Using this website

To browse or search XS foto is free and you do not need to sign up. If you want to use the lightbox features and to purchase images in your cart, then you will need to register with us. Registration is simple and we ask only for the minimum of information. We do not share your information with anyone else. Occasionally, we might want to email you with news, offers or other relevant information. You can opt out of this by unchecking the relevant box when registering or at any time via your control panel.

Once registered, you can access your Control Panel via the link at the top of each page. Your Control Panel allows you to change your registration details, view your order history summary and to access any images you have purchased.

As a registered user, you will use the login/password boxes at the top of this page to sign in at any time.

If you lose your password, use the password recovery system at the bottom of the registration page. Just enter the email address you registered with and we'll send you a temporary password. Use this to sign back in - then you can reset your password to whatever you choose.

If you want to cease to be a registered user, please contact us with your email address and user name. We will then delete your details from our database.

Finding images

XS foto provides a number of ways to find images:

  • You can use the category structure to browse images by topic
  • Use the keyword search box at the top of each page to locate what you are looking for
  • Let the system to display a grid of random images drawn from the entire image catalogue

Using the lightboxes

When you are logged in as a member, you will have access to the lightbox feature. You can have up to 5 lightboxes at any time. The lightbox control page allows you to give each lightbox a name and to choose which one is active.

Placing images in a lightbox is easy - simply click the lightbulb icon next to an image's size listing. If you think you may want to purchase an image that you put in your lightbox, remember to choose the right size, as the lightbox feature allows you to transfer images directly to your shopping cart.

If you transfer images to your cart from the a lightbox, your order will display the title of the lightbox. Use can this function to link images with a particular project.

Purchasing images

XS foto uses PayPal as our payment processor. When you proceed to the checkout stage, a new window will open for the secure payment transaction. Follow the PayPal payment instructions then return to XS foto when complete. By using a highly respected third party payment processor, we do not gather or store any sensitive financial data about you for ourselves.

Your images will be available to download from "Your Downloads" in your XS foto Control Panel, once payment has cleared. This will be almost immediate if you have paid by credit or debit card, but may take a couple of days of you pay by eCheck.

To obtain your images, simply click on the "Download" link and they will be saved to your computer. Images will remain available to you in your Downloads area for as long as you are registered with us.

Image size and format

Image size information:

Images are sold as RGB files. For use in high quality colour print, you will want to convert to CMYK at 300dpi while preserving the file size, using Photoshop or other image editor.

The files for download have moderate jpeg compression, which means that the file sizes are significantly smaller than the uncompressed image data.

Approximate print areas for typical file sizes:

RBG CMYK Print area
(original) (converted) at 300 dpi
5 Mb 7 Mb 14 x 9 cm
10 Mb 13 Mb 18 x 14 cm
20 Mb 27 Mb 26 x 19 cm
30 Mb 40 Mb 32 x 24 cm
50 Mb 66 Mb 40 x 31 cm

Using images

The use of images purchased from this website is subject to our Terms and Conditions and License Agreement. Images are sold as Royalty Free, giving you non-exclusive, unlimited use of the images, within the terms of the License Agreement.

Images are downloaded as RGB JPEG files with minimum or low compression. Use the file size chart displayed with each image to assess the size you need for the application you have in mind. The download files sizes vary between 1Mb and 10Mb, though may be larger in some cases.

Contributing images

Please don't send us images speculatively! If you would like XS foto to feature your work, send us an email first and we'll tell you how to submit images for consideration.

Getting more help

If you encounter a problem and need help, please email us via the contact page, giving a brief description of the problem.

XS foto operates from the UK and our normal business hours are 9:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT Monday to Friday. We will do our very best to get back in touch with you as soon as possible following your enquiry.