Visual Asset Intake and Rights Verification (Onboarding)

Visual Asset Intake and Rights Verification (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Inventory every image source the client will hand over before the first production cycle

   Separate owned photography, licensed stock, AI-generated output, and third-party brand assets into four buckets. Each bucket carries different rights and editing latitude, so the split determines what your retouchers can legally touch.

2. 02

   Collect written usage rights per bucket, not per file

   Ask for license scope, territory, expiry date, and whether derivatives are permitted. A client who supplies stock under a single-seat license cannot have that image resized into 14 social crops and redistributed without an extended license.

3. 03

   Confirm source file formats and whether layered originals exist

   Flat PNG and JPEG exports force reconstruction work. Where only flattened files exist, plan for layer separation before any retouching estimate is issued, since rebuilding editable text and subject layers adds hours per asset.

4. 04

   Set the optimization target before anyone edits a pixel

   Agree on delivery formats (WebP, AVIF), maximum file weight per placement, and the Core Web Vitals threshold the client is measuring. Retouching to a spec that then gets compressed past recognition wastes the creative spend.

5. 05

   Classify each asset as pipeline work or craft work

   Compression, resizing, and format conversion belong in the automated lane. Compositing, skin and product retouching, and brand-critical hero imagery belong in the manual lane with a named editor.

6. 06

   Document the accessibility and color standard the client expects

   Record contrast requirements, colorblind-safe palette constraints, and any brand color values in a fixed color space. Data visualization and chart-heavy clients need perceptually uniform palettes, not decorative ones.

7. 07

   Log the intake in the retainer scope sheet with volume and turnaround

   State asset count, revision rounds included, and delivery dates. Unbounded revision loops on image work are the most common source of margin erosion in content retainers.

8. 08

   Get written sign-off on the intake sheet before production starts

   A signed intake converts later scope disputes into change orders rather than absorbed cost. Route it to the client contact who owns the brand, not the coordinator who sent the files.