Why Was My Item Removed from Elements?

When an item is removed for a reason other than a copyright/trademark violation or a subscriber reported technical issue, the Elements system attaches a library management note to the deleted item.

The note above can be seen in the Deleted Items section of the Author Dashboard and may look like the example above.

Note: The library management rules cover a variety of reasons and are not limited to the aesthetic quality of an item.

The quality team conduct periodic reviews of the recent uploads to ensure that the content fits the commercial direction of the Elements library.

Elements prides itself on hand-selecting exceptional authors from around the globe, each of which has displayed talent in their chosen mediums and industry. Removing items is a necessary step in maintaining the Elements product and making sure it always has a useful and exciting range of items for our subscribers.

Please do not be disheartened if your items are removed as it is not a personal evaluation. This curation occurs to ensure all Elements users have the best experience possible and the library reflects a measure of consistency.

The Three Characteristics of a Successful Portfolio

High Quality: The item is easy for the subscribers to use, it saves the subscribers time and displays an understanding of techniques that are at an equal or higher skill level than the average Elements subscriber.

Note: We love to see Authors branching out into different media types and encourage people to continually add to and improve their skills. Please make sure that you’re at an appropriate skill level before uploading files to a category you’re unfamiliar with.

Relevant: The files shouldn’t look dated at the time of upload. Upload and create items that are relevant to contemporary industry trends - or - have a unique and timeless style.

Attractive: The file needs to be described and presented in an attractive manner. Show off the key selling points and features of the item without cluttering the cover image. You can read tips on how to prepare successful Cover and Preview Images here.

Example: RNS Miles by Yorlmar. Eye catching cover image that clearly shows the item with additional preview images to showcase the features.

Common Reasons for Item Removal

The Design isn’t Suitable for the Elements library

Elements is different from other markets such as GraphicRiver and ThemeForest. It works by allowing a group of qualified authors to publish items without the need for a traditional review process. However, being an Elements author comes with the responsibility to maintain a carefully curated portfolio.

Because subscribers have access to all of the files in the Elements library, filling up portfolios with as many items as possible has the inverse effect to a traditional pay-per-item marketplace.

You can confuse and overwhelm subscribers with hundreds of similar items. Instead it’s better to focus on creating a highly-curated portfolio with a strong emphasis on unique high-quality items that subscribers will find helpful and easy to use.

Tip: The Elements author forum is a great place to gather feedback from your peers and share professional tips and tricks.

The Item is Similar to other Items in the Library

If we feel an item is too similar to another author’s existing item, we may remove it from the library. The appeal of a unique and interesting design will result in many more downloads than a design which simply copies ideas from existing works.

The Item is Almost the Same as Items you’ve Previously Uploaded

To avoid oversaturation and crowding of the library, items can be removed if you already have a large selection of similar items in your portfolio. Elements has an Item Bundles and Splitting policy, you can read about it in the author help center.

The Item is too Conceptual to be useful as a Stock File

Sometimes an item will look great in a private portfolio, but the file itself will be too conceptual to be used as stock. The aim of Elements is to be a creative toolbox. The files need to have broad commercial appeal for the subscribers.

Note: Make sure you’re always thinking of the subscriber. How likely would they be to use the files, does it help them with their work, does it fill a gap in the market?

We love to see authors who experiment with new techniques and styles, but we will remove items that have low commercial appeal.

We encourage you to share your experiments and portfolio pieces on the Elements Author forum and look forward to seeing your commercial stock items in the library.

The Item is Extremely Simple

This is an item that would be just as quick for a subscriber to make themselves than the time it takes to find and download the item. Examples include, traced images, “doodle” style illustrations, “squiggle” kits, gradient backgrounds, basic shape packs, extremely simple print layouts and other quickly made items.

Elements subscribers are likely to be working within the creative industries already. They’re looking for assets that help them to complete their work quickly and easily. They have the skills and tools to create their own simple items when they need them.