Image Libraries and Resources

If It’s Worth A Thousand Words, Then Your Image Matters.

Royalty-free image resource libraries are an affordable resource for your images and illustrations.

Image Types

original photography
hand illustrations
computer illustrations
royalty-free stock images
rights managed stock images

Original Work

Nothing beats an original image. It’s your custom image, exclusive to you, and designed to create the impact.

Good, professional photographers and artists are worth the money you pay them. Be clear in your expectations of what you want from them and the scope of the project. Look at their portfolio to see if their skills match your needs.

You also need to be clear about ownership and copyright laws regarding original work. Discuss this up front so there is no misunderstanding of who owns the original work.

Stock Images

There are basically two types of licensing for images: rights managed and royalty-free.

Rights managed licensing is the rental of images that are more exclusive than royalty-free and also have a higher investment. The license is generally limited in use and time frame, and the investment is determined by the use. You are not likely to see your competition using the same image as you might with royalty-free licenses.

If your budget is tight, then consider a royalty-free license for your image. You buy it once and use it all you want for your marketing materials. The upside is the price is right and legal side is simple. The down side is your image may not be available as big as you need it for large format production and you might see the same image on your competitor’s booth at the same show.

It is worth noting that if you use royalty-free images, you need to check what the royalty-free license includes. You may have to upgrade your license if you want to use it for both, say, a trade show booth and on your website. The basic license may not cover both.