Buying Royalty-Free Images

When you see an image for sale. You are buying the image with the right to use the image without having to pay any additional royalty fees in the future. This means you can use it for your website, for your brochure, for your business cards and so on. You cannot give the image for another person to use. You cannot re-sell the image. You cannot place it in a template and re-sell it.

The risks in using royalty-free images illegally can put your business in jeopardy. There are many large royalty-free microstock websites that have entire departments of legal teams that spend there day looking to file lawsuits against individuals and businesses who use royalty-free images illegally.

I think educating the online community is the best way to minimize the confusion created by the term "royalty-FREE" and explain to people that images are not for FREE but are free from additional royalty costs to the buyer.

Microstock Companies for Photography and Illustrations

There are many websites that can sell your images. The current top sites are Shutterstock with a huge base of subscribers and a high royalty earner for many artists. The next is Dreamstime which offers increased royalty earnings on specific images the more they download. Fotolia is the next highest earning site with a fast approval rate for vectors and a great interface for submitting images.

The most important thing to learn is how to use meta tags to embed keywords in your files. This makes submitting your work to many sites much simpler than keywording the same images over and over again. Each microstock site will read your meta tags automatically and you just select a category and submit.

Good luck in your microstock adventure!

Tree Set

Tree Set
Tags: cartoon; tree; trees; set; orange; green; brown; white; isolated; wilting; leaf; leaves; grow; grown; large; big; fall; autumn; growing; bending; icon; set; tall; vector; illustration; design; element; graphic; clipart

What is the Difference Between Vector and Bitmap Images: A Vector Stays Sharp

A vector (eps file) stays sharp no matter how much you enlarge it. Look at the example of this litterbug cartoon character. The bitmap (jpeg file) gets blurry when you enlarge it. That's why more people want a vector graphic than any other kind of image. It's more useful and always stays smooth.

Gold Medal

Gold Medal
Tags:  olympic; torch; medal; metal; gold; black; blue; isolated; white; ribbon; star; shape; round; circle; coin; textured; necklace; award; prize; trophy; blank; vector; illustration; design; element; graphic; clipart

Superhero Dog

Super Dog Tags:

canine; hero; animal; cape; cartoon; cloud; dog; flying; graphic; illustration; sun; super; superhero; vector

Traffic Jam

Cartoon of people driving on the highway.

Tags:  cartoon; people; driving; highway; freeway; travel; transportation; truck; car; happy; smiling; road; vector; illustration; design; element; graphic; clipart

Goal Meter

Futuristic Goal Meter

Tags:  achieve; art; barometer; clipart; decoration; design; device; dimensional; element; fund; fundraiser; futuristic; goal; goals; graphic; growth; illustration; levels; measure; measurement; measuring; metal; metallic; meter; neon; plan; planning; profit; raising; reach; revenue; team; thermometer; three; tracker; tracking; vector; 3d

Lowest Prices Button

Low Price Icon

Tags: Discount; Button; lowest; low; sale; text; arrow; blank; transparency; eps10; glow; decrease; sign; price; drop; tag; red; shadow; box; button; icon; set; blue; design; element; illustration; graphic; clip; art; vector

Medical Healthcare Wheel Icon

Medical Network Diagram

Tags:  health; care; chart; chat; communication; diagram; doctor; globe; graphic; healthcare; icon; illustration; internet; isometric; laptop; medical; network; nurse; set; social; sphere; surgeon; wireless; illustration; design; element; graphic; clip; art

Blank Certificate

Green Certificate isolated on a white background.

Tags:  art; award; blank; certificate; clipart; copy; decoration; design; element; graphic; icon; illustration; paper; pattern; recognition; repeat; repeating; space; vector; wall; wallpaper; web; website; green

Blank Photo Prints

Blank Photo Print
Tags:blank; photo; photos; print; prints; frame; frames; tape; eps10; drop; shadow; curled; panoramic; black; white; gray; photography; set; undeveloped; template; vector

Video: Website Update Preview

Video: Making a Vector Silhouette

This is a video of a photograph I took and converted into a vector silhouette of a businessman sitting in a chair.

New Search Feature

Added a new feature to my website so now you can search for royalty-free vector illustration images by keywords on the main page. Give it a try!

Buy Art from the Artist

With so many microstock companies profiting from the creative efforts of artists it makes perfect sense for an artist to sell directly to the public. My royalty-free vector illustration artwork is posted on CTE Consulting Services for purchase within seconds after I finish drawing them. Hot off the press! The biggest difference is in the savings. You save up to 50% when you buy direct, get the newest images, and have access to all my creative digital files on one site.

Video About CTE Website

Microstock Vector Illustrations at CTE Consulting Services

A brief two minute overview of John Takai's vector illustration website where he sells high resolution graphics in jpeg and eps formats.

Buy Buttons

Sunshine Buy Button Set

Tags: Sunshine; Buy; Button; Set; sale; web; icon; set; transparency; eps10; square; shape; curve; vertical; arrow; label; sticker; shadow; colorful; yellow; blue; white; black; purple; green; vibrant; glowing; shiny; illustration; graphic; price; tag; clip; art; vector

People Silhouette

Kneeling Thinker

Tags: kneeling; Pondering; silhouette; Young; Man; thin; skinny; teenager; thinking; hand; chin; scratching; black; white; blue; wave; element; graphic; illustration; background; shadow; knee; watching; vector

Price Chart

Pricing Chart

Tags: Pricing; Chart; blank; table; column; list; dollar; amount; add; cart; checkout; button; shiny; glowing; eps10; red; blue; green; purple; orange; black; isolated; white; checklist; icon; row; transparency; business; illustration; graphic; clip; art; vector