Searching Images

Geographical Subject Search

This option is useful when you know the exact geographical location of a plot you are looking for, or would wish to explore what images from this or that location are available in general.

Use “Catalogue” fields at the menu of the website. In the Catalogue , choose the country name and click on it to get a complete list of towns and areas of the selected country covered by the actual website contents. Figures in brackets show the number of images featuring the selected area. Some geographical items may contain more than one subcategory. You will see it after you click on the specified location entry. The system will display the framework of what is selected in the central field to adjust your geographical search parameters. Your search results will return sorted into each relevant top-level category and then into subcategories. Both countries and locations lists are presented in alphabetical order, as well as entries of subdivisions for those locations that have more than one-level catalogue structure.

You can continue to go down into subcategories as long as you see a number to the right of the subcategory and a plus sign to the left of the term. When you go down, you will also see that the number of images returned on the search results page will decrease.

Context Term Search

This option is useful when you look for a specific character of a plot with no relevance to its geographical location.

Start searching by entering a search term into the search box (top right-hand panel of the website screen). Then click “Search”. Your search results will then be displayed. Above your search results, use the menus on the top or header right-hand side of the central screen to go through the full list of images with their previews matching to the search term entered.

Advanced Search

This option allows you to combine multiple search criteria, such as assumed description terms or existing keywords, geographical locations, image origins and orientations, etc.

Choose the “Advanced Search” section at the top right-hand panel of the website screen. The advanced search panel will be displayed then in the central field of the screen. Enter your search criteria and check/uncheck displayed check-boxes to particularize your search. Then click “Search”. Your search results will then be displayed. Above your search full results, use the “Advanced Search” (Refinement) panel, which will be available at the footer of the search results page, to particularize your choice: enter a refining term caption and select “Search in found” check-box.

The “Advanced Search” (Refinement) box contains many helpful options for refining and clarifying your search. This is especially useful when your search returns hundreds of images and you need to narrow them down. For example, if your search for “tram” (tramways shown on maps) resulted in 200 images, use the “Search Refinement” box to enter additional keywords, such as “Germany”, or “Deutschland”. Enter your keywords and click “Search” to narrow down your search results and return fewer images.

By default, the system sorts your results by images that most closely and accurately match your keywords or search terms. Use the menus on the top or header right-hand side of the central screen to go through full list of images with their previews matching the search term entered.

Using Glossary

This search option allows you to go through all keywords from Discusmedia.com catalogue's image descriptions or even find exact captions defining exact images you are looking for. The “Glossary” section contains a list of all keywords stored in the system in connection with all images and even many captions for images available. Please note that the glossary list is being constantly updated with new images on an ongoing basis.

Choose the “Glossary” entry at the top right-hand panel of the website screen. By default, you will get the beginning of the list of keyword entries starting from A and enhanced search tools allowing you to go through the full list of keywords or specifying an exact match. Figures in brackets near the displayed strings show how many images from DiscusMedia.com catalogue match them. Click on the string chosen to see the previews of all corresponding images. This search option allows you to go through all keywords from DiscusMedia.com catalogue's image descriptions or even find exact captions defining exact images you are looking for. The “Glossary” section contains a list of all keywords stored in the system in connection with all images and even many captions for images available. Please note that the glossary list is being constantly updated with new images on an ongoing basis.

Choose the “Glossary” entry at the top right-hand panel of the website screen. By default, you will get the beginning of the list of keyword entries starting from A and enhanced search tools allowing you to go through the full list of keywords or specifying an exact match. Figures in brackets near the displayed strings show how many images from DiscusMedia.com catalogue match them. Click on the string chosen to see the previews of all corresponding images.

My Profile

The “My Profile” area stores all your personal information and order history. After logging in, you can access and change information stored in your user profile and cart by clicking “My Profile” on the navigation bar. You must be registered and logged in to access the “My Profile” section. If you have not yet registered or have not logged in, “My Profile” section will be unavailable. Instead, you will see the “Authorization” panel. If not logged in, you can use all search options and store selected images to temporary cart, but cannot order them until registered/authorized. When you leave DiscusMedia.com unauthorized, the temporary cart will be emptied. At the time you click on the “Cart” and wish to proceed further with selected images, you will be registered automatically and receive an email containing your autogenerated password, which you can use to log in afterwards. You can change it any time you wish. After you register or log in, you will arrive at the “My Profile” section.

Using the “My Profile” section, you can update your Profile profile and user information, manage, edit or delete cart contents by clicking the links inside, complete a “Purchase Order” transaction, and review your orders history. From a completed order, you may download your images one after one or as a single zip folder following direct links in the cart even if you had deleted an e-mail with direct links sent to you by the system.

The Cart

Your cart is an online storage area allowing you to view information about items you have selected for purchase, view images themselves, compare them, delete items from your cart by clicking “Delete” next to the item you wish to remove, and proceed to checkout when you had checked your order contents and would like to purchase the adjusted and refined order. To delete an item from your current selection, click “Delete” next to the item you wish to remove. At this point, the item will disappear from your cart. You may also delete all images from your cart clicking “Clear All”. When you have refined your cart contents, click to "Proceed Cart".

How to Access Your Cart

You must be a registered and logged-in user to access your cart. For unregistered users, cart contents remains stored in the system until the current session end only. Access your cart by clicking on the “Cart” button in the header navigation bars, or from the link at the top of page. For registered users, your cart contents will not be emptied even if you leave Discusmedia.com, you may access it later on after logging in with your current profile.

Your Profile

You create your own profile when completing the registration form or making the first order. Later on you will be able to edit some entries, for example, your billing address.

Image Information

Image Specifications

Image specifications vary from image to image. Every Image Preview and Specifications Page lists the available resolutions and exact dimensions of the image, including its pixel dimensions on screen and size on disk to estimate download parameters. Dots per inch (DPI), also referred to as pixels per inch, resolution is unique for all images at DiscusMedia.com collection and equals to 300 in the original resolution. You will find more information about technical specifications of our images on our file formats page. Please note that all images are collected and offered “as is” with no minor corrections as described in the "About"-Section.

JPEG File Compression

All images offered by Discusmedia.com are saved as JPEG RGB files in different sizes. When using JPEG images, no image degradation is noticeable after one compression/decompression cycle. However, further compression(s) to and from the JPEG format will degrade the image quality to an extent that eventually will become visible. To retain maximum quality in images, avoid resaving an image in JPEG format, use uncompressed formats such as for example *.tiff or a loss-less compression format such as *.tiff with LZW compression.

Guide to Icons and Thumbnails

DiscusMedia.com uses several guidance icons which are unique for all the pages of our website in connection with images and services.

	The “Orientation” icon is used for the information of an image orientation, eg. horizontal, vertical, quadrant or panoramic view.
	The “Type” icon is used for the information of an image type, eg. b/w film, color film, digital photo or scanned copy.
	The “Quality” icon is used for the information of an image quality, eg. E: Exellent, LC: light corrections, LCC: light & color corrections.
	The “Cart” icon will add the image (future map print) to your cart in prefered resolution.

Every image in the “Search Result” is a thumbnail. You can view the large comp by simply clicking on the image itself. The system will redirect you to the page, where you will see detailed pricing information, brand, caption, keywords and resolution/size information for images and brand and stock keeping unit title. Here you can also opt for purchasing the image in a lower resolution (smaller size) or higher resolution (bigger size).

Licensing

Licence Information can be found in the EULA section . It is common for all images that Discusmedia.com carries.

You will have to read the End User License Agreement when completing the registration procedure. After filling in all the required fields, you will be prompted to do so. The system will create your user profile only if you accept the licensing terms. Later on Discusmedia will send you essential abstracts on terms of use from the EULA among other documentation accompanying your orders every time you make a purchase.

A royalty free licence will allow you to use an image permanently in as many projects as you wish for a flat fee. That fee depends on the size of the image you wish to purchase. The original items are no longer within copyright but Discusmedia.com's version is copyrighted and re-selling rights in digital form are not offered. These images can be used and re-sold in printed form, such as on book covers, or as illustrations etc. They can also be used in film and TV productions.

Purchasing Images. Checking Out

If you are not registered or not logged in at the time you attempt to make a purchase, you will be prompted by the system to do so. You may proceed with your order to cherckout after you register or log in. Any changes in your cart information are made automatically; your cart contents and your total order are recalculated every time you add new images to the cart or delete them from it.

Completing Your Order

After you have selected the image(s) you want to buy in any form, click “Proceed Cart” . You will be directed to checkout pages with payment and shipping details. If you are not ready to check out, click any link to continue surfing and shopping. Your cart contents will be stored.

Once you have reviewed your cart information, complete your order by clicking “Proceed Cart”. The system will take you to cart-section (“Billing Details”).

Billing Details

You will reach the “Billing Details” page when you click “Proceed to checkout” on the Cart Page. Here you can:

After you had verified your order details, shipment e-mail address and payment details, click “Purchase Order”. You will be taken to Order Confirmation/Receipt Page, from which you can save or print the final receipt for your future references. To finalise your purchase and complete the payment, click “Accept and Pay”. You will be taken to secure online payment gate of our authorised payment provider PayPal.com where you complete with your order. Our system will transfer all necessary individual information to PayPal, so you will not need to retype it once again. There you fill in your payment details only.

After PayPal verifies and accepts your payment, you will be taken to the Welcome page of Discusmedia with a notice that your order had been accepted for processing and your cart is emptied. The receipt will be also sent to you by e-mail among other documentation accompanying your confirmed order. Value added tax (VAT) will appear on the Order Confirmation Page when and where applicable to your order amount.

Downloadable images ordered and purchases on advanced payment terms will be available for download immediately after your payment have been confirmed. Discusmedia system will e-mail you once your payment has been accepted and the order has thus been approved. You can then proceed to download your purchases following the links provided to you by e-mail or by clicking “My Profile” in the left edge of the navigation bar.

Map prints ordered will be dispatched by post. Delivery time may be up to three weeks long depending on delivery address, although we constantly try to reduce it to provide better services for our customers. Express delivery as well as additional services like burning images to postable CD-ROM are not offered.

Prices

All prices are shown in euros (EUR) and depend mainly on the desired image resolution (print size for printable items). Postal charges depend on multiple factors, like image size, delivery address and appear when ordering any hard copies. They are included in the purchase subtotal sum displayed wat checkout pages. In individual cases images requiring any sort of correction are discounted, so that their prices may slightly vary from standard flat rate applicable to an image of a selected resolution.

Downloading Images

You can download your image(s) by logging into “My Profile” and getting them from there after completing your order. Look for the downloadable image(s) section of the “My Order” page once it is displayed. All available items added to your cart earlier will be listed there. Alternatively, you can download them using the links sent to you with your order documentation. All Image(s) are downloadable as separate files or packed to a single ZIP-folder. You can download your images immediately after purchase and for 25 days afterwards.

Comp Images

Watermarked and non-watermarked preview images can be downloaded from the Image Preview and Specifications page free of charge for preview purposes only. Purchased images are all not watermarked and can be downloaded from the “My Profile” page. If you encounter any problems with downloading, please contact us using the “Contacts” page .

Taxation Details

The 19% Value Added Tax (VAT) shall be charged separately to customers in the European Economic Area where and when applicable. No other taxes shall be applied for EEA customers, and for all orders originating from other countries no tax shall be applied at all.

Please note that paying applicable taxes remains your own responsibility. As usual, we do not track where our images currently go, but some payment software checks IP-addresses and may lock a proclaimed “tax-free” delivery to an address residing in an area where such purchases are subject to tax.

Once you have confirmed your order, click “Accept & Pay”. A Receipt Page will appear with the order summary and an opportunity to download the images you purchased. You will also receive an e-mail confirmation of your order.

Ordering Map Prints

DiscusMedia.com provides you a service of making hard copies of map images stored in our collection and posting them to you. To use this service, choose "Order Printed Image" in the Selected image preview, pricing and specifications-section. All maps may be printed in either original size or reduced copy (fitting to 20x30 cm print). Smaller images are printed on 20x30 cm sheets by default and centered, so you may use entire surface to, for example, hang your map on a wall assembled to standard photo framing. Please note, that reduction of big images is mechanical and thus small elements may become unreadable when choosing this option. Postal delivery of map prints is done in either safe hard envelopes (for 20x30 cm size) and postal tubes (for bigger sizes), so you receive your prints flat and unfolded.

Return Policy

All royalty-free Images downloaded from the website are non-returnable. All deals made with these items are final.

The following applies to hard copies: no returns after 30 days; shipment charges are not refundable, and a restocking charge may apply. All products are subject to manufacturer's warranty. All returned matter must be in the original packaging and have a return authorization number. Contact Discusmedia using the “Contacts” page to get a return authorization number.

Links

Please be aware that DiscusMedia website may contain links to other online resources. These links may lead to partner resources (including advertising), thematic websites or those pages that contain information potentially useful to DiscusMedia customers. If not specified separately, DiscusMedia does not take any responsibility for the functioning or policies of these resources, including their privacy policies.

Children

DiscusMedia does not and will never provide any “adult” or specific contents which may require restrictions for access of children. However, minors aged under 18 are not allowed to use this site without the supervision of an adult. We ask that children do not submit any personal information to Discusmedia or register any Profile. By using this site unsupervised and/or registering a Profile, you confirm that you are 18 years of age or older.

Need More Information

If you cannot find an answer to your question on this page or elsewhere on our website, please send us an e-mail using our “Contacts” page .