ORGANIZING VISUAL DATABASES FOR OVER A DECADE

A2Z Keywording helps publishers, stock photography houses, and media companies organize and utilize their visual archives. Our keywording is tailored to your needs and we pride ourselves on creating customized easy-to-use keywording databases.

As technologies have changed and evolved, so has A2Z Keywording. Two decades ago we created indices for books and catalogues; now we create intricate keyword matrixes for both web sites and digital image archives. We count among our clients: Meredith Publishing, Images.com, Direct Stock, Hemera Inc., American Showcase, Solus Images, Corbis, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Chelsea House.

THE A2Z KEYWORDING THESAURUS PROGRAM

At the heart of A2Z Keywording is the A2Z Keywording Thesaurus Program. This proprietary software allows for the quick and efficient creation of keywords, synonyms, plurals, and related conceptual terms. For example, the vocabulary entry for "potato" includes the categorical terms of "root vegetable," "vegetable," and "food." Each item in an image is described from the broadest to the most specific term. Such a comprehensive keyword matrix allows the searcher to use any search term they choose to find an appropriate image, rather than guess what words the keyworders used. Searching for "happiness," "happy," "joy," "joyful," "enjoy," "enjoyment," "delight" will retrieve the same images of happy delighted people.

Simply put, the A2Z Keywording method gives users the freedom of an open vocabulary and the structure and consistency of a closed vocabulary. The program has three pre-set vocabulary options - Picture Archive Council of America (PACA), Alamy, or Getty-compliant - all of which can be modified to match the internal logic of any search engine.

The A2Z Keywording program is designed to minimize data entry mistakes. The program offers a number of internal features ranging from the simple check that occurs after each image is keyworded, to a comprehensive search script that guides users through a meticulous review of their work. Our keyworders - graduates of some of the best colleges and universities in the United States -- are fully trained in the intricacies of the A2Z Keywording Thesaurus Program and are expert in such fields as horticulture, interior decoration, sports, construction, woodworking, crafts, art, travel, agriculture, ornithology and zoology. Supervising our keyworders is an elite staff of "checkers" who review the keywords, image by image. This two-tiered system insures that each image is checked at least three times. Our vigilance guarantees the accuracy and consistency of all of our keywording database.

CUSTOMIZING THE A2Z KEYWORDING PROGRAM

At the beginning of each project, A2Z Keywording works in partnership with you, the client, to understand how you envision using your digital library. We will assimilate your taxonomy into our vocabulary, and align that vocabulary with the internal workings of your search engine. Once these discussions are concluded and necessary changes made, we keyword a series of test batches. To ensure that the test images accurately represent your digital archive as a whole, we ask that the people who will actively use the database carefully review the keywords we generate. All feedback is incorporated into the A2Z Keywording Thesaurus Program vocabulary and then a new test batch is keyworded. We continue this process until the A2Z Keywording Thesaurus Program has been fully customized to the needs of the client, and you, in turn, feel confident about the quality of the keywords you will receive.

Once the start-up period is over, the real keywording begins. All keywording will be completed on a monthly basis. The client will choose a day of the month to send payment to A2Z Keywording and upload your images to our ftp site. A2Z Keywording guarantees delivery of those keywords by the same day each month. Throughout the duration of the project, A2Z Keywording will continue to update and modify its keywording methods to reflect any alterations required by the client.

OUR FEES

The prices for our services are based on an equal number of images being delivered each month for an entire year, and are as follows:

1 - 5,999 images a year: $3.00 USD an image
6,000 - 11,999 images a year: $2.50 USD an image
12,000 - 23,999 images a year: $2.25 USD an image
24,000 - 47,999 images a year: $2.15 USD an image
48,000 - 119,999 images a year: $2.00 USD an image
120,000+ images a year: $1.90 USD an image