If you’re looking for free images to use on your website, you can’t just help yourself to whichever pictures turn up first on a Google Images search. Many of the images that we encounter daily through these means are copyright protected and can’t be used without permission or payment.
The corresponding terms of use for each image are dictated by the image licence. So if you want to know what sort of licence an image has without long, tedious research, you’re best off using one of the numerous image databases available online. Many of these platforms also offer free images, too – stock photos and graphics without a licence, whose use is partially or even fully unrestricted.
Licences define usage rights for a work – whether that work is an image, a piece of music, or a video. Misuse of works and a refusal to follow terms of use can have severe consequences and should be avoided under all circumstances.
Free licences offer public users some room to manoeuvre. An image published under the terms of a free licence is known as ‘free’, or ‘licence-free’. But the term ‘licence-free image’ is a bit misleading, because these images are still under licence – just what’s known as a free licence. But in everyday semantics, these images have simply come to be known as ‘free’.
The most commonly used free licences are from Creative Commons (CC). This charitable organisation offers seven different CC licences: the ideal one to come across on an image search is the CC0 licence, since it includes no restrictions whatsoever on usage. CC0 images may be used commercially, edited partially or fully, and redistributed, even without crediting the original author. For more information on the different forms of CC licence, please see our article on Creative Commons.
There are a number of image archives online that specifically offer pictures with CC0 licences. These aren’t just photos and illustrations: vector graphics and icons are included too, and these can be very useful in web design. The following is a list of the most popular platforms that offer CC0 images:
The image archives mentioned above distinguish themselves as websites that mainly, or indeed exclusively, offer free images with CC0 licences. But even so, you should still take the time to check the exact licence of every image before downloading the data, so as to avoid any risks whatsoever.
It’s especially important to pay attention to the image licence if you are using an image database or archive that offers images under different licences in addition to CC0-licensed material. In such instances, a website’s FAQs and terms of service can be useful.
In some cases, it can be worthwhile to look for photos and graphics with other licenses. The range of designs and options is much greater than those available under the CC0 license. The following sites offer photos and graphics with a wider range of free licences:
The pages listed above are just a few examples of the many sites that offer free images under free licences online. The popularity of free licenses has been increasing steadily in recent years, meaning new, royalty-free photos and their corresponding image database platforms continue to be added. Due to the diversity of CC licences and their different restrictions, not to mention the complication surrounding the term ‘free’, it’s very important to make sure you check the licensing restrictions and terms of use very carefully before using an image.
Sometimes, even licensing can be unclear – particularly when it comes to the circumstances under which you may use an image commercially. When it comes to the legal framework for the use of royalty-free images, the blog LetSeeWhatWorks offers a basic overview and introduction to the topic. The Creative Commons website is also a good source of information, though neither of these online platforms offer independent advice. This digital guide doesn’t constitute legal advice either.
It’s only possible to be 100% certain who the creator of an image found online is if you’ve created it yourself. Although some picture agencies and image databases seem to be more trustworthy sources than others, be aware: if you’re using an unfamiliar image for your own purposes, you should always check all the details for the image. Regardless of whether it’s a little photo blog, or a large stock image archive: mistakes are made time and again–even when adding an image to a database.
If you’re unsure of an image’s terms of use, then don’t use it. But as long as you obey the restrictions in place when using an image, you can access a huge range of free photos, vectors, graphics, and illustrations on the internet.
Just because a photograph or artwork is available to view on the internet, doesn’t mean that you can use it for your own purposes. The creator’s consent and payment for royalties are often required. The rules don’t solely apply to sharing images that don’t belong to you; even if you use your own, you have to stick to certain guidelines.
Web designers are always looking for graphics, icons, and backgrounds that speak to their audiences. Many platforms tout their free vector graphics, but these sometimes come with strings attached. Aside from the price, there are many other things to consider, like terms of use. We’ve put together some of the most important points to watch out for when hunting for free graphics and have included...
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