Using stock images can be an effective way to get your message across and is much cheaper than hiring a photographer and much better quality than the average domestic amateur photographer- even if your cousin has the best camera and the latest technology – there is skill in taking a good photo. Try to use a professional photographer when the opportunity presents itself.
Istockphoto.com, dreamstime.com and an array of others have come on the scene offering awesome pricing scales. These companies have tight quality control on what gets submitted and approved for sale. So you get great quality at a cheap price – some can be as low as $2. The other end of the competitors scale can range over $1000+ for just 1 image!
Now here’s where it gets tricky. What has been the general understanding in the past is…once I buy a one-off licence, it’s mine to keep using forever and ever. We need to update the current status to wrong! We will use istockphoto.com guidelines as the benchmark.
.…the scenarios go something like this.
- Images that form part of your branding and get used on everything you do–You need to buy the extended licence (about 75 credits each image. This gives you general multiple usage of the image in various mediums)
- Images that are one time use (1-40 credits each one off payment)
- Images that get used once then get used again later or periodically (1-40 credits each as a one off payment THEN you need to buy the licence again when you use it again next time – this is now strict.)
- The image gets used in a brochure then again on the website and maybe in a wall mural collage. (You need to buy the one off for each separate use. In this example, you would need to buy this licence 3 times. For the web version you may buy the cheaper low –res option. Or if the maths works out, the extended licence may be the best option)
Why the 1-40 credit range?
Images are sold in different sizes and resolutions. Such as 1 credit for a one off low res web use file to a 40 credit Extra Large high resolution file suited to banners or signage. The usage licence is the same for both.
A couple more things to think about…
Stock Image providers have end user agreements. Basically, This means that you- the client become the end user - are actually responsible for the ownership of the correct licence. Sounds a bit tough and technical but it has to be said. Moving forward, we will do our utmost to make sure that the right licences are purchased on your behalf. Remember the reason why you/we are using them in the first place.
We encourage you to set up an account yourself with the stock image library - it’s usually free to join. If you use images even semi-regularly –say one every couple of months, it’s worthwhile. Give us a call and we can recommend 1 or 2 for you. Of course we have an account setup if you don’t want to do this or would prefer we take care of this for you.
When presenting a brief to us, we also sometimes encourage you to search for the images yourself at the beginning of a project, but don’t buy them at this stage. You know what you’re after and as they say a picture speaks a thousand words! This can save you 2 -3 hours of chargeable time – you just give us the codes.
If you do ever have to buy them, we recommend buying the “medium” resolution – usually 6-15 credits. This should cover most general uses and scales well at 300dpi. If you have any large signs, the higher costs are usually worth it.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Disclaimer: Please read the respective above-mentioned company’s terms and conditions, as these can change without notice. This document is general in nature and is in no way legal advice.