trend.

Micro, to me, is a lot like Tulip Mania. I recognized it early, and sadly SymbioProject in concept did not work because it was simply too micro in nature. This is about getting one's hands dirty with a completely new flower garden, in essence. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania )

To me its quite refreshing to give 10 pieces a lot of attention and marketing than to rush out 1000's of images into oblivion.

The post here really expounds on this concept.

Thanks for asking.

Quote from: LesPalenik on April 23, 2015, 09:52
If a photographer has also some illustrations, should he set up one site on grfx.com and another with photos only on Symbiostock?

grfx.co is for the dedicated illustrators - the ones who have really honed themselves. Yet if your illustrations are of that caliber, we would certainly take you on. We have private forums for discussing our methods.

Quote from: LesPalenik on April 23, 2015, 09:52
Leo,

How do you envision the future landscape for the indies?
If a photographer has also some illustrations, should he set up one site on grfx.com and another with photos only on Symbiostock?

Hi Les. My own experience has determined that multiple personal sites are very beneficial if you do it correctly. I current have 7 and every one of the sites over 90 days old are out performing all of the lower tier micros and about half of the middle tier. But you can't just dump your images on each site. You should have multiple sites with different focus and...(I can't stress this enough) unique content for each site.
So yes I think multiple sites are a good idea.
So if you are looking to build a illustration site the grfx free plugin added to a theme of your choice would be a great solution. That's what I just did. Except for the domain name from godaddy it didn't cost me a thing. Blue host already allows for multiple domains in the hosting plan and I already had a theme I liked.

As far as grfx hosted, you kind of need to have a very good grasp on your illustration portfolio. You need to know which of your images and or styles sell the best. Those are the images that grfx wants to add firepower to. If you are confident in your best illustrations and know they will sell the hosted option is a great solution. Grfx is about bringing together the very best collection of illustrators and the very best of their illustrations. If this describes you then absolutely get involved with the hosted side of grfx. If you are unsure or just starting to build your illustration port stick with the free plugin so you don't feel like you are paying for something that you aren't benefitting from.

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 03:36
Photographers will not find it useful since it does not support property/model releases.

Is this the only reason why it's not for photographers?

Then I don't understand.

Because Releases normally do not need to be shown to the end customer, they are there to protect the photographer. Agencies demand to see Releases because they do not trust photographers to have them done correctly.
But when you are selling direct, there is no agency - hence no need to upload and manage releases anywhere (still the need to have them on file somewhere in your home or office, but that does not affect the website you're selling through).
The only thing a customer will be interested in is to see whether MR / PR is available for a specific photo. A little check box when uploading a photo, a little text to show the customer.

What am I missing?

Quote from: dirkr on April 23, 2015, 16:13

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 03:36
Photographers will not find it useful since it does not support property/model releases.

Is this the only reason why it's not for photographers?

Then I don't understand.

Because Releases normally do not need to be shown to the end customer, they are there to protect the photographer. Agencies demand to see Releases because they do not trust photographers to have them done correctly.
But when you are selling direct, there is no agency - hence no need to upload and manage releases anywhere (still the need to have them on file somewhere in your home or office, but that does not affect the website you're selling through).
The only thing a customer will be interested in is to see whether MR / PR is available for a specific photo. A little check box when uploading a photo, a little text to show the customer.

What am I missing?

It looks like your not missing anything. Here is grfx workflow:

   
• Upload image.
• Uploaded image is processed manually or by server queue.
• Metadata is extracted, turned into a stock image based on presets/defaults.
• (Optional) you modify prices / licenses of image.
• Image becomes available as a specialized woocommerce product.

grfx itself is highly intentioned toward graphic artists and illustrators, but of course its open source and freely usable...
Our illustrator services are optional of course. We keep a market advantage by employing open source on the same philosophy as Blender 3d or Wordpress itself.
I cannot stress it enough though - our position in indi-stock is of biggest relevance here. We simply are not serving microstockers. Bringing your work into grfx in itself makes it indi-stock. You've just started your climb out of a dying trend. 

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 16:43

Quote from: dirkr on April 23, 2015, 16:13

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 03:36
Photographers will not find it useful since it does not support property/model releases.

Is this the only reason why it's not for photographers?

Then I don't understand.

Because Releases normally do not need to be shown to the end customer, they are there to protect the photographer. Agencies demand to see Releases because they do not trust photographers to have them done correctly.
But when you are selling direct, there is no agency - hence no need to upload and manage releases anywhere (still the need to have them on file somewhere in your home or office, but that does not affect the website you're selling through).
The only thing a customer will be interested in is to see whether MR / PR is available for a specific photo. A little check box when uploading a photo, a little text to show the customer.

What am I missing?

It looks like your not missing anything. Here is grfx workflow:

   
• Upload image.
• Uploaded image is processed manually or by server queue.
• Metadata is extracted, turned into a stock image based on presets/defaults.
• (Optional) you modify prices / licenses of image.
• Image becomes available as a specialized woocommerce product.

grfx itself is highly intentioned toward graphic artists and illustrators, but of course its open source and freely usable...
Our illustrator services are optional of course. We keep a market advantage by employing open source on the same philosophy as Blender 3d or Wordpress itself.
I cannot stress it enough though - our position in indi-stock is of biggest relevance here. We simply are not serving microstockers. Bringing your work into grfx in itself makes it indi-stock. You've just started your climb out of a dying trend. 

still confused -- if lack of model releases is the only thing keeping out photographers, why couldn't grfx be used by photographers who don't USE releases?

Quote from: cascoly on April 23, 2015, 22:59

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 16:43

Quote from: dirkr on April 23, 2015, 16:13

Quote from: Leo on April 23, 2015, 03:36
Photographers will not find it useful since it does not support property/model releases.

Is this the only reason why it's not for photographers?

Then I don't understand.

Because Releases normally do not need to be shown to the end customer, they are there to protect the photographer. Agencies demand to see Releases because they do not trust photographers to have them done correctly.
But when you are selling direct, there is no agency - hence no need to upload and manage releases anywhere (still the need to have them on file somewhere in your home or office, but that does not affect the website you're selling through).
The only thing a customer will be interested in is to see whether MR / PR is available for a specific photo. A little check box when uploading a photo, a little text to show the customer.

What am I missing?

It looks like your not missing anything. Here is grfx workflow:

   
• Upload image.
• Uploaded image is processed manually or by server queue.
• Metadata is extracted, turned into a stock image based on presets/defaults.
• (Optional) you modify prices / licenses of image.
• Image becomes available as a specialized woocommerce product.

grfx itself is highly intentioned toward graphic artists and illustrators, but of course its open source and freely usable...
Our illustrator services are optional of course. We keep a market advantage by employing open source on the same philosophy as Blender 3d or Wordpress itself.
I cannot stress it enough though - our position in indi-stock is of biggest relevance here. We simply are not serving microstockers. Bringing your work into grfx in itself makes it indi-stock. You've just started your climb out of a dying trend. 

still confused -- if lack of model releases is the only thing keeping out photographers, why couldn't grfx be used by photographers who don't USE releases?

This is not the only reason. There is an agreement. GRFX is for Illustrators. New Symbiostock is for Photographers. If you read between the lines it is fairly clear.

Just a thought - since Leo and the rest of the Graphics guys have left Symbiostock, you should't reference it in any of your materials.

Although I still have three symbiostock sites and probably will for quite a while I couldn't agree more. They are now completely different even if they share the same genesis. They should be treated that way. Nevertheless there are illustrators out there with legacy sites. They needed to be made aware that there is an option for them to upgrade as well.

I'm ready to switch! Do I need to deactivate the plugins I have now before I start? I'm incredibly web illiterate and hoping this process will relatively easy but I'm expecting to have some questions as I go. I'm excited to have a new look!

Hi Stacy. Leo said he would be happy to walk you through it. It should be seemless and another site owner went through the process on his own yesterday without an issue. However, if you are like me nothing ever goes completely right. Usually because I don't follow the directions. Regardless Leo is here to help. I'll send you a pm with his contact info.

I have asked Microstock group to move this to general discussion or merge it with the other thread on grfx as I am receiving too many queries from contributors who are understandably confused as to why this is in the Symbiostock forum.

Just to be clear, grfx has nothing to do with the new Symbiostock.

I've been following along and I decided to try and install the GRFX plugin and see what happens. I shoot photos but it's open source, so what the heck. I tried it. If I ever sell music or anything else downloadable, I'll try it for that too.

So far it works great and is pretty easy to use. I like the Woocommerce platform and the converter worked fine for me. The part that was challenging was that I had a lot of photos in "draft" mode. I had to publish them to convert, then made them "draft" again once I switched the theme to my Woocommerce theme. I am still sorting through the generated sym pages versus what I actually need, but it's coming along (photominingstock.com is my site).

I was never really into the whole Sym-network side of things. I just wanted a downloadable product-shopping cart to sell my own stuff without anyone trying to impose any kind of oversight or control over me and my work. So far, this plugin works for photos. I will do the VAT plugin eventually and see how that works too.

Hi, could a grfx thread be started on the Illustration board?  A few of us missed the original post and it would be good to have an easy reference in an obvious spot.  Thanks.

Think I really screwed up. I was getting a lot of emails about upgrading to grfx converter, and without researching enough, tried to upgrade today. Now I have no access to any of the admin pages, they are all blank white pages, but my site is still there. Looks like it is broken and I have no idea how to fix it or put it back the way it was. Any suggestions? Thanks!

You can get ahold of Leo at www.grfx.co. He will help you sort it out.

Quote from: epantha on April 26, 2015, 22:29
Think I really screwed up. I was getting a lot of emails about upgrading to grfx converter, and without researching enough, tried to upgrade today. Now I have no access to any of the admin pages, they are all blank white pages, but my site is still there. Looks like it is broken and I have no idea how to fix it or put it back the way it was. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I did that too. What sorted it for me was ftp'ing in, deleting the plugin, disabled the sym theme and plugins, reinstalled it and it loaded a-ok. Re-enabled the sym stuff and ran the converter. I imagine there's an easier way, but I'm less techie than the pros.

Hey guys,

I'm going to re-initiate some of the culture of the old days! When you had trouble with your WP sites I would simply request admin privileges and help you with certain features.

On the converter page you can now contact me to do the conversion for you.

The conversion is completely reversable too.