What is Glossom?

Glossom is a social media network for visual creatives where they can display their work in Collections, the Glossom social object. Since late 2010 Glossom has also developed some vertical blogs to provide information on Photography, Illustration, Design & Graphics, Arts and Fashion. If you would like to use Glossom as a tool for finding collaborations or assignments, you need to create a comprehensive Profile Page, consisting of your professional information and Collections that illustrate your work: this will help you to communicate your skills and talents. If you need more info, please feel free to contact us at info@glossom.com

What is an Item?

Any single piece of a digital visual artifact: it can be a photo, an image, an illustration or a video.

What is a Collection?

The Collection is a new visual format that represents a synthesis of multiple images and/or videos, Items, of a portfolio, a moodboard or any visual project in a single look, like a visual tweet. For more information please go here

What is a complete Collection?

A Collection is Complete when it spans the entire Collection grid on the Visual Curator® page. Empty cells are accepted if they are part of the 'creative intent' of the author.

What is a Featured Collection?

The Glossom Curatorial Team features a Collection when it:

• is Complete
• has been created by an artist with a complete Profile
• has unique and immediate aesthetic value
• It's visible to Everyone
• tells a visual story

Featured Collections provide a lot of visibility within the Glossom community, the Glossom blogs and on the Glossom facebook, twitter, tumblr, StumbleUpon, linkedin pages. That's a powerful tool for promoting your work to potential clients or for being contacted for collaborations by other Glossom members. For more details please read this post

What are tags?

Tags are keywords that classify Collections and Items.

Why should I tag my Items and Collections?

Tags are used by the Glossom search engine to retrieve Items and Collections. If you enter multiple tags, your Collections and Items will be more likely to be identified in the search results.

How to get started?

Account Profile
Complete your own Account Profile during the registration process: full name, profile picture, city/cities where you are based, profession. The About section gives you the opportunity to say a little bit more about your credentials, what you are doing and your achievements. A complete Account Profile increases your visibility and is required if you are to have any chance of having a Collection of yours featured.

Upload your items and create Collections
Glossom allows you to easily upload your photos, images or videos from your computer or to import them from Flickr, Picasa, Vimeo or Youtube. Once you've uploaded some items you can create a Collection.

Share
Items and Collections can be Shared within Glossom or on the most popular web apps like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Linkedin, StumbleUpon.

Invite your contacts and create your network Once you've created a Collection you can start inviting people to see your work and you can also start connecting with other creatives.

Can I use Glossom to find inspirational Content?

You may think of Glossom as a creative content network where you can go and search for inspiration.
You can find the Inspiration sections in the Main Menu section on our application "by Collections and by Items", inside the Glossom Blog "by Collections and by Items" and the 5 vertical blogs "Arts, Design & Graphics,Fashion, Illustration and Photography". Only Complete Collections are shown in the Inspiration sections.
In each of these sections the user dives into a visual stream of Complete Collections and Items which are ordered chronologically.

What is the Visual Curator®?

The Visual Curator® is the tool that allows you to create new Collections or to edit an existing one. To get into the Visual Curator® Page just click on 'Create Collection' in the top violet navigation bar.

How do I log out?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Logout'.

Where can I find the Glossom advertising material?

If you want the Glossom logo, Glossom banners or any other advertising material, just send us a mail with the details of what you need to adv@glossom.com

How does the Gloss it! bookmarklet works?

The Gloss it! bookmarklet allows you to bring images an videos inside your Glossom account while browsing the web by means of a single click. To install the “Gloss It!” button in your browser:

• Display your Bookmark bar:
• • Chrome click the Wrench Icon > Tools > Always Show Bookmarks Bar
  • Firefox select Wiew > Toolbars > Boockmarks Toolbar
  • Safari select Wiew > Show Boockmark Toolbar
  • Expolrer click the Tools button > point to Toolbars > click Favorites Bar
• Drag the “Gloss It!” button from the page to your Bookmarks bar

Once installed in your browser click on the “Gloss It!” button to grab an image from any website and add it to your Items page.

How do I change my email address?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. The page opens on the Public Profile tab where you can input the new email address in the 'Your Email' field. Make sure to click on the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

Do I need a complete Account Profile?

It's very important to complete your profile because this information will be used by the Search Engine and it's necessary if you are to have any chance of getting your work Featured.

How do I change my Account Password?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. The page opens on the Public Profile tab where you can input the new password in the 'Password' and 'Confirm the Password' fields. Make sure to click on the 'Save' button on the bottom of the page to save your changes.

How do I recover my password if I've forgotten it?

There is a password recovery link just under the login form. If you've forgotten your password just click the login button in home page, provide a correct email address and tap the link “Forgot your password?”. The system will send you an initial email where you have to click on a link to authenticate your email address and then you will receive another email with a new password. We suggest you change it as soon as possible.

How do I edit my Account Profile?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. The page opens on the Public Profile tab where you can edit all the relevant info. Make sure to click on the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

How do I change my Profile Picture?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. The page opens on the Public Profile tab and in the Profile Picture section on the right you can change your profile picture.

How do I change my Privacy Settings?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. Click on the Privacy and Notifications tab. In the 'Privacy Settings' section on the right there are four options for Items, Collections and Public Profile:

• Everybody - everybody in Glossom can see your content
• Contacts and Followers - only your Contacts and Followers can see your content
• Contacts - only your Contacts can see your content
• Me only - only you will be able to see your content

You can also accept to receive emails from unregistered users in Glossom.

How do I change my Notification Settings?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. Click on the Privacy and Notifications tab. In the 'Mail Notifications Settings' section on the right there are eleven email notification options which you can select or deselect.

How do I change my default Copyright Settings?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. Click on the 'Copyright' tab. You can choose between two options:

• All Rights Reserved - all rights on your Items are reserved to you
• Creative Commons license - you can attribute one of the six standard Creative Commons licenses to your Items

These settings apply to all Items and Collections. You can also change the copyright settings for each individual Item or Collection by editing this information in the Item Page or Collection Page.

How do I change my default Favorite Settings?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings' and then go on the 'Copyright' tab. You can choose between two options to allow other Glossom users to favorite your Items and Collections or not.

How do I send a message to someone who is not one of my Contacts Network?

If you would like to send a message to someone who is not one of your Contacts, just go to the user's Profile Page, and click on the 'Send Message' icon.

How do I delete my Account?

Write us an email to support@glossom.com and your Account will be deleted as soon as possible.

How do I change my Privacy Settings?

You can choose your privacy settings under the “Privacy and Notifications” tab.

What do the different privacy settings do?

There are only a few privacy settings

• Everybody - everybody in Glossom can see your content
• Contacts and Followers - only your Contacts and Followers can see your content
• Contacts - only your Contacts can see your content
• Me only - only you will be able to see your content

Can I share private content?

No. You can't share your private content. If you want to share it, you have to change the privacy settings.

Is private content indexed by search engines?

No, all private items will not be indexed by any search engine. It will remain visible only to you.

Can I change the privacy settings at anytime?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option, click on 'Settings' and change the privacy parameters in the “Privacy and Notifications” tab.

Can I upload images from my computer?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Create Collection' option, click on 'Upload Items' and select the 'Browse' option. Choose all the files you want to upload and give as much info as possible: title, description, tags, level of privacy and the Copyright. Then click on 'Save'. Remember that a good title improves the ranking of that page in the search engine results.

Can I upload images from Flickr and Picasa?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Create Collection' option, click on 'Upload Items' and select the source you need. In the case of Flickr you have to use the screen name not the account name. Be aware that Flickr generally transfers small size images, so if you want larger size images to be displayed in Glossom we suggest you upload the images directly from your computer.

What are the recommended file extensions for uploading an Item?

The platform supports most of the common formats. You can upload images in: JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG and videos in: AVI, MOV, MPG, MPEG, WMV, FLV, MP4.

Is there a size limit for uploading items?

Yes there's a limit of 200MB per item.

How do I edit the Item information?

Go to the Item Page, click on the pencil symbol in the tool bar under the image. You can edit any the information fields: title, description, tags, level of privacy and the Copyright. Make sure to click on the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

How do I delete an Item?

Go to the Item Page, click on the X symbol in the tool bar under the image.

How do I Favorite another user's Item?

Go to the Item Page, click on the heart symbol in the tool bar under the image. The author will be notified of your choice and that Item will appear in your Favorite Items section in your Profile Page.

How do I share an Item?

You can share any public Item:

• by email click on the "envelope" symbol in the tool bar under the image. Please note that sharing your item by email is a nice way to brand your email with your own content in a snap
• on other social media click on the "balloon" symbol in the tool bar under the image to share it on Facebook, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, Linkedin and Delicious by embedding html source code, click on the "</>" symbol in the tool bar under the image
• directly on Facebook, click on the "like" symbol in the tool bar under the image

How do I create a Collection?

To Create a Collection you must have uploaded at least one item. In the top violet navigation bar, click on the 'Create Collection' option. The Visual Curator™ page will come up and you can drag and drop Items from the upper basket into the grid.
When an Item is on the grid you can:

• shrink the size of the image by clicking on the anchor in the bottom right corner of the image,
• change the size of the crop area by clicking on the four active corners, remember the crop area must always be inside the, dimensions of the image,
• move the image inside the crop area.

To save a Collection you need to add the Collection thumbnail on the left of the Visual Curator® page and the Collection Title. Completing the Collection with the Description and the tag will improve the likelihood that your work will be identified in searches within Glossom and on search engines. The Collection type is set by default to Portfolio so if the items are not yours choose one of the other Collection types: Moodboard, Book, Lookbook, Archive, Project. All Collections can be edited at anytime.
If you need some help with using the Visual Curator™, please watch this video

How do I edit a Collection?

Go to the Collection Page, click on the pencil symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image. Make sure to click on the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

How do I delete a Collection?

Go to the Collection Page, click on the X symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image.

How does a Collection get Featured?

The Glossom Curatorial Team features a Collection when it:

• is Complete
• has been created by an artist with a complete Profile
• has unique and immediate aesthetic value
• tells a visual story

Featured Collections provide a lot of visibility within the Glossom community, the Glossom blogs and on the Glossom facebook, twitter, tumblr, StumbleUpon, linkedin pages. That's a powerful tool for promoting your work to potential clients or for being contacted for collaborations by other Glossom members. For more details please read this post

How do I share a Collection?

You can share any public Collection:

• by email, click on the “envelope” symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image. Please note that sharing your Collection by email is a nice way to brand your email with your own content in a snap
• on other social media, click on the “balloon” symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image to share it on Facebook, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, Linkedin and Delicious by embedding html source code, click on the “</> “ symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image
• directly on Facebook, click on the “like” symbol in the tool bar under the Collection image

You can also share your Collection in your WordPress, in the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Tools' or in Blogger directly from the Share balloon under the Collection image.

How do I create a PDF version of a Collection?

You can create a PDF version of your Collection by clicking it and selecting the PDF button at the bottom. Within a few minutes you will receive an email with a link to be clicked.

How do I create a custom URL for my Profile Page?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Me' option and click on 'Settings'. The page opens on the Public Profile tab and in the Contact section you can change the content of 'Your Glossom Url'

Can I order the Collections in my Profile Page?

Collections in the Profile page are ordered by update date.

How can I control what is displayed on my Profile Page?

You can decide which sections of the Profile Page can be shown through the 'Hide'/'Show' buttons next to the title of the Favorite Collections, Items and Favorite Items sections.

What is a Follower?

A follower is someone who is interested in your activities on Glossom. Both users will get notifications of the other user's activities in their What's Going On.

What is a Contact?

Being a Contact of another user establishes a mutual relationship of 'followship', it's like being followers of each other. Both users will get notifications of the other user's activities in their respective What's Going On.

How do I invite people?

In the top violet navigation bar, go to the 'Network' option and click on 'Invite people'. You can either insert the email address directly or you can click the button 'Add from my address book' and choose it from your address book. You can also edit the predefined content in the 'Subject' and 'Your message' fields.

Do I have to be a registered Glossom user to view the Glossom App content?

No. Anybody can view the Glossom App content.

Which Collections are shown?

The App shows:

• a random selection of 200 Featured Collections chosen by the Glossom Curatorial Team and updated hourly
• all the freshest Collections sorted by update date

Can I see Collections filtered by category?

By tapping on the top right filter in the Featured and Collections sections you can select content from the following categories: Photography, Illustration, Fashion, Design&Graphics, Arts.

How do I navigate between the different sections of the Glossom App?

Tapping on any thumbnail on the initial wall displays the Collection Cover. You can swipe to navigate through the different Collections or you can tap on any thumbnail of a Collection to display the underlying Item: a photo, an image, a video. Tapping outside the Collection Cover or on the Item page brings up the navigation bar.

How do I zoom a Collections or an Item?

Just double tap in the Collection or the Item Image. To go back to the original size double click again.

Can I share Collections and Items?

Yes, you can share content by email, on facebook, on twitter and on tumblr.

How do I share Collections and Items?

Just get on the navigation bar by tapping outside the Collection Cover page or by tapping in the Item page and the Share button will appear.

Can I favorite content on my ipad or iphone?

Yes you can, just get on the navigation bar, tap outside the Collection Cover page or tap in the Item page and the Favorite button will appear.

Which devices will the Glossom app work on?

Any iPad and iPhone device running iOS 3.1.2 and above.

What if I have any feedback or questions about the Glossom App?

Please submit your feedback and/or questions to support@glossom.com