Checklist before uploading vector illustrations to stock sites
Key points
- Every site has its own submission rules
- Outline text and remove hidden objects
- Use keywords for what's actually in the image
To sell vector illustrations on stock sites, you need to meet each site's submission rules. Files that don't are rejected, and repeated rejections for the same reason waste a lot of time. The details differ between sites and change often, but most check the same things.
File format and contents
- Vector file: many sites accept vectors as EPS or AI. If the file contains raster images such as photos, it may not count as a vector.
- Preview image: some sites want a JPG preview with the same name as the EPS. Check the size requirements.
- File size limits: there is a maximum upload size. Too many objects make files large, so clean up unnecessary points and shapes.
Clean up inside the artwork
- Convert text to outlines. Without embedded fonts it looks different on the buyer's computer. See how to convert text to outlines.
- Delete hidden objects, empty layers and shapes outside the artboard.
- Fix open paths and stray points. Lines that break or corners that stick out when zoomed are common reasons for rejection.
- Logos, trademarks and real people either can't be sold for commercial use or need extra paperwork.
Metadata
Titles and keywords are the only way buyers find your work. Describe what is actually visible, specifically, and don't add popular keywords that have nothing to do with the image. Many sites treat irrelevant keywords as spam and reject the file.
If you drew it as SVG
SVGs drawn in Figma or web tools can become EPS with SVG to EPS. Afterwards, open the file in Illustrator or Inkscape and zoom in to check the shapes came across correctly. Gradients and transparency become solid colors in the EPS, so for artwork that relies on them, saving directly from Illustrator is better.