What are the CheckMate requirements for certification?
See the CheckMate Pro specification and CheckMate Lite specification.

What are the benefits of getting my models certified?
There are numerous benefits to having your models certified.

• Certified models can carry a higher price tag than similar uncertified models. The majority of our customers have indicated they would prefer to buy a certified model and would pay more for it.
• You’ll have fewer returns because buyers can be sure the model will work in a particular application.
• Certified models get a boost in Search results.

Which of my models should I submit for CheckMate Certification?
The most popular categories at TurboSquid are vehicles, people, animals and buildings. Ideally you would submit a model in one of these categories, but you are free to submit models from any category.

Is there a a price minimum for models I submit to CheckMate?
Models submitted for CheckMate Pro certification must be priced at $29 or higher. Models submitted for CheckMate Lite certification must be priced at $19 or higher. See CheckMate Pricing for details.

I’ve been selling my model for less than $19 (or $29), but it’s really worth more. Can I submit it to CheckMate Lite (or Pro)?
Yes, but you must change the price first before submitting the product for certification. The price must be at least $19 in order to submit the model for Lite certification, and at least $29 for Pro. See CheckMate Pricing for accepted prices for each level of certification.

How do I set an acceptable price for my CheckMate models?
See CheckMate Pricing.

How do I submit models for CheckMate?
You submit models to CheckMate under Step 1 of the Publisher. See Submitting Models for CheckMate Certification for a step-by-step guide.

How do I know the status of a model I’ve submitted for certification?
See Following up on a CheckMate Submission.

Why is CheckMate open only to SquidGuild members?
TurboSquid is committing great time and expense to certify models. In order to make this commitment to our artists, we need to have a reciprocal commitment from them that they will sell their certified models only
with us.

Once my model passes CheckMate certification, can I change it?
You can make changes to the model or presentation after the model is certified. For minor changes such as adding a new thumbnail, an inspector will re-inspect your presentation but you will retain the CheckMate badge while this goes on. For major changes, such as uploading a new model file, your CheckMate badge might be removed for a short time while we recertify the model.

If I leave SquidGuild, what happens to my certified models?
Since CheckMate is a perk of being a SquidGuild member, your certified models will lose their CheckMate designations if you leave. This means that these models no longer have to be exclusive. Since search ranking boosts are a specific benefit of the CheckMate program, search rankings for former CheckMate models will be recalculated based on non-CheckMate status.

Can I sell a CheckMate model at my personal site?
CheckMate Certified models can be promoted at personal sites that don’t have content for sale. For members that had personal sites before the SquidGuild cutoff date, CheckMate models may be sold at the same or higher price as they are at TurboSquid, however CheckMate branding and references to it may not be included. See the CheckMate Certification Terms of Service for the full list of terms that govern the sale of CheckMate models.

My model has a lot of NGons, but no customers have ever complained. Why does CheckMate Pro require no NGons?
It’s true that whether or not a model has NGons doesn’t matter for some applications (such as a background building in an architectural rendering), but you have no way of knowing what a customer will want your model for. Customers have asked that all models be made of quads, or mostly quads and some triangles, so they’ll be sure to work in all their applications and pipelines now and in the future. You have the option of submitting a model with NGons for CheckMate Lite, and customers that think NGons are fine will still be able to find it.

If my product passes Lite, can I submit it for Pro?
Yes. Once a product passes CheckMate Lite, you are invited to review the CheckMate Pro spec and enhance your model to pass Pro.

Some of my models have passed CheckMate Pro. Should I submit them for Lite certification too? Can I get both Pro and Lite badges?
No. Each product can have only one certification badge. Please do not submit Pro certified models for Lite certification.

Why do I have to change my Search Image to appear on a specific off-white background? Why can’t I have borders, text, or insignia on my Search Image? That’s how I set myself apart in Search results.
We found through customer surveys that a clean appearance in Search results says “professional” to customers, and makes it easy to scan search results and find what they are looking for. Conversely, brightly colored backgrounds, borders, text, etc. is considered unprofessional by customers, and make the search page seem cluttered and hard to read. Therefore, we are removing as many distracting elements from the search results as we can. We suspect the clean appearance will also become part of the branding that attracts customers to certified products (and the CheckMate branding that comes with it).

Please realize that this is not our opinion; it is what our customers told us. See Search Images to learn how to make your Search Images meet the standard with the minimum amount of work.

Who can submit models for CheckMate?
The CheckMate Certification program is open to all SquidGuild members.

Who will inspect the models I submit to CheckMate?
All models are inspected by internal TurboSquid Staff Inspectors, individuals with 3D experience who are trained on the CheckMate standard.

Can I send in a model that isn’t published and see if it will pass CheckMate?
No. You must publish the model first at TurboSquid before it will be considered.

I don’t have time to fix my model to bring it up to CheckMate standards. Can TurboSquid fix it for me?
No. We wish we could, but it would take TurboSquid an inordinate amount of time to repair models for all our artists. However, we have numerous Knowledge Base articles and videos to help you bring your models up to CheckMate standards.

Can collections be certified?
Yes. Collections can be eligible for certification, but will first need to be setup a little differently than standard CheckMate models. Information on how to publish and submit a collection for inspection can be found in the CheckMate Collections Certification article.

Does a model have to be high-poly to get certified?
No. Both low-poly and high-poly models are considered for CheckMate, provided the model is reasonably worth at least the minimum price for the standard.

What about textures and software? Will you certify those?
No. The CheckMate program is for 3D models only.