Privacy Policy

Last updated 18 October 2023

What does this Privacy Policy cover?

This Privacy Policy covers our treatment of information that we gather when you are accessing or using our websites or services or when you contact us in any manner. We gather various types of information, including information that identifies you as an individual ("Personal Information") as explained in more detail below.

What information does Astute Graphics collect?

Information you provide to us

When you use our website to place an order, download a free trial, install and log into the Astute Manager, we collect the personal information that you provide to us. This can include your name, your address, your email address, your company name, job title, phone number, what you use Illustrator for (i.e. professional work or personal projects), your profession or interest (i.e. Graphic Design, photography), whether you use Windows or Mac, the number of designers within the company if relevant.

When purchasing our products, you will be asked to provide contact and payment details for the payment method chosen via our payment service. Credit/debit card details are collected and stored in accordance with our billing partner and Merchant of Record Paddle, and our former payment processors Stripe and PayPal.

Information we automatically collect

When you use our website we collect information via cookies, snippets, and other similar technologies which may include saving cookies or snippets to users' computers. We collect certain information related to your device such as your device's IP address, referring website, what pages your device visited, and the time that your device visited our website.

For further information, please see our Cookie Policy.

If you’re opted in for Plugin Usage Data Collection we will collect information on the tools you use. For further information, please see the section Plugin Usage Data Collection

How do we use the information?

We use the information we collect via our website for a range of reasons including:

  • To set up a contact and company record in our CRM system.

  • To provide, operate and maintain the best possible user experience for our customers.

  • To process and complete transactions and send related information including transaction confirmations, receipts and invoices.

  • To manage our customers use of the services i.e. to respond to enquiries and comments and provide customer service and support.

  • To investigate and prevent fraudulent activities, unauthorised access to licensing services, and other illegal activities.

  • For any other purposes about which we notify customers and users.

  • To facilitate a product purchase.

  • To improve the content of our web pages — for example by directing visitors to relevant product information.

  • To allow us to customize the content of our web pages for different visitors.

  • For the purposes made clear to you at the time you submit your information — for example, to fulfil your request for a free trial.

  • To provide us with information such as visitor statistics via Google Analytics and ProfitWell.

  • To provide us with information on the use of our products and services to assist future product development.

We may also use the information you send to us via our website to communicate with you electronically including via email regarding products, offers, promotions we think may be of interest to you or send you our newsletter. We use the provider MailChimp to carry out this service. You will always be able to opt-out of such communications at any time (see the "What choices do I have" section below).

If you make a purchase from Astute Graphics and have opted in to receive Marketing communications, then we may contact you via email to invite you to review any services and/or products you received from us.  This is in order to collect your feedback and improve our services/products (the “Purpose”).

We use an external company, Trustpilot, who acts as a data processor when sending review invitation emails on our behalf.  In order to collect your feedback we share your name, email address and reference number with Trustpilot for the Purpose.  If you want to read more about how Trustpilot process your data, you can find their Privacy Policy here.

Astute Graphics may also use such reviews in other promotional material and media for our advertising and promotional purposes.

We use the provider Zendesk for enquiries received by email or through our website contact form, and for communicating with customers and potential customers, you can read the Zendesk Privacy Policy here.

Plugin Usage Data Collection

When you first download the Astute Manger you will be asked if you agree to Plugin Usage Data Collection. Plugin usage data collection is optional and you can opt-out at this stage or at anytime from the My account page in the Astute Manager.  

From the My account page you can update your permission settings at anytime, download the information as a CSV file, and delete any product usage data that has been generated since the last download.

If you are opted-in, we will collect a Unique ID for each action of Astute Graphics tools used and some native tools, alongside a time & date stamp.

We collect this data to assist us with future product development and to understand how our service is used. None of the data we collect will be passed to third parties. Astute Graphics cannot view your screen or artwork. We will not be able to see how the plugins are being used, only which plugins have been used.

Data is collected using the AG Core plugin. The Astute Manager will automatically install AG Core as it now becomes integral to the running of Astute Manager. Please note that having AG Core installed does not mean that your data is being collected unless you have opted in. Please see What is AG Core? for more information.

Data Collection for Teams
If you are part of a Team, your Team Owner, Team Manager or Team Leader will control all plugin data collection settings for Teams and Team Members. Please see Data Collection for Teams.

Data Collection for Resellers
The End User Team Manager will control all plugin data collection settings. Please see the Reseller section on this page Data Collection for Teams.

Where will personal information about you be stored?

The information that you provide to us will be transferred to and stored by Astute Graphics, either in an email account or on a web server. By supplying such information, you consent to the above transfer and storage.

Customers may wish to consider that certain personal information is used by Astute Graphics servers/websites for the purposes of granting access to software services on the sites such as service subscription requests or software activation/deactivation. This includes your name and order number, and is sourced from the central customers' database which Astute Graphics stores.

How do we share and disclose the information to third parties?

Astute Graphics does not sell your Personal Information to third parties for the purpose of marketing activities.

We may process your personal information for our legitimate business interests e.g. direct marketing, data analytics and/or enhancing/modifying/improving our website and user experience (see 'Legitimate Interests' section below).

Under certain circumstances, we may be required to disclose your Personal Information in response to valid requests by public authorities such as the Police or security services.

Legitimate interests

"Legitimate Interests" means the interests of our company in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service/products and the best and most secure experience. For example, we have an interest in making sure our marketing is relevant for you, so we may process your information to send you marketing that is tailored to your interests. It can also apply to processing that is in your interests as well. For example, we may process your information to protect you against fraud when transacting on our website, and to ensure our website and systems are secure.

When we process your personal information for our legitimate interests, we make sure to consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative), and your rights under data protection laws. Our legitimate business interests do not automatically override your interests – we will not use your Personal Data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law).

If you have any concerns you have the right to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests.

Is Personal Information about me secure?

We use appropriate technical, organisational and administrative security measures to protect any information we hold from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Unfortunately, no company or service can guarantee complete security. Unauthorised entry or use, hardware, or software failure, and other factors may compromise the security of user information at any time.

WARNING: Data in transmission

While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your personal information from unauthorized access, you should recognize that email and other electronic transmissions are insecure. Accordingly, neither Astute Graphics, nor its associates warrant, guarantee or undertake that any transmission will not be intercepted and/or read by an unauthorized person.

What choices do I have?

If you wish to update any of your personal details, you can do this by logging into your customer account. Alternatively, you can email us at hello@astutegraphics.com  advising of the information you wish us to correct.

If you want us to delete all personal or other information about you, which has been sent through this website and is held on an Astute Graphics server, please let us know by email, stating your details. Please note that requests to remove information relating to purchases and licenses will result in the removal of product services and termination of subsequent product licensing and activation. Astute Graphics will retain only essential information to comply with all UK legal requirements including accounting.

You can opt-out of receiving promotional or marketing communications from us at any time by logging into your customer account and choosing the My account tab. You will then be able to untick the Promotional Communications option. Alternatively, you can use the Unsubscribe link in the email communication we send. Please note that it may take 48 hours for these changes to register throughout all Astute Graphics systems. If you have already unsubscribed by clicking the unsubscribe link in any of our emails then we cannot re-contact you, regardless of what you select in your marketing preferences.

What information does Astute Graphics submit when requesting updates, and other direct website-based service links?

Astute Graphics software submits the following computer and product installation information when contacting the Astute Graphics server only at the request of the user, for example checking for updates:

  • Astute Graphics software product name and version number sending the query.

  • Whether the operating system is Windows or Mac.

  • Adobe Illustrator major version number (e.g. "24/2020")

  • The source of the request (e.g. "About")

Linked Websites

For your convenience, hyperlinks may be posted on our website that link to other websites (the "Linked Sites"). We are not responsible for, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to, the privacy practices of any Linked Sites or any companies that we do not own or control. Linked Sites may collect information in addition to that which we collect on the website. We do not endorse any of these Linked Sites, the services or products described or offered on such Linked Sites, or any of the content contained on the Linked Sites. We encourage you to seek out and read the Privacy Policy of each Linked Site that you visit to understand how the information that is collected about you is used and protected.

Will Astute Graphics ever change this Privacy Policy?

We are constantly trying to improve our Website and the User Experience we deliver, so we may need to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. You can see when this Privacy Policy was last updated by checking the date at the top of this page. You are responsible for periodically reviewing this Privacy Policy.

What If I have questions about this policy?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our privacy policy, please send a message to hello@astutegraphics.com