Whether you're buying or just looking for information about Sphera, we hope you'll find the answer in our comprehensive help section. Please contact us should you have any further questions.

The Sphera search engine is designed to display results within a few seconds.

- Quick search: use of the quick search engine is simple and user-friendly; it will search out all images relating to the keywords entered in the search field. You can type "+" instead of space for search of an exact phrase. For example, the search of "torre elefante" (elephant tower) will return all images with the keyword "elefante" and/or "torre"; while the search for "torre+dell'elefante" will only return images including the exact phrase "torre dell'elefante".

- Type of search: you can choose whether to conduct your search of photos, illustrations or of all types of images.

- Exclusive rights: our archive contains images whose use rights for detail, period and territory are assigned either exclusive or non-exclusive form. In this case, you can make your choice before running the search engine.

- Search by image ID: : if you remember the number of the image you looked up during a previous session you can type it into the box "Search by image ID".

- Advanced search: the "Advanced search" link opens a page with additionally search options. Apart from the options already described under "simple search", with this option you can also choose characteristics such as orientation (horizontal, vertical, panoramic, square) and colour (colour or B&W). You can also search by artist or by "photoshoot".
The link "Last search results" takes you back to your last search.

- Search within results: for this type of search, you can type in the new key and follow the link "Search within results".

- Special characters: it is best to avoid typing in special characters in the fields (à, è, &, $, etc.). For example, it is better to use the apostrophe, as in citta', rather than an accent as in città.

The Login box allows access as a registered user. Registration is mandatory for purchasing and calculating the costs of use rights on the images. The two special user categories, "Artist" (photographer or illustrator) or "Magazine" (magazines and dailies) will be recognised automatically by the system.

The link "Forgotten your password?" allows you to ask the system to recover your password, which will be sent to the e-mail address you provided when registering.

The link "Register" allows registration of new users.

After searching you will be able to view the images associated with the keys used. Non-registered users will also be able to view details and the preview of each image. From the image details page you can make additional searches by "Concept" or "Subject", to search for similar images, view the complete gallery of the artist following the link by name, or, should the image form part of a photoshoot, view all images in the shoot.

Registered users can take advantage of several additional tools to save searches they feel to be of interest, to complete purchases or manage rights acquired for the period established.

- Calculate price: you can calculate the cost of rights due for image use, details use, image size, print-run, inserts (for example in the case of an image you wish to publish several times in the same magazine over a set period), placement, starting date, duration, territory (choice between a single state or group of states, for example the EU), country.
The calculator will generate price and format automatically: for example, if the chosen size refers to use of a double page in a magazine, it will be provided in A3 format; if it refers to a quarter of a page, the format will be A4.
If your calculations often refer to frequent uses and details, you can save elements and re-load them subsequently using links "Save preferences" and "Load preferences".

- Using lightboxes: if you are searching for a number of images for a project, or running several projects at the same time, lightboxes can help you organise the images you are interested in. You are free to create as many lightboxes as you wish.

After login, via the Lightbox Manager menu, the registered user is able to create new lightboxes, view or cancel existing ones, and add or remove images from the various lightboxes. In this case too, the whole operation is user-friendly and simple, just follow the links:

- - - View lightbox to view the lightbox chosen in the multiple choice selection field "Current lightbox" placed before the Lightbox Manager box;

- - - Empty lightbox to remove images from the lightbox chosen in the multiple choice selection field "Current lightbox" placed before the Lightbox Manager box;

- - - New lightbox to create a new lightbox;

- - - Remove lightbox to eliminate the lightbox selected in the multiple choice selection field "Current lightbox" placed before the Lightbox Manager box;


- Add to cart: once you have calculated price, you can add the image to your cart and purchase the rights, or you can continue shopping. To complete your purchases, after closing pop-ups, view contents of your cart; you will find all the images you have added and can then decide whether to purchase the rights or remove them from the cart before completing your purchase, if any. Images will remain in your cart until removed or purchased; naturally if the image was placed in the cart some time before decision to purchase, the licence chosen may no longer be available; in this event, you will see a notice informing you of non-availability. It may happen that the image has already been reserved for some of the specific uses you requested: in this case the system will not allow purchase and you will be informed that the image is not available. You can make purchases by credit card, PayPal or bank transfer. In the first two cases, the transaction takes place directly on a secure certified site and download will be available immediately, but the transaction is subject to the limitations inherent in the payment system: in the case of PayPal there is a maximum limit of 8,000 Euro per transaction, whereas the limit placed on the credit card depends on type and operator. There is no limitation on payments through bank transfer, but download will be made available through an operator only after confirmation of payment has been received.
Note - images with restrictions: Some images might have some kind of restrictions therefore they might not be available for immediate purchase through the website. Usually these images need confirmation from a third party before purchase depending on what the image is purchased for; in such case you will be contacted by SpheraImages in order to complete the purchase process. In any case the chosen image is reserved on the website until the third party's confirmation is delivered. After payment with Paypal or bank transfer is cleared, the image will be available on your shelf.

- Using shelf: once you have completed your purchase, the system will make the image available for download placing it on the purchaser's shelf. The image can be downloaded directly from the user's shelf starting from 90 days before the start of the period for which the use licence has been acquired and up to the expiry date of use rights; for example, if use rights run from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008, the purchaser can download the image any time they wish between 1 October 2007 and 31 December 2008.

- Other payment methods: the system enables assignment of limited or unlimited credit to the user so as to avoid the need to type in credit card codes for each purchase. So the system can accept advanced payment through bank transfer or other system. Remaining credit is shown on the homepage of the reserved area, under Profile management and in the cart before purchases. The user with "limited credit" profile cannot purchase by means of credit card, thus if the remaining credit should be insufficient to complete the purchase, they must contact the administrator (or register a second time as a simple user). To open a line of credit or discuss any other types of contractual strategy, please contact us.

- Invoicing: the system automatically generates an invoice and despatches it in pdf format to the purchaser's e-mail address if payment is by credit card or PayPal. If payment is made through bank transfer, the invoice will be sent subsequent to purchase. Special profile customers (i.e. those with limited or unlimited credit) will have set up an agreement with SpheraImages and will receive their invoices at pre-arranged intervals.
Apart from administration details, invoices will contain a complete summary of licences acquired.

- Other uses: if you need the images for uses and details not foreseen by the calculator or for any other type of request, all you have to do is contact us.

Apart from the purchasing tools illustrated above, you can also take advantage of other tools to personalize navigation or track your purchases. These tools can be visualised on the user homepage:

- Preferences: by changing preferences, you can save some viewing aspects, such as number of images viewed per page in the galleries or lightboxes.

- Profile Management: in this section, you can change some of your personal details, and view your remaining credit.

- Invoice summary, Transaction summary, Shelf summary, Credit amount: in this block of links you will find tools for administrative control such as summary and viewing of invoices and transactions (in the event of "special users", one invoice can cover several transactions), viewing of the shelf for download, indication of any residual credit (only applicable to users with limited credit).

- Logout: this command, also present on the right of the search bar, closes the session.

- Download failure and downloading images again: if your image download fails for some reason, please do not re-purchase that image. All purchased images are available to you on your "shelf" for downloading again. If you have continuing problems, please contact us.

- Contact: if you are experiencing technical problems please see our frequently asked questions or contact us.