As you create content to help grow your business, you’ll need to find images to go along with that content. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Articles that include an image have on average 94 percent more views than articles that don’t include them.
To aid in your search for images, here are ten places where you can find free images to use legally.
FreeFoto.com has over 132,000 images with 183 sections that are organized into 3,640 categories. The images are free to use online in blogs, email, social media, and articles, as long as you provide attribution and a link back to either FreeFoto.com or the image. However, if you want to use an image for advertising or marketing purposes, a license will still need to be purchased. You can read the full set of rules on the site.
This site not only allows you to use its free images in online content, but also in printed promotional materials such as book, CD, and DVD covers, film, video, mobile apps, and even on corporate stationary and business cards. However, you cannot use the photos as part of a logo or trademark, on print-on-demand items, or printed reproductions that you intend to sell. You can find the complete terms of use on the website.
This site doesn’t categorize images in sections, but you can search the entire site by keyword. Site owners prefer users to include a photo credit and/or the photographer’s name, but they don’t require it. There are no restrictions on how you can use the photos except that you cannot sell or profit from them. View the terms of use on the site.
If you’re looking for free textures, design ideas, video clips, and abstract backgrounds, Creativity103 is a great place to look. The site currently has 2500 files, 6GB of abstract digital photos, and basic video clips, which are all free to use. The site’s terms of use state that all use of the images is OK for personal or commercial reasons, but credit is required for commercial usage.
Sometimes you don’t need a photo, but just a good piece of clip art. You’ll find plenty to choose from on this site. It’s searchable by keyword, and all the artists who contribute to the site have released all rights to their work. That means you can use these pieces any way you want, even for unlimited commercial use. Read more on the site’s terms of use page.
This site boasts 1,122 free high-resolution textures and backgrounds that include representations of concrete, brick, metal, and more. In addition, you’ll find unusual textures like grey beach pebbles and graffiti all organized into 25 categories. The site’s terms of use state that you can use the images for just about anything, with exceptions as a trademark or logo, or printed items that you intend to sell.
On this site you will find 3,600 high-resolution travel stock images arranged by geographical location, or you can search by keyword. The images are free to use under a Creative Commons license as long as you provide a credit for printed items, or a hyperlink for online media.
This site has a massive selection of images shot by amateur photographers and is categorized by places and themes. You can use the images for personal or commercial use, and all you have to do is link back to the website. If you can’t do that, the site simply requires you to like its Facebook page.
You’ll find a wide variety of images taken by professional stock photographers and digital illustrators on this site. You can browse in the 16 categories, or search by keyword. All images are free to use, but you will have to pay for larger size images. You can use the free images for personal or business use as long as you provide a credit to the artist who created it. Read the site’s terms of use for more details.
There are over 410,000 images divided into 15 categories and taken by more than 30,000 photographers on this site. The images are free to use in digital format, printed promotional materials, and on corporate letterhead and business cards. You can’t use the images to endorse products or services if they depict a person, as part of a trademark or logo, or to sell or redistribute. You are required to seek permission from the photographer directly if you want to use the image for products you intend to sell, view the full terms of use of the site here.
