How to search for images you can (legally) use for free

If you’re looking for an image to reuse for one of your projects and can’t take a picture yourself, there are tons of free images you can use online without running into copyright issues – you just have to know how to do it where to look.

Here we go over different places where you can search the web for free images. It’s worth noting that when searching for free images, you often come across the Creative Commons (CC) license, which allows you to use an image for free. But depending on the type of CC license an image has, there may be some restrictions that require you to credit the original artist or prevent you from making changes to the image.

Because of this, it’s always important to find out about the license it holds before using an image. More information on the differences between specific CC licenses can be found here.

Now let’s dive into all the different ways you can find free images.

Find free images on google

There is a common misconception that you cannot legally reuse the images you find on Google Images. While this may be true if you’re doing a general search, Google has ways to narrow your results based on image usage rights. That’s how it’s done:

• Go to Google Images and type in the image you’re looking for.
• Choose Tools > Usage Rightsand then select Creative Commons Licenses.
• Google will then display images licensed under Creative Commons.

Before reusing an image, be sure to check the type of CC license it uses, which you can usually find by clicking through the image’s source.

Use a stock photo website

One of the easiest ways to find an image that’s free to use is to search on a stock image site like Pexels, Unsplash, or Pixabay. The images on these sites are free, and attribution is optional (although it’s still a nice touch).

You are also free to modify the images for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, but you simply cannot sell the images without significant modifications. You can read more about what you can and can’t do with these images on each site’s licensing page: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay.

In this example, we’ll show you how to find images with Unsplash. The steps are largely the same no matter which website you choose.

• Open Unsplash and browse for an image.
• When you find an image you like, click the drop-down arrow to the right of it Download for free Button in the upper right corner of the window to select the resolution in which you want to download the image.
• While the process is not exactly the same for Everyone On the image sites out there, the steps are still pretty much the same.

Search for free images on Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons, a site from the same nonprofit organization that powers Wikipedia, is another great place to find free images. While all the images here are free to use, they have different licenses with different usage requirements.

• First, open Wikimedia Commons, then type a search in the top-right corner of the screen.
• From here, press the license Drop-down list to filter images by restrictions that come with their license. You can choose Use with attribution and same license, Use with attribution, No restrictionsor Miscellaneous.
• When you select an image, you can see what CC license it uses and get more information about any restrictions by clicking the included link.

If you still can’t find the image you’re looking for, Flickr is a great alternative. However, not every photo here is free to use, so make sure you toggle the required license to Any license Drop down to narrow your search.

Free images can be found at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has a complete digital collection of free photos for you to use. As noted on its website, it contains content that it believes is “in the public domain, has no known copyright, or has been cleared for public use by the copyright owner.”

You may not find generic stock images here, but it’s a good resource if you’re looking for historical images of landmarks, notable people, works of art, and more. How to use it:

1. Open the Library of Congress’s free image bank.
2. When you arrive at the homepage, you will see free image collections bundled by categories such as: B. “Birds”, “Natural Disaster” and “Independence Day”.
3. To search for a specific image, use the search bar at the top of the screen. You can use the drop-down menu to the left of the bar to filter the content you’re looking for by category, e.g. For example, Maps, Newspapers, 3D Objects, and Photos, Prints, Drawings. You can also select “All” to search the entire database.
4. After choosing an image you like, select the desired image resolution Download Drop down menu under the image and select walk.
5. If you scroll further down the page, you can click plus symbols next to it Rights & Access to learn more about the restrictions on using the image.

Other great resources for free images

If you still haven’t found the image you’re looking for, there are museums, libraries, educational institutions, and more that offer open access images that you can use:

• The Smithsonian: Smithsonian Open Access offers millions of copyright-free images of wildlife, architecture, art, landscapes and more. As mentioned on the FAQ page, all images here are in the public domain.
• National Art Gallery: If you’re specifically looking for free artwork to reuse, check out the NGA’s collection. Each image is in the public domain, so you can copy, modify, and distribute any images. You can read more about the NGA’s open access policy here.
• Art Institute of Chicago: You can search for more public domain art through the Art Institute of Chicago. If you’re browsing the collection, be sure to tick that public domain filters under the Show only Drop down on the left side of the screen before you start searching.
• New York Public Library: Like the Library of Congress collection, the NYPL has a wealth of historical imagery for you to browse and download. If you’re looking for an image, make sure you check that off Search public domain materials only Option that appears when you click on the search bar.
• Openverse from Creative Commons: Creative Commons, the same non-profit organization that developed the CC license, has its own open-source search engine that you can use to find free images. All images here are either in the public domain or have a CC license. Be sure to check the license of each image before reusing it.