Learn how to work smarter to get the most from every image and scale your stock content uploads without sacrificing quality.
Scale is important for stock vector artists.
If you’re submitting vectors, illustrations, or other graphics to Adobe Stock, you want to make the most of the portfolio you’ve created. But how can you scale without sacrificing quality, creativity, or relevance to buyers?
The most efficient way to scale your collection and to submit regularly—which is the key to improving search results is to repurpose elements that you've already made in refreshing ways. This means taking apart the things, the people, the places you've already drawn and using them as a library that you can build stories from. Buyers have a million use cases, and they want to see variety, as well as a cohesive style that they can come back to.
Switch up the quantity and qualities of your elements.
In these examples from stock artist Antonio Rodriguez, the elements themselves are reused, but they're updated enough to stand out on their own.
In the examples at the top, we see how changing the quantity of elements can change the entire story an asset tells. Multiplying the number of bottles or vials here can let you tell a story about pharmaceutical research or access to medicine in healthcare.
You can also change the visual qualities of your illustrations to affect what kind of information is presented. For example, you can change color palettes to create a new mood or setting.
You can modify gradients and textures, or make changes to lighting to add new unique value. In the same way, you can change strokes, fills, or backgrounds. Small changes on their own aren't unique enough, but if you change a number of these qualities throughout the whole scene, you can affect the entire stylistic approach, to make a fresh-looking deliverable.
In this example, the first scene might tell a story about workplace team building, while the second could reflect anything from friends hanging out, to diversity, to the importance of emotional support—all by changing little character details. When you look at the images side by side, you can tell that the artist is reusing assets, but they are different enough that it doesn't seem repetitive at all.
Framing is important, too. Put some thought into your metadata descriptions to describe possibilities for your characters and elements from a buyer’s perspective.
Tell a fresh story with different compositions.
Try to play with the objects and the characters as if they were part of a prop closet, or a cast of characters. Changing the composition can change the focus of an asset. Create a new angle, update the placement of assets, or scale. Changing the objects and the characters in the same scene together can make new assets feel really specific and really fresh. You’ll get a variety of assets for different use cases like media versus or editorial pieces like newsletters.
In these examples from Nadia Snopek, some elements are obviously re-used, but they feel different enough that they're not repetitive, even when placed right next to each other. My favorite example is the bottom image, with such drastically different applications of a tired young person sitting in a chair with a blanket. I love Nadia’s creativity. Where could this character be? What could they be up to?
Every detail tells a new story.
You can update any part of your assets that you think would be useful to a new audience.
In these examples, Biruoh did a great job of adding new elements, colors, and character features to make these assets unique enough to appeal to different audiences, but also cohesive enough that they could be used together if someone wanted to.
These pieces are gorgeous and super creative, and the stylistic choices add a lot. The gradient on the left, versus the grids on the right. We see a light frame versus a heavy one. One character has long light hair, versus another one with short dark hair. Even the color on the shirt adds a lot to this character.
They feel very different, telling completely different stories that can relate to a whole different audience—expanding your customer base and increasing your chances for sales. Consistency also adds value to these assets: the stylistic choices make it possible for a buyer to license multiple assets for a cohesive visual narrative.
Set the mood with different themes.
Varying themes is one of my favorite ways to repurpose assets. When I see artists using elements throughout different themes or seasons, it's really fun.
It’s great to see how you can evolve your personal style across evergreen topics like business or healthcare, or travel—and through different seasons and celebrations.
In these examples from Ardea-Studio, you can see that the trees themselves are very similar assets, but by changing the color, adjusting the foliage, and playing with the placement, they managed to create a lot of assets from those original trees.
I recommend exploring celebrations like anniversaries, birthdays, and family get-togethers, because there's a lot you can update for those events. They're always relevant, especially now as people hang out and connect virtually more often.
Taking stock of your work.
How can you get started scaling out your portfolio of vector and illustration assets? I recommend taking a look at all of your existing work, figuring out which of the elements you like, and which ones could use a refresh, or would have more potential if they were updated.
Then start brainstorming series or sets of your work, to build out a whole world with your designs.
This example shows a series from Venimo, who does a great job of making these sets. These assets could be purchased individually, or maybe someone wants to buy all of them for a campaign that they're running, or a story they're telling on a website.
A set like this offers a ton of unique value and it looks great in your portfolio, as long as you're following these best practices.
Become an Adobe Stock contributor.
Interested in learning more about how to get the most out of your stock images? Check out our livestream replay, “How to maximize your production potential”.
Even more importantly, we’d love to see what you have to offer. Explore our other resources and galleries, connect with our community, and submit your work via the Adobe Stock Contributor Portal.