Aug. 15, 2012 —
Clipart can be a great way to add visual impact to your printed
publication, website, blog and marketing materials. But finding clipart
that's both right for your project and legally accessible can be a
challenge.
Here are five tips to keep in mind when searching the web for that ideal image:
- Don't pull photos from other sites or from search engine results.
Many of these images are copyright protected. Using them can result in
legal action being taken against you.
- For free images, make sure the site specifies that they are free
to use as you wish. A great resource is Microsoft Design Gallery.
- Free clipart photos are usually low resolution (72 dpi), making them ideal for the web, but not for print (300 dpi).
- Almost all images downloaded will be RGB colour formatted. That
means they can be used only on the web or printed on your home printer.
For professional printing, you will need images formatted to CMYK. There
are websites that will do this for free, or you can use any popular
image editing software.
- When purchasing stock images from a website, make sure you
purchase the right size for your use. Small images will look grainy when
enlarged.
Marc Gordon is a professional speaker and marketing consultant. Get more marketing tips on his website, www.marcgordon.ca and on his online show, www.marctv.net.
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