Finding Graphics

Graphics can really breathe some life into your pages, but it's important that you remember to use them sparingly.

Too many images causes your pages to load too slowly. Even though your page may look "cool" to you, it may be a complete annoyance to someone else.

Finding Images

There are tons of sites on the web that allow you to download graphics for free. Here are a few:

http://www.freegraphics.com
http://www.gifart.com
http://www.sxc.hu/ (free photos)
http://www.gettyimages.com/ (free photos)
http://www.morguefile.com (free for commercial use)

Before you use any graphic on your site, make sure you they are royalty free and you read the terms and conditions.

Most of the free graphic sites listed are free for business and personal use but check the site to make sure.

For more info about inserting images into your web site, click here.

Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Photos.com has the best collection of stock photography out there, in my opinion. If you're looking for high-quality, professional photos in any subject, this is the place for you.

Most of the images you see on this site and my blog posts are from Photos.com. It's so nice to do a quick keyword search and find the kind of graphic/image I'm looking for.

What's great about Photos.com is they have a scanner service so you know for sure that the images you use for your site are not copyrighted and are definitely clear for use.

You have to be careful with many of these image sites because many times the images are copyrighted and you don't want to get in trouble using images owned by someone else.

Also make sure the images are clear for commercial use if you have a money-making website. Many of the sites that offer free images only allow you to use them for personal use. This clause is normally buried in their terms, so be careful.

I will warn you, the prices may cause you to lift your eyebrow, but let me tell you it's worth every penny. It's very hard to find royalty free images of people with GOOD quality. They are one of the few sites that provide this. You won't regret spending your money on their membership.

Here's a tip. In order to save a few bucks, sign up for their 1-month membership (instead of the 1-year) and just download as many images as you can and save them on your PC within that 30-day timeframe. There's no limit to what you can download during your membership.

Visit Photos.com today.

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