Stock Images: 8 Effective Tips for Avoiding Costly Plagiarism

Published by Algorithmic Global on April 11, 2022April 11, 2022

It’s no secret that using stock images on your website is a great way to improve its visual appeal.

Finding the right images can be a time-consuming and challenging task. Stock images are a great solution to this problem most of the time, provided you follow its usage instructions; they are affordable, high quality, and legally available for use without attribution.

There are many stock photo websites on the internet. It can be tempting to grab a free image and use it on your website without a second thought, but it isn’t necessarily a good idea. If stock images aren’t added to your website correctly, you could get in trouble for plagiarism. Additionally, using an unlicensed image could get you sued.

This article will discuss best practices for using stock images on your website while avoiding plagiarism issues.

The best websites for stock images 

Many free websites offer the use of stock photos without attribution. However, it is essential to note that not all of these websites are legal. Some may require you to sign up for a paid membership to download and use the images, while others may have watermarks or other restrictions that make them difficult to use.

The best stock image websites:

• Deposit photos
• Pexels
• Unsplash
• Pixabay

These four websites offer various images for commercial or personal purposes without attribution.

Tips for using stock images

Take these protective measures to avoid any plagiarism issues when using stock photos:

1. Make sure that the website you are downloading the image from is legal. Not all websites that offer the use of free images are permitted. 
2. Do a reverse image search of the photo you want to use on Google before using any stock images. Doing research will help you ensure that the image you are using is a royalty-free or Creative Commons licensed photo. You can use these two types of stock photos without attribution.
3. Check the terms of use. Once you’ve found a website that offers stock photos, read the terms of use before downloading anything. For example, some sites may require you to attribute the author, while others may allow you to use the images for free without attribution.
4. Look for high-quality photos. When searching for stock images, it’s essential to look for high-quality photos. Avoid any stock images that look blurry or have a low resolution. The last thing you want is for your website to look unprofessional because of the poor quality of your stock images.
5. Pay attention to the size. Another vital factor to consider when choosing stock images is the size. You don’t want to use an image that is too small or too large for your website. If an image is too small, it will look pixelated and low-quality. On the other hand, your website will load slowly if an image is too large.
6. Consider the color. When selecting stock images, pay attention to the colors. You want to choose photos that will complement the overall color scheme of your website. For example, if your website is primarily blue, you might want to avoid using an image with a lot of green.
7. Use relevant keywords. When searching for stock images, make sure to use relevant keywords. Knowing your keyword will help you find photos that are more likely to apply to your website. For example, if you have a blog about travel, you might want to use keywords like “travel,” “vacation,” or “destination.”
8. Edit the images. Once you’ve found the perfect stock image, it’s essential to edit it to make it your own. You can make it your own by adding text, graphic elements, or even changing the color scheme. By editing the image, you’ll be able to make it more unique and relevant to your website.

Wrapping up

The proper use of stock images is a great way to add visual appeal to your website while avoiding plagiarism. As you have learned today, you can find stock images on many different websites, and some of these sites allow you to use free stock images without attribution.

The most important thing you can do when choosing stock images is to follow the protective measures to avoid any copyright infringement issues mentioned in this blog post.
The professionals at Algorithmic Global are always happy to help you with any questions you may have about using stock images or anything else related to website design and development. Contact us today for more information about our services!