There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours generating, upscaling, and keywording images, only to wake up to an email that says: "Unfortunately, your submission has been declined."
Rejections are part of the game. Even top contributors get rejected. However, with AI, the reasons for rejection are often different than traditional photography. Understanding Adobe Stock's specific "rejection codes" can help you save time and keep your account in good standing.
Reason 1: "Quality Issues" (The most common)
This is a catch-all term that usually means your image has technical defects. For AI, this almost always points to upscaling artifacts.
Diagnosis
If you look at your image at 100% zoom, does the skin look waxy? Are the eyes asymmetrical? Is there weird noise in the shadows?
The Fix: Never submit raw outputs from Midjourney or DALL-E directly (unless they are very high resolution already). Use a dedicated upscaler like Topaz Gigapixel AI or Magnific AI. Set the "Remove Noise" and "Fix Face" settings to moderate levels. Do not over-sharpen, as this introduces "halos" around objects.
Reason 2: "Intellectual Property Violation"
This is dangerous. Too many IP violations can get your account banned. This happens when your image contains a logo, a trademarked product design (like the 3 stripes of Adidas or the distinctive shape of a Coca-Cola bottle), or the likeness of a celebrity.
The Fix: Use Photoshop's "Generative Fill" or "Healing Brush" to remove any text, logos, or brand marks. Even a tiny logo on a laptop in the background is grounds for rejection.
Also, avoid using famous names in your prompt. Don't say "A man who looks like Tom Cruise." Say "A handsome man in a suit."
Reason 3: "Non-Compliant Data / Missing Release"
Since 2023, Adobe Stock requires a Model Release for ALL images depicting realistic people, even if they are AI-generated.
The Fix: You do not need to find a real person to sign a paper. Adobe allows you to sign the model release yourself for AI characters. You simply state that the "model" is a generative creation. However, you MUST attach this file. If you upload a portrait without a release attached, it will be rejected instantly.
Reason 4: "Illustrative Content" tagged as "Photo"
Sometimes, Midjourney generates an image that looks 90% real but 10% painted. If you submit this as a "Photograph," the reviewer will reject it for misleading categorization.
The Fix: Be honest. If the image has a painterly vibe, categorize it as "Illustration" during the upload process. Illustrations sell well too! You don't have to force everything to be a photo.
Reason 5: "Similar Submissions"
With AI, it's easy to generate 50 variations of the same prompt. If you upload all 50, Adobe will reject them for "Spamming."
The Fix: Curate ruthlessly. Only upload your best 3-5 variations of a concept. They should be distinctively different (different angles, different lighting, or different composition). Uploading 20 images that look nearly identical is a waste of reviewer time and hurts your acceptance ratio.
Summary Checklist
Before hitting submit, ask yourself:
- [ ] Is the resolution above 4MP?
- [ ] Have I zoomed in to 100% to check for melted fingers or weird eyes?
- [ ] Have I removed all logos and text?
- [ ] Did I attach a Model Release (if there is a person)?
- [ ] Is the "Created using Generative AI" box checked?