MicrostockGroup Sponsors


« previous next »
Home | Pages: [1] 2 3  All

Author Topic: Toon Vectors  (Read 22854 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Toon Vectors

« on: May 06, 2012, 21:57 »
0
Toon Vectors is a brand new microstock website for royalty-free vector graphics and clip-art.  The website is comparatively minimal and simplistic at the moment, with its current set of features driven by the philosophy of a minimum viable product, but I have a number of enhancements and improvements planned for the near future.  Constructive criticism is most welcome.

I recommend reading the FAQ and end-user / artist agreements linked below for more detailed information, but here are some highlights:

  • Fixed prices: $19.99 / $99.99 standard / extended royalty-free licenses
  • No buyer subscriptions - ala carte purchases only
  • 70% artist commission on all sales
  • 10% affiliate commission program
  • Payouts through PayPal or Moneybookers processed monthly, no minimum payout
  • EPS v8/10 uploads required
  • IPTC metadata extraction if an accompanying tagged JPEG is provided
  • Uploads handled through Dropbox
  • Based in Austin, TX
  • One employee currently (yours truly)

Home Page
http://www.toonvectors.com/

Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.toonvectors.com/help/faq

Royalty-Free License Agreement
http://www.toonvectors.com/help/licensing

Artist Agreement
http://www.toonvectors.com/help/artists

Artist Signup
http://www.toonvectors.com/register?type=artist
« Last Edit: May 12, 2012, 21:10 by Toon Vectors »
Logged

michaeldb

« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2012, 16:13 »
0
The pages loaded very fast (and I am on relatively slow DSL) and everything seemed to work. Sometimes simpler is better, and I didn't see anything which I thought was missing.

One quibble I would have is calling the license an 'End User License Agreement' since the buyer isn't really the end user, but rather a licensee who will use your product in another product for an end user. This might cause some confusion.

Very nice site, IMO.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2012, 20:03 »
0
Quote from: michaeldb on May 07, 2012, 16:13
One quibble I would have is calling the license an 'End User License Agreement' since the buyer isn't really the end user, but rather a licensee who will use your product in another product for an end user. This might cause some confusion.

Good point - 'Royalty-Free License Agreement' or even just plain 'License Agreement' would be better, so I'll get that changed.

Quote
Very nice site, IMO.

Thanks!
Logged

click_click

« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2012, 21:19 »
0
I think if there was something "severely" wrong, your site would have been ripped into pieces here by now if I compare it with Yuri's launch...

I see a clean and inviting site with good vectors. You should get a good Google Page Rank with this domain name and content.

Best of luck!
Logged

PinnacleAnimates

« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2012, 08:58 »
0
good site.. simple and attractive...

do you accept all type of vectors or just toons?
Logged

Noedelhap

« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2012, 10:02 »
0
I might just upload if it wasn't Dropbox-only. I like the site and the commission.
Logged

MisterElements

« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2012, 10:33 »
0
Congrats on your new site. I applied and uploaded 10 images onto drop box in your folder.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2012, 15:22 »
0
Quote from: Pinnacleanimates on May 08, 2012, 08:58
do you accept all type of vectors or just toons?

Any style of vector art is welcome, not just cartoons.  I'm working on a categorization system for browsing and for filtering search results.  It's still mostly in the design and planning stage, but should help surface and separate different styles and subjects better when it's finished.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #8 on: May 08, 2012, 15:35 »
0
Quote from: Noedelhap on May 08, 2012, 10:02
I might just upload if it wasn't Dropbox-only. I like the site and the commission.

Out of curiosity, what are your objections to Dropbox?

I should mention that it's not necessarily the only way the site will accept uploads in the future, but it happened to be the fastest, easiest and most inexpensive way for me to implement an uploading system for the initial launch.  The decision to go with Dropbox wasn't completely about expedience, however, and I really do think the model of syncing to private folders on cloud drives offers significant advantages over traditional FTP and web form direct uploads.
Logged

Anita Potter

« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2012, 16:34 »
0
I'm going to keep an eye on this thread as I mainly do vectors.

I think the initial thing about Dropbox is that it's sort of scarey to upload to because I'm not sure who all will have access to that folder aside from you and me.  Worried about the potential of someone else coming in and stealing them.  I've not used dropbox before so I'm not exactly sure how secure and safe they'll be.

Will accepted images still be in Dropbox or will they get moved to the sites server?

Thanks.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2012, 17:48 »
0
Quote from: Anita Potter on May 08, 2012, 16:34
I think the initial thing about Dropbox is that it's sort of scarey to upload to because I'm not sure who all will have access to that folder aside from you and me.  Worried about the potential of someone else coming in and stealing them.  I've not used dropbox before so I'm not exactly sure how secure and safe they'll be.

Only you and I have access to the Toon Vectors folder on Dropbox and it's the only part of your Dropbox that I have access to (and you can revoke my access at any time), but that concern definitely makes sense and I can understand the hesitancy.  

The perception vs. reality of safety and security is an interesting question though - after all, how locked down are the FTP and web servers at your average web hosting provider?  The answer varies.  Dropbox has a lot to lose (i.e. their entire business) if they screw up, so at the very least you know they have to take it seriously.

Here is their statement on the subject:
https://www.dropbox.com/help/27

Quote
Will accepted images still be in Dropbox or will they get moved to the sites server?

The images get moved to storage at Toon Vectors which generates JPEG thumbnails and a download ZIP, so they can be deleted from Dropbox after the site processes them.  
« Last Edit: May 08, 2012, 17:50 by Toon Vectors »
Logged

Eireann

« Reply #11 on: May 08, 2012, 18:24 »
0
Hi TV :),
I agree with Michael and Click-Click.
I too like your site :).
It's simple, functional, clean and easy on the eye. Nice :)
I like your site, I like your prices and I love, (love, love), your commissions :)
I've seen Cory's illustrations there, and I've decided. I want to participate, I want to upload my vectors, but there's a problem.
Just like Anita, the upload system via DropBox seems a bit unfamiliar to me. I already have a DropBox account, 2 GB free hosting, (by the way, get an account there Anita, it's free and it can be useful), and I'm going to spend some time reading your instructions.
Hopefully it's not a very complicated procedure.
I'm not only thinking about me.
I'll give it a try, but if we want to support your site and attract as many vector artists as possible, we need an upload system that is easy. A few clicks here and there, - done!
In my experience that's an important factor.
But you're only at the beginning, there's still time.
I'll give it a try, in the next few days.
Thank you for the fair artist commission and good luck :)
Logged

cthoman

« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2012, 20:25 »
0
Definitely nice royalties from the few sales that I've gotten. It will be interesting to see how it grows. Good luck!
Logged

chromaco

« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2012, 00:18 »
0
Just uploaded my 10 samples. It was very easy and it worked exactly like it should. I actually like this process better than site uploads and even ftp's. I can see my progress and even a jpg preview when it is done. The migration was seamless and all the IPTC info transferred correctly. If you can market the images as effectively as you have built the site I think you and the contributors will do very well.

I'm pleased with my initial experience with toonvectors
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2012, 21:09 »
0
Not an amazingly Earth-shattering feature, but I did add a Moneybookers payout option for artists and affiliates this week (in addition to the default PayPal).

Yes, this post is a shameless thread bump.
Logged

Noedelhap

« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2012, 21:38 »
0
I've decided to give it a try after all.
Logged

helix7

« Reply #16 on: May 17, 2012, 07:44 »
0
Quote from: Toon Vectors on May 08, 2012, 15:22
Any style of vector art is welcome, not just cartoons...

Any concern that the name might limit the pool of potential buyers? Not sure that anyone would go to a site of that name and expect to find anything other than toon vectors.
Logged

lirch

« Reply #17 on: May 17, 2012, 08:10 »
0
Nice site but is there a chance that images on the front page receive a watermark? http://www.toonvectors.com/
Logged

helix7

« Reply #18 on: May 17, 2012, 08:46 »
0

Speaking of the watermark, you've got to change that. You don't own the copyright to the images on the site.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #19 on: May 17, 2012, 12:07 »
0
Quote from: lirch on May 17, 2012, 08:10
Nice site but is there a chance that images on the front page receive a watermark? http://www.toonvectors.com/


There are two size thumbnails that do not have watermarks - 60x60 and 140x140.  The former are used in the shopping cart contents and the latter for gallery displays such as the front page and search results.  It seems fairly standard not to watermark at these small sizes, but I am open to adding them if there is concern.

Quote from: helix7 on May 17, 2012, 08:46

Speaking of the watermark, you've got to change that. You don't own the copyright to the images on the site.


Good point.  I had wanted a curved stamp design and a stylized copyright symbol seemed like a natural choice, but I can see how that might create some confusion over ownership (even though retention of copyright by the original artist is spelled out in the license and contributor agreements).  I'll come up with a different watermark design and get those changed. 

This is exactly the reason I wanted to have an open discussion about the site here, since these types of issues are more easily addressed now rather than later.  Thanks for the feedback!
Logged

Noedelhap

« Reply #20 on: May 20, 2012, 17:41 »
0
I deleted a vector file from my portfolio and dropbox folder, to replace it by a better version, but when I resync, the new file with the same name can't be found.

It does work when I rename the file to something else, but imo it would be nice if it would work the normal way (for instance, checking the modification date of a file to check for updated files?)
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2012, 20:16 »
0
Quote from: Noedelhap on May 20, 2012, 17:41
I deleted a vector file from my portfolio and dropbox folder, to replace it by a better version, but when I resync, the new file with the same name can't be found.

It does work when I rename the file to something else, but imo it would be nice if it would work the normal way (for instance, checking the modification date of a file to check for updated files?)

Currently, the sync process ignores any files with the same name as existing files to prevent accidental duplicates.  However, letting the sync process automatically replace existing files with the same name could be bad since it might overwrite a completely different image in your portfolio if it happens to have the same filename as something uploaded in the past.

The best solution would probably be to display a message on the uploads screen stating that a duplicate filename was detected, show a link to the existing image, and give the option to replace the existing image or to create a new image.  In the meantime, you can either:

  • Submit with a new filename and mark the old version as deleted as you did
  • Replace with the same filename, shoot me an email and I will resync it manually


I could also place a "resync" button on the individual image editing screen to do the latter process - i.e. make it pull a fresh copy from Dropbox and run through the conversion process again.  Of course, that might have to be two buttons to account for replacing vs. preserving the title, description and keyword metadata.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #22 on: May 20, 2012, 20:34 »
0
Quote from: Toon Vectors on May 17, 2012, 12:07
I'll come up with a different watermark design and get those changed.

On the subject of watermarks, I have a new design for these which is present on the most recently published images.  Before going through and replacing all of them, I am still playing around with something for the 140px size, although I am leaning heavily towards leaving thumbnails at that size without watermarks or just adding a bottom bar which is cropped out on the site display but can be seen if you drag or save the thumbnail image.
Logged

Toon Vectors

« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2012, 18:35 »
0
I am sorry to announce that Moneybookers has been removed as a commission payment option at Toon Vectors.  It is no longer possible to add funds to a Moneybookers account in the United States which makes it rather difficult for me to send out money through them.

This unpleasant discovery was made this morning while I was processing August payments.  I spoke with Moneybookers customer support and they confirmed that the ability to add funds was removed "about a month ago".  They have plans to restore it, but could offer no definite time frame.

PayPal of course is still working fine. I'm open to suggestions for other methods of paying contributors who cannot or prefer not to use PayPal.
Logged

Maui

« Reply #24 on: September 02, 2012, 04:29 »
0
Quote from: Toon Vectors on May 20, 2012, 20:34
On the subject of watermarks, I have a new design for these which is present on the most recently published images.  Before going through and replacing all of them, I am still playing around with something for the 140px size, although I am leaning heavily towards leaving thumbnails at that size without watermarks or just adding a bottom bar which is cropped out on the site display but can be seen if you drag or save the thumbnail image.

I would suggest to have a watermark on the 140px size as well, because those images are still quite clean and crisp for many purposes.
Logged
Home | Pages: [1] 2 3  All
« previous next »
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
10 Replies
4929 Views 		Last post September 28, 2009, 00:34
by vlad_the_imp
6 Replies
5768 Views 		Last post February 07, 2010, 18:56
by Beach Bum
20 Replies
12659 Views 		Last post February 18, 2010, 00:35
by donding
3 Replies
5616 Views 		Last post December 23, 2010, 12:05
by Michael Krabs
15 Replies
6687 Views 		Last post April 21, 2011, 21:08
by wiser

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors