Graphic Design: Copyright-free Images
Goals
- Learn about C.O.D. Library services and resources
- Find background information about your image subjects
- Locate (copyright free) images of your chosen subjects
Library Research Services
- Get a Library card
- Research help both in-person and online
- Start at the Library website
Searching the Library
- Use the Library catalog
- What you'll find: Books, videos, audio, software, models and other physical items in the Library
- General charactersitics: Broad scope, authoritative, not as timely
Location information
By clicking on titles in your search results, you can find details about each item including location and availability information:
Searching Databases
- Use the Library's online subscription databases and your Library card (for off-campus access)
- What you'll find: Online full-text or articles from journals, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias and other specialized resources
- General characterisitcs: Narrower scope, authoritative, timely
Special Databases
Free Websites
- Use specialized search tools and advanced search features
- What you'll find: All kinds of stuff
- General characteristics: Very broad to very narrow scope, authority is up to you to decide, very timely
Finding Images
Images have varying types of restrictions:
- Copyright protected
- Royalty-free
- Public Domain & Copyright-free
- Fair Use Copyright Information
- Creative Commons
Image sites:
- Google image search
- Limit by size, color, file type, etc., on the search results page
- Limit by usage rights on the Advanced search screen (warning: this is imprecise)
- Flickr Creative Commons Photos
Large collection of user submitted photos usable under Creative Commons licensing
(Over 200,000,000 CC-licensed images as of March 21, 2012)- Flickr Advanced Search (limit to CC images)
- Multicolr Search Lab
- Flickr Storm
- Educational Image Collections
A collection of image databases and image search engines maintained by the College of DuPage Library. Copyright restrictions vary among collections.
- Wikipedia Public Domain Images
Extensive collection of online public domain image resources organized by subject
- MorgueFile
Thousands of high-resolution photos available for commercial use (small collection but high-res and useful) - Image*After
Download images or textures from this site for use in either personal or commercial works. - Zen Textures
Newer textures site - Getty Royalty Free Images
- PublicDomainPictures.net
Small but high-quality collection of public domain images - More tagged sites on del.icio.us
There are many image sites to choose from--beware, some are more "free" than others!
Video, icons, fonts, music
- Don't forget video! (Example.) And also try the Creative Commons search tool to search for CC media.
- Icons
- Fonts
- Music
Icons by dryicons
