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Use Stock Art
Saturday, September 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
When designing a website, it’s not rocket science that you will need to put in some pictures and designs in there to bulk it up, give it a theme and generally make it more appealing. What you shouldn’t be tempted to do is nip onto Google and pick up the images you can find there. The problem with doing this is you will not have a license to be able to use these pictures, especially if you are selling this website to a client or using the art for anything other than personal use. If you are found out, you could not only be fined a hefty sum but you would also lose your credibility as a designer.
The solution to this is of course to use stock art. Stock art can be free or purchased, so get as many images as you can through various stock art providers and web development magazines and check for the magic words “free to use”. Make sure you can legally use the stock art for business purposes. For any other stock art and pictures, you can choose to buy a few select pieces from stock art firms which means you will be able to download the pictures you have bought which also means you will then have a license to use those pictures.
You can choose to make your own stock art if you have a high quality camera and a keen eye, ensure your pictures are clean, crisp and clear or they will only serve to cheapen the look of your website rather than enhance it.
Remember, it’s not just a case of sticking in photographs to a few places that sort of appear related to the topic. Just as you have designed the website, you need to design the look and feel of the images within it as it is all part of the same package. Every picture needs to compliment the others, and they should also be unique and relevant. Try to avoid cliché pictures and common poses or designs. You want your website to stand out and be appreciated, so put some thought into the stock art you choose.