If your content was rejected with “Content does not meet our minimum quality standards,“ it may be due to construction inconsistencies with gradient and/or blend objects.
The gradient does not display a smooth transition of color needed to show the three-dimensionality of the object. The overall execution of the gradient means this image is not acceptable.
Common Effects to Avoid
Banding / “Sawtooth” Edges
Linear gradients, radial gradients, and blends are all acceptable effects for vectors in the Shutterstock collection, as long as they result in a smooth transition of colors and tones.
Example A
In Example A, the blend does not result in a smooth transition of tones. Instead, it creates a “banding” effect. While we can accept minor banding in a gradient or blend, any prominent banding must be rejected.
Example B
Similarly, in example B, the blend does not result in a smooth transition of color. Instead, it creates a “sawtooth” effect with jagged edges. While we can accept minor instances of this “sawtooth” effect, any major instances must be rejected.
To achieve a smoother transition of colors and tones in Adobe Illustrator, you can use Blend Options. These settings let you customize the way the blended objects transition from one end to the other. Specifically, increasing the number of “Specified Steps” and/or “Specified Distance” can result in less banding.
Also note that vectors with multiple overlapping gradient, blend, and/or transparency objects are likely to create a similar jagged effect that will not result in a smooth transition of colors and tones.
Tip: Check the user guide or product forum for your vector editing software. These resources are likely to provide more software-specific information about how to create gradients that have smooth color transitions.
Gradient Mesh “Pixelation”
Applying a gradient mesh to a photo can result in an image that looks pixelated. This is typically due to a high number of rows and/or columns in the mesh’s grid settings, as is the case in Example C.
Example C
In Example C, the grid was set to the maximum numbe of rows (50) and the maximum number of columns (50), and the resulting gradient mesh makes the image appear very pixelated.
To achieve a smoother transition of colors and tones in your gradient mesh, adjust the grid settings of the mesh to a lower number of rows and/or columns. The result is seen in Example D.
Example D
In this image, the grid is set to only 5 rows and 5 columns. These settings result in a mesh that has a smooth transition of color among the various tones in the image.
Similarly, in Example E, the grid was set to the maximum number of 50 rows, but only 5 columns. A low number of columns, but a high number of rows (and vice versa) can also produce a mesh that has a smooth transition of color.
Example E
We Recommend
Before submitting, double check any gradient, blend, or transparency object in your vector to ensure they display a smooth transition of color.
Use the Blend Options settings to increase the amount of steps and/or distance in your blend to create a smoother transition of color and tone from one shape to the other.
Adjust the number of rows and/or columns when creating a gradient mesh to produce a smoother transition of colors and tones in your mesh.
If you don’t understand the reason for the rejection of your images, or if you need additional clarification, please contact contributor support.