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Public domain images on Pexels can be downloaded and used for free even for commercial purposes.
- Overview
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Kaboompics
- Pixabay
- Public Domain Pictures
- Morguefile
- Wikimedia Commons
- NYPL Digital Collections
- Flickr Commons
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Below are all the best websites I use to download images that are in the public domain. Photos you download from these sites are perfect for multiple reasons, from putting the finishing touches on a blog post or website to adding graphics to your printed projects or mobile app.
Pexels offers hundreds of thousands of images that are free for use on personal and commercial projects, blogs, websites, apps, and elsewhere. It's one of the first two websites I reach for when I need a free picture because it's easy to use and is always updating with new content.
Search by keyword or browse by collection. Another way I like to find the photos here is by the leaderboard, which lists all the most popular uploaders. There's also a handy Popular Searches page to see what other people are downloading.
If I'm not on Pexels, I'm browsing for public domain photos at Unsplash. Similar to Pexels, I just love how huge the collection is, and it's always expanding, often with thousands of uploads every month. Plus, there are loads of ways to find something, such as through collections and trends.
I also like to view photos by topic. Current Events is an interesting image set, but there's also one for textures, 3D renders, health & wellness, interiors, and a lot more.
Tens of thousands of additional public domain images are available through Kaboompics. You can browse through them by color, keyword, orientation, or category.
Some of the categories that separate these photos include technology, food & drink, business & office, home decor, healthcare, and things.
As you look through these pictures, you can use the download button to quickly grab them, or you can visit the photo's download page to get the original sized photo or one of a custom size.
There are also photoshoots listed here, which provide a series of similar images that would work great in a project that needs a consistent theme.
Pixabay is home to millions of free photos, illustrations, vector graphics, and even videos, music, and sound effects. The photos are stunning, high-resolution images that are free to use with any project. No attribution is necessary.
Explore helps you find the most popular images on the site, and can also point you in the direction of the Editor's Choice page to kick-start your creativity, and curated collections (e.g., lifestyle, wild animals, people from around the world, celebrating women).
Public Domain Pictures has thousands of gorgeous photos and drawings. All images can be downloaded free but there's also a Premium Download option if you want a larger version (they're very reasonably priced).
Although all the photos are in the public domain, you'll occasionally see a note about a special use condition. For example, if a person or paid model appears in the photo, the condition may be that you can't use it in any way that depicts that person in a manner they'd find offensive.
Morguefile is a high-quality source for public domain images. The site tends to attract high-res photo submissions and has hundreds of thousands of free stock photos on file.
Remember these things while using Morguefile (according to their license):
•Any of the free photos can be used for commercial purposes
•You can make alterations to the images
Wikimedia Commons is a gigantic repository of more than 100 million free media files, including public domain images and other content available in a wide variety of languages.
If the site has a downside, it has to be its vast size. If you're not sure where to start, take their recommendation and visit Featured Pictures, Quality Images, or Valued Images.
The New York Public Library has organized a huge collection of amazing public domain images and made them all available to the public. This collection of nearly 1 million items includes illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs, and more.
To get started, type something into the search box and then select the box next to Search only public domain materials. Or, browse the items featured on the home page, which include recently digitized items, updated collections, and various other categories such as fashion, nature, and maps.
Access thousands of public photography images at the Commons, a joint project between Flickr and the Library of Congress. Dozens of institutions around the world participate in the Commons.
Many of the photos are historical, and all are fascinating. They're categorized as having "no known copyright restrictions."
When you run a search, the results can be filtered by color, multiple orientations, minimum size, and date captured.
This program has two main objectives:
•To increase access to publicly held photography collections
•To provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge
Jan 12, 2022 · New public domain images are added every weekday and everything on the site is available for commercial use (read about their license here). For a fee, you can join their Premium Membership to receive curated photo packs and access to a dropbox filled with 1,000+ high res photos.
- Rebecca Creger
Wikimedia Commons- Unsplash
- Flickr Commons
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The National Gallery of Art has an open access policy for images of works of art in our permanent collection which the Gallery believes to be in the public domain. Images of these works are available for download free of charge for any use, whether commercial or non-commercial.
- Unsplash. Unsplash is a robust image repository with a large collection of free stock photos. The site holds over 3 million high-resolution images by professional photographers worldwide.
- Pexels. Pexels hosts a royalty-free stock photo and video collection, helping millions create beautiful products and quality designs. Their site has hundreds of thousands of hand-picked or sourced photos uploaded by contributors.
- Pixabay. Pixabay is a stock photo library owned by the graphic design software company Canva, with a 2.7 million-piece collection of free pictures, separated into categories for photos, illustrations, vector graphics, videos, music, sound effects, and GIFs.
- Old Book Illustrations. Old Book Illustrations set out to scan and upload public domain drawings from the 18th to the early 20th century, capturing the unique styles of Victorian and French romanticism.
Sep 9, 2019 · Pixabay – A database of public domain images, most of which are free for commercial use. Similar sites include Pexels and Unsplash. CC Search – CC search is a search engine dedicated to Creative Commons content, including images and videos. You can use these images according to the permissions specified under their licenses.
NGA Images is their online collection of artwork with all images available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial. Explore some wonderful Gauguin artworks, 130 Degas artworks of ballet dancers, horses and portraits then finish up with some of Cézanne’s drawings and studies. Visit NGA Images.
