Run a Google search and it is usually packed full of images. You see something you like and think ‘oh I’ll just use this one for my project’. Don’t do it!
All images on the internet belong to someone. Someone has spent time and probably money to have those pictures taken and unless you have their permission, or a license, you just can’t take your pick from the Google image search results. The same applies to Pinterest and images you have seen on other people’s websites.
Using images without permission is a game of roulette. You may not get caught the first time, but when you inevitably do, you could face legal proceedings and a hefty fine!
Great Images are important
When creating websites, printed literature or social media posts, we always tell our customers that images will make or break a project. You can have a beautifully designed, professional looking website but if you full it with grainy, poorly lit images the design is lost and the terrible images become the focus.
That’s why we recommend stock images. You are guaranteed good quality images, which you have the legal rights to use.
There are so many stock image libraries that there really is no reason to take the risk. From iStock to Shutterstock and Adobe Stock, you can buy great quality, high res, royalty free images of pretty much any subject you can imagine.
Don't fancy paying for images?
Check out some of the fantastic free to use stock libraries we have recommended below. Their selection is not as vast as the paid for stock libraries but there are still a lot of images to choose from. All of the images used on this page came from free to download stock sites.
Images are not the only asset you need permission to use. Illustrations, vectors and even fonts will usually need to be licensed for commercial use. This means that you can use that free font for anything you are creating for your own personal use, but as soon as you use it for your business you are infringing licensing laws.
You should be able to find illustrations and vectors on the stock sites above, and our recommendation for free to use fonts is Google Fonts. Here you’ll find a huge selection of fonts, in a range of styles, weights and languages.
For more information on the ins and outs of copyright and licensing laws, head over to the gov.uk article below.
If you are a new startup or you’ve been in business a long time, hopefully these tips can help you on your way. There are plenty of great marketing tools out there, you just need to know where to look. We are always happy to offer help and advice about resources, software and more so don’t hesitate to ask.
