A lot of iStock members has asked me how did I create the banner links into my profile and into my images description at iStockphoto, so let me share the steps to make it:

- First you need to create your private lightbox (LB) and it will have an ID number into iStock;
- After your create your banner, you need to host it in some place (your own website or those image hosts);
- After hosting your banner you need to add a link to it, so here is the right link to be added: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&lightboxID=2050544 this number after the “ID=” will be the number of your lightbox that you just created (the 2050544 number here is just an example, yours will be different);
- To know what number is your lightbox, click on the link Lightboxes on the top menu, the one on the same line as your avatar is. After clicking on it, you will see on the right a column “Member_name’s lightboxes“. There will be your list of created lightboxes with links. Pass the mouse over the lightbox link name and check the status bar in your browser and copy the ID number of it. If you don’t get to see it on the status bar, just click on the link to open it, and you will see the link alike that http://www.istockphoto.com/my_lightbox_contents.php?lightboxID=2050544. Write down the number it will show up.

Pay attention! To link your lightbox, use the first link I’ve mentioned above (?http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&lightboxID=0000000). This way you will get to count the views you had in your lightbox and members will get to have access to the lightbox icon under each image inside your LB. The first link above will need now to be added with another UBB code to be added into your profile or into your image descriptions. So, the whole UBB code to place into your profile or image description will be:

[url=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&lightboxID=number_of_your_lightbox t=_blank][img]http://www.your_site.com/your_jpg_banner.jpg[/img][/url]

Well, any doubt, feel free to leave a comment. I hope it helps you. ;0)