Which Microstock Websites have the Biggest Thumbnails?

Let’s compare thumbnails across microstock agency websites. Many agencies use different sized thumbnails in different parts of their websites. This list is the largest un-watermarked thumbnail size each microstock website provides. Size is specified in pixels. The subject photo is a rare gem from my recent shoots in London.

StockXpert 66 x 100	Shutterstock 67 x 100	BigStockPhoto 73 x 110	Crestock 73 x 110	Fotolia 73 x 110	iStockphoto 73 x 110

LuckyOliver 80 x 120	Dreamstime 87 x 130	CanStockPhoto 99 x 150	123rf 112 x 168	SnapVillage 132 x 200

Thumbnails attract buyers to the photo they’re seeking. They need to be large enough for the buyer to see what’s in the photo. Buyers simply click the thumbnail of a suitable photo to see the larger and watermarked preview. There is no need for a thumbnail to be any larger than required to see what’s in the photo. As you can see from the examples above, there is quite a range in thumbnail size.

StockXpert and Shutterstock are the smallest, though you can still clearly see what the photo is about. 73 x 110 seems to be almost a standard with four agencies using that size. Then we start increasing in size up to 123rf and SnapVillage.

I purchase photos for this blog, using them to help illustrate the point of my article and provide a little color. I either pay for them at iStockphoto or use the referral credits I’ve accrued at 123rf. I then reduce the size so the longest edge is 200 pixels to display them in my article. I didn’t realize it before now, but that’s exactly the size of the thumbnail at SnapVillage.

There is nothing stopping me using SnapVillage thumbnails instead of paying for my photos. There is nothing stopping anyone doing so if 200 x 132 is big enough for their purpose.

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Tags: 123rf, BigStockPhoto, CanStockPhoto, Comparisons, Dreamstime, Fotolia, iStockphoto, LuckyOliver, Microstock, Shutterstock, StockXpert, Thumbnails