images no matter what the subject were
naturally drawn to them from beautiful
high-definition photos to carefully
crafted illustrations even simple
examples like logos and icons images are
more than just decoration in design
they're the hook that draws the viewer
in compelling visuals can help you
connect with the audience and make a
strong impression before they've even
read a single word you don't have to be
an artist to use images in your work all
it takes is a little creativity and a
willingness to think outside the box
with the right resources you can learn
to set your designs apart first finding
high quality images for any type of
projects maybe you're handy with a
camera or have some graphic design
experience that's great if not don't
panic there countless sources online
that offer images for exactly this
purpose the truth is most people
including professionals rely on free or
low-cost images called stock stock is
perfect when you need something specific
for example a photo of a tiny dog in a
teacup and you don't have the time or
resources to make it yourself
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most document sites let you browse or
search their offerings look for results
that are relevant to your project but
also unique in some way as viewers
people are naturally drawn to images
that feel authentic for example distinct
but believable photos and graphics to
tell a story the best images are
somewhat open-ended they set the tone
for your project but leave room for
interpretation
some stock images are just too generic
to be effective for instance how many
times have you seen a business
presentation with something like this
for more modern professional design
avoid images that lack context or are
too literal in meaning instead look for
imagery that's connected to your work
but in a more subtle relatable way of
course it's not just about content
there's also a technical side to images
which can have a big impact on your work
it doesn't matter if the photo you've
chosen is absolutely perfect in every
other way if it's blurry or pixelated it
could give the wrong impression look for
high-quality images that are sharp clear
and free of distortion in general
bigger is better because it gives you
more to work with a large
high-resolution image can always be
cropped or size down depending on the
needs of the project unfortunately it
doesn't work the other way around if you
enlarge a smaller image it immediately
loses quality that's because most images
are in something called raster format
they're made up of thousands sometimes
even millions of tiny little pixels when
you view a raster image and its original
size are smaller the pixels are
invisible they're just too small to see
but if you zoom in or enlarge it the
results aren't pretty
vector graphics are quite different from
raster you can make them any size big or
small without losing any quality that's
because they're made of something more
complex than pixels they're rendered
using a special form of geometry you're
not likely to find vector graphics
outside of professional design settings
but it's good to know what they are few
stock images are perfect as is even if
they're technically high quality maybe
the image is the wrong size or the
colors could use some work
fortunately even basic programs let you
make simple adjustments nowadays look
for these options the next time you need
to fix or enhance an image cropping can
be used to change the size shape or
focus of an image making it useful in
many different situations try this
feature if your graphic is the wrong
dimensions or if it includes something
you'd rather cut out cosmetic
adjustments let you enhance certain
image qualities like brightness contrast
saturation and color if your favorite
program offers filters or presets you
can change your image dramatically with
very little time and effort resizing an
image will ensure it's the perfect fit
for your project just remember you can't
make images bigger than their original
size without affecting their quality if
the image you're working with simply
isn't big enough it's best to choose
something else alternatively find a
creative way to work with the image you
have adding photos graphics and other
visuals to your work is a great way to
make it more engaging even a simple
background image can transform your
design into something special just
remember what you've learned about image
quality both technical and conceptual
and your work is sure to stand out for
the right reasons
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we hope you enjoyed learning the basics
of images check out the rest of our
design topics including typography color
and Composition
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