So you liked an image you found through Google Images; you right-clicked on it and saved it; you used the image on your website or blog.
Simple enough to get and use the images, right?
Well no!
You cannot include any image that is available on the internet on your blog or website. Because some of those images might be copyrighted, some of them might need attribution to the creator, some of them are from the sites like Shutterstock, iStock with licensed images.
So many newcomers make the mistake of going to to the Google Images, searching the image they require and using the image that fits the bill, without paying attention to whether you are allowed to use that image or not.
And if you use such images, the worst-case scenario is you may receive a legal notice along with the demand to pay the fines.
And you do not want that.
So what to do? From where to get the images?
Okay, so let me tell you from where you can get the images. I will tell you the free options first then move on to the paid options later on and finally, and I will tell you some options where you can create your images.
All the images, icons used on this website are from the following websites.
Free Options
Pixabay boasts of having more than 1.6 million images with them. And that too free of cost and without any catch. Usually, the free of cost images available on the internet requires attribution.
Attribution means you have to add a line on your website where you credit the artist of that particular asset. While attribution is a nice gesture for the artist, more so when you are getting the asset free, but many website owners don’t like to advertise someone else on their website.
Additionally, Pixabay offers the images in various sizes, so you don’t have to download big images if you don’t require them.
The images on Pixabay are categorised, and the search provided by them is quite efficient. You will find a vast repository of images involving objects, people and even some technical pictures. However, if you want something very niche, then you may not see those kinds of pictures.
You can use the images on Pixabay for your commercial and non-commercial projects. And you are allowed to edit the pictures, but you are not allowed to sell them or portray them as your own. You can read more about their terms on Pixabay website.
Unsplash is another free repository of images and pictures. It doesn’t offer videos like Pixabay.
The photos are categorised in different categories and are searchable.
I like the collection available on Unsplash. The images available are fantastic. You can create an account on Unsplash and create your collection. You can also share this collection with others.
However, there is no option to download the images in a different size.
Like Pixabay; Unsplash doesn’t require attribution. And you can use the images for commercial as well as non-commercial projects. You can read more about the terms on Unsplash’s website.
Freemium Option
Freepik provides some of the assets free of cost. But the good quality ones are available for the paying customers. Like the compatriots, Freepik boasts of a vast collection.
However, you have to provide for the attribution when you are using the free images on Freepik. The paid version costs. EUR 7.50 per month when paid yearly and costs EUR 9.99 per month when paid monthly.
I don’t use Freepik as much as I use Pixabay and Unsplash.
Paid Options
There are a plethora of paid options for stock photos and images. And all of them offer premium quality images. But the price tag of these providers is hefty for someone new to online business. Let me list out the various options available.
iStock
Shutterstock
Adobe Stock
Bigstock
I will suggest you to first check out the images on Pixabay and Unsplash. More often than not, you will see the pictures on them. But if you need some niche images regularly and they are available on the premium platforms only then go for the premium options. Otherwise, free options will suffice.
Create Your Images
If you are not happy with the images available on the internet, then you can create your own. But remember there are some limitations while creating your images, as the options I am going to tell you are there to create images quickly. Don’t compare them with Adobe Photoshop.
Also, please note, all these options are freemium. You can use some of their features for free and for some you have to pay.
Canva is the best option for creating images. These ease of using Canva is simply mindblowing. Once you use it, you simply cannot use another tool; this is my personal experience. I tried switching from Canva a lot of times, but the simplicity and availability of the features even in the free version is astonishing.
I will suggest, do go to Canva and start using it for free. You will not regret it.
My personal opinion? I didn’t like it. Even for a seasoned person like me, I found it too troublesome and irritating. The lack of simplicity is frustrating.
They also have a free and paid version. But I will suggest not to go for their paid version unless you have used their free version and you are very sure of its capability.
Crello is somewhat similar to Canva. Honestly, I have used it once or twice only. I found it to be okay. But, I plan on giving it a long run to understand it in a better way, once I do it, I will update it here.
If you know some other provider offering free assets, do let me know them in the comments.
