Finding copyright free photos for custom brochures, posters, or flyers shouldn’t be difficult. But many people struggle to find unique stock photos and imagery for their marketing materials. Whether you’re a teacher designing classroom posters, a friend trying to create custom mugs for gifts, or a businessperson printing custom flyers, eye-catching visuals are key. Here are a handful of online databases you can use to search for unique public domain images that will make your print materials stand out.
Stock Photography Websites
The easiest place to find images without copyright restrictions is online stock photo websites. These databases allow you to browse a diverse selection of photos perfect for your print products. Oftentimes, the artwork you can find here is generic but not boring. High-quality photos make for pleasant marketing visuals that catch the eye.
This site hosts millions of high-definition images that can be accessed without even signing up for the website. Free photos make the perfect visual addition to your marketing prints. There are pre-made categories like Travel and Food & Drink, perfect for travel company or restaurant marketing. You can also search specific topics; if you need images for a real estate postcard, just search “real estate” and see what pops up.
Similarly, Pexels is a free photo database curated by photographers. Search a category or explore their collections, like fashion and cocktails, to find images for retail marketing materials or bar marketing materials. There is a wide range of topics, including dental images, veterinary photos, wellness photos, and more.
Museum and Library Archives
Sometimes, you want a vintage vibe that is a bit less generic. In that case, museum and library archives offer a plethora of unique images, illustrations, and artwork that is in the public domain. Searching through them can be a bit trickier, as you have to double check rights usage (some images will not be available for commercial sale but are fine to use for marketing) and image quality. Historical archives provide perfect content for class posters, library bookmarks, and unique greeting cards. From a business perspective, finding quirky, old-school images can stand out, since modern marketing is oversaturated with minimalistic, modern styles.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts a digital archive with plenty of public domain artwork. Filter for “open access” in their collection and then use their other filtration options. Search by object type (like baseball cards or photographs), where the artwork originates, its historical era, and the museum department it is part of. Special to the Met, is the Costume Institute (famous for the annual Met Gala) and famous paintings, like works by Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet. Other museums, like the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian, also have online archives you can browse.
NYPL Public Domain Collections
The New York Public Library has a variety of maps, photographs, and prints with historical significance. Browse their collections, like historic photos of New York City and maps of North America. These are great for real estate marketing, construction marketing, and travel marketing. If you live in a large city, check out your local library’s digital archive. Los Angeles Public Library, for example, has an extensive digital collection that includes fashion plates, travel posters, and movie posters.
Online Archives
Outside of traditional archival institutions, a variety of online archives have popped up specifically to highlight copyright-free works. Like a museum archive, these are typically organized around specific themes. Find quirky artwork or look up your favorite artist to see if there’s an online collection dedicated to their work.
This digital archive collects art and literature free for public use. Their collection is easy to search through thanks to simple categorization tools. Find spooky supernatural artwork under ghost & occult, gorgeous gowns under fashion, patterns under design & topography, and natural land under landscapes. Many of the images are accompanied by informative essays that explain the historical and artistic context for each piece. Print posters of volcano explosions, wombat illustrations, or cute bug drawings.
Special Interest Archives
If you have a specific interest or field that you are hoping to find images for, it’s often easy to find niche archives dedicated to certain topics. If you’re into space, you can find collections dedicated to space travel missions and NASA. For literature, Project Gutenberg has full books in their entirety, including Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, and The Great Gatsby.
Whether you want medieval religious artwork for your church pamphlets or wellness photos for your health company, finding unique, copyright-free images is possible. Taking the extra time to find distinct artwork makes your marketing materials stand out in a sea of boring, uninspired designs. For personal use, these archives are great ways to find artwork for custom home decor that no one else will have. Once you’ve found striking imagery, use GotPrint to order all your custom business stationery and personalized home decor.