Everything You Need to Know About Royalty-Free Vector Images
Vector graphics are popular among seasoned and aspiring creators, and are widely used for digital and print purposes. Due to beneficial vector properties like editability, scalability, and small size, designers, illustrators, and other creative minds use vector graphics to create logos, animated scenes, web interfaces, merchandise designs, fonts, and other artistic and commercial materials.
Creating vector artwork from scratch is time-consuming and requires design and software skills that beginners might lack. Stock content marketplaces feature millions of licensed content ready to be used for personal, commercial, editorial, and creative purposes. Keep reading this article to learn the basics of vector graphics and how to choose HD visuals in a top online library.
What are vector graphics?
Vectors are images created with geometric shapes, lines, curves, and points, also called vector primitives. The mathematical formula encoded in a vector file converts the stored data on vector primitives into a complete image. Vector files also contain colors and applied effects. Unlike raster images that consist of pixels and become blurred when enlarged, vectors can be easily scaled. These images do not lose quality and look sharp when used in responsive designs for websites, large banners, or small business cards. Moreover, vectors take up less space on your device and load faster because they store only mathematical formulas and coordinates of vector primitives.
Vector images are popular in advertising, printing, architecture, and web design industries, where high image resolution and the ability to modify files without quality loss are essential. Vector graphics can be used to create detailed drawings, diagrams, infographics, maps, building layouts, icons, buttons, and more.
Common vector file formats
- SVG—a popular vector graphics format based on the XML markup language. You can create simple vector images in this format. Its advantage is that it is free and easy to edit, supports animation, and can be edited through coding.
- EPS—the go-to vector graphics format used in the printing and publishing industries. It is based on the PostScript language that was developed to describe various graphic and text information. You can process the EPS vector file format in Adobe and CorelDRAW software.
- PDF—a widely used format created by Adobe. Its advantage is that it can be opened and edited in various programs, not only in those provided by Adobe. Generally, PDFs contain text with vector and raster graphics and can be easily processed by printers.
- AI—a proprietary format of Adobe Illustrator. It is popular among designers because it can be used to achieve high-quality, complex vector images.
- CDR—a vector format native to CorelDRAW. It is not supported by other programs for editing vector graphics. However, CDR images can be converted to other vector formats like SVG, EPS, or PDF.
Where to find royalty-free vector images
Sometimes, you cannot create vectors yourself or afford to hire professionals to do the job. At the same time, you shouldn’t use vector images downloaded from random internet sources, as you may infringe on copyright. This will result in significant fines and unpleasant consequences for you and your brand. Therefore, it is essential to find trustworthy sources with licensed content. Stock photo agencies feature photo, vector, video, and music files that users can legally download for free or after purchasing a subscription plan. Online libraries provide all license terms and conditions, explaining where to use the files and for what purposes. If you want to utilize copyright-free vectors, search for images available in the public domain.
Depositphotos is an international stock content marketplace that offers royalty-free audiovisual content for its registered users. The library features 54+ million high-quality vector graphics available at depositphotos.com/stock-vectors.html. You can browse numerous thematic categories and trendy collections to find vectors on topics like business, animals, holidays, science, background, animation, and others. Moreover, advanced search filters speed up finding relevant pictures. Set your preferred parameters for vector type, color, orientation, date, and contributor.
You can download vector files from Depositphotos in SVG and EPS format. Just click on a preferred image, choose the vector format, and download the file. To download unwatermarked premium visuals, you must purchase a budget-friendly subscription or on-demand plan. Depositphotos also offers free vector graphics that you can use commercially with source attribution.
How to choose the most appropriate royalty-free vector images for commercial use
It’s recommended to utilize licensed visuals for commercial purposes, as you will be sure to use high-quality material that cannot be easily found or infringed. To choose relevant vectors to create eye-catching and efficient projects, take the next points into account:
Define what visuals you need for the project. Depending on what idea and message you want to convey in your project, you can choose images of people, macro objects, abstract backgrounds, line art illustrations, or other vector design materials.
Look for images in your corporate shades. To ensure your project is aesthetically pleasing and has an integral design, choose vectors that correspond with your business color palette.
Check the license terms to ensure you can use files for your specific commercial purposes. Depending on the license, some vectors might be prohibited for usage in items for resale or have copy limitations. Moreover, some platforms offer free content that can be used in personal projects only.
Use advanced search filters to clarify your request. The more specific you are in your search query and the more filter parameters you adjust, the better and more customized vector suggestions you will get.
Conclusion
Vector images are used in marketing, publishing, design, architecture, and many other industries. They’re scalable, editable, and have a compact file size—all highly-beneficial file properties for digital creators. Like most online content, vector graphics have a copyright owner. And in order not to violate copyright, you should opt for royalty-free vectors. Stock content marketplaces feature extensive collections of high-quality, licensed vector graphics available on any subject.
