Clipart and Images for the DIY’ers

In the past few weeks we’ve had a number of print jobs come in with images that were low resolution and or copyright protected. So… here are a few key things to know if you are creating your own flyers, brochures, business card, and logos.

:: Images in Microsoft Publisher are low resolution meaning the quality is ok for your home printer but not for print.
:: Secondly, Microsoft Clipart is not for commercial use. There is a disclaimer and truth is, the clipart is not presenting a professional image for your business.
:: Taking an image off Google Images is not a wise choice. Proper credit needs to be given to these images and or licenses purchased.
:: Even stock photo sites have disclaimers about usage. You can select from royalty free images, images with royalty and more.
:: In addition to royalty issues you need to look into the number of usages you have upon purchasing an image. It might allow you to use the image for one type of collateral. If you want to use it in a brochure, poster and postcard you may need to purchase the image for each use.

Though clipart may be accessible and easy to place, think about the image you present. For relatively little, you can access stock images that project a professional image.

We’ll explore the con’s to using clipart as part of your logo in another post.

A few sites to look at:
www.istockphoto.com
www.gettyimages.com
www.bigstockphotos.com
www.jupitarimages.com

Marci Whitman

At the helm of Boomerang Marketing is Marci Whitman, an award-winning entrepreneur, consultant and educator. She founded Boomerang Marketing offering consulting services and expanded to include graphic and web design.With more than 15 years in marketing communication – she is well posed to support both small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Marci is at the forefront of new marketing approaches and supports her clients in implementing them on any budget.