If you are using royalty free stock images in a website template, there are several usage issues you must be aware of. While a RF license allows a wide variety of use in web design and web templates, there are certain restrictions, including reselling and using photos in an inappropriate way, that must be observed. We'll look at the do's and don'ts of using images in website templates.

*Check out our overview of RF and RM licenses for more info.

Website Template Do's:

• You can pretty much use a stock image in any way you want so long as the use does not fall under the restricted uses (see below).
• You can use the stock image as a whole, or you can crop it, mask it, or use only certain elements of it.
• You can edit and manipulate the image to fit your purposes (as long as the results do not fall under the restricted uses).

Example


Website Template Don’ts:
The restricted uses for stock images in website templates are fairly simple and clear cut.

• Don’t use a stock image as an integral part of a website logo.
• Don't resell, distribute, or license website templates that use stock images.
• Don’t use stock images on websites depicting pornographic, immoral, illegal, or defamatory content.
• Don't use images of people in your template in a way that depicts them as promoting or endorsing a product, business, or service.

Example


Why can't I resell templates made with stock images?
Licensing - When you purchase an RF stock image, you are only purchasing a license, not the image itself. Stock photographers earn money each time an image is licensed. If you resell a website template featuring stock imagery, you are essentially depriving the photographer of potential income. However, you are permitted to design and sell a single copy of a website template using stock images.
Copyright - All artwork, music, writings, and images are covered by copyright by default when they are put in a fixed form (digital files included). Copyright ownership remains with the artist that created the work and is not transferred when the work is sold or licensed, unless specifically stated. This protects artists' work and allows them to license their work multiple times (thus reducing the price).

Tips on choosing a stock image for your website template
Theme - to make a stock image fit within your design, find one that fits the overall theme of your site. For example, if you are creating a Halloween theme, find stock images of pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, or costumed kids.
Color - Color can be used to convey mood and emotion, so determine which colors you want to use in your website template. Then find a stock image with a similar palette of colors.
Subject - Any stock image you use in a template should fit the subject matter of the site. If your site is about pregnancy, feature pictures of pregnant women or babies.

While using RF stock images in your web site templates is a cost-effective way to create compelling, attractive websites, you need to make sure you follow the rules in order to protect yourself, as well as respect the artists' copyright of the images you use.

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