Some creative designers today consider using stock illustration websites as cheating, but is this actually cheating? Well, it’s all about context. It’s possible for a designer to have a concept yet lack the means to deliver a new artwork. In such a situation, stock art will come in really handy for the designer.
Stock illustrations have been around for a very long time now, and a lot of improvements have been made over the past few years. Today, there are so many websites that offer a huge collection of the best quality vector, graphics, illustrations, and icons. All of these have been created by some of the best artists from different parts of the world.
If you are looking for a website where you can get some of the best illustrations, flyers, business cards, or social media post posters, there are several options that you can use. The point is that you can either draw these items from scratch, hire a professional illustrator to draw it for you, or use an already made design. The last option is also known as Stock Illustrations, and they are images, graphics, and illustrations that are just lying on online platforms and waiting for you to use them.
There are so many advantages that come with using stock illustrations, but the most notable reason why anyone would want to use a stock illustration website is that they are a lot cheaper, and in some cases, you can use them for free. Another amazing thing is that you have many options to use, and you can find these illustrations in different styles and formats, as they are all professionally created.
Even though there are so many advantages to using stock illustration websites, there are also a few drawbacks associated with this. The first drawback is that the illustrations are not only available to you alone, but they are available to everyone. This means that it’s possible for other people to use your choice. Remember that the images aren’t yours, and you don’t have much control over them or how people use them.
With that in mind, the facts are that stock illustrations will always come in handy for you, and you can always get them at a bargain price. In this article, we’ll take a quick look at some of the best tock illustration websites available. There are so many of these websites available. Some are free, while others offer premium services. We have only provided the top 5 best stock illustration websites for you to use whenever you’re looking for an illustration.
Best Stock Illustration Websites
Our list comprises both free and premium stock illustration websites, and these websites include the following:
1. Shutterstock
Shutterstock remains one of the most popular websites in the world for stock photos and illustrations. People in different parts of the world use the website for various reasons. If you’re looking for a space with all the illustrations and images that you need, Shutterstock should be one of the places that you should check.
The jaw-dropping thing about this stock illustration website is that there are more than 70 million images and illustrations available. All of them were created by some of the best artists and designers in different parts of the world. In addition, more of these illustrations are added to the website every month. The key thing to note however is that you’ll need to pay a subscription before you can use the services they provide. The price varies depending on the number of images you want.
What’s certain is that you can get all the styles, themes, and topics that you want on Shutterstock. The key advantage of the site is that it offers royalty-free and a huge variety of stock illustrations. This is in addition to the frequent additions that are included every month. However, for some users, Shutterstock is quite expensive, and they have many users, meaning that it’s possible that your image will be chosen elsewhere.
2. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is also among the most popular stock illustration websites available today. If you’re looking for high-quality and professionally created stock illustrations, then you might want to consider checking Adobe Stock. Here you’ll find stock illustrations of different types. The only thing you need to do to find the exact stock illustration you’re looking for is to search according to the keyword.
A unique feature of the website is its integration with other popular creative applications. You’ll also find stock photos and videos on Adobe Stock. Like Shutterstock, you also need to pay a subscription before you can use the website. The main advantage of the website is the advanced search features it offers. Other advantages include the myriad of options available and the creative cloud integrations it offers. However, it’s also an expensive platform to use for your stock illustrations.
3. illustAC
The common thing with the two stock illustration websites we have described above is that they are both pricey and also have a great deal of users on the platform. This only increases the chances of another user using an illustration you choose, and not everyone will be cool with this.
If you are looking for a more affordable platform to use, with a lesser chance of people using your choice, you might want to consider using illustAC. Like both stock illustration websites above, you’ll find all the illustrations you need on illustAC. This is regardless of the style, design, and format. What’s more is that these illustrations are created by some of the best designers in different parts of the world.
There are millions of illustrations available on the website, with more of these illustrations being uploaded daily, which is impressive. In addition, the illustrations are available in different downloading formats to suit different needs and individual preferences. There’s no better place to get the illustrations you need than illustAC.
4. Pixabay
By now, you would have noticed that all the stock illustration websites that we are mentioning are some of the big boys in the market. Well, it’s only because how these options have proven to be outstanding for many years now. Among these big names is Pixabay.
On Pixabay, you’ll have access to multiple choices, but you’re not the only one seeking these choices, and it’s possible for someone else to use an illustration you have chosen on Pixabay. Another thing to note about Pixabay is that the website is not designed for illustrations alone. It also includes photos, music, and videos.
With more than 200,000 illustrations of different types, and more added daily, it’s very easy to find the illustration you are looking for. There’s a search option, and you only need to input the illustration that you’re looking for in the search box. Pixabay is a free stock illustration website, and you can start using it now without hesitation.
5. Freepik
The last stock illustration website on our list is Freepik, a website with a huge number of stock photos and illustrations for you to use for free. Freepik doubles as both a premium and a free website, and they boast of more than 17 million users from across the world. Whether it’s quality or quantity you want, you’ll get it all on Freepik. The website also has amazing filters that make it a lot easier for people to find the exact illustration they want.
The main advantages of using Freepik is that it’s free for all, offers great filters, and has a myriad of choice. On the other hand, you should note that Freepik is open to different contributions, and in some cases, it may require attribution.
Why Use Illustrations
With the several stock illustration websites available, you may start to wonder why you need to use these websites. It’s one of the most important things for any business to do. Using stock illustration makes it possible for these businesses to easily sell their products and even market their brands.
Whether it’s for a site, social media account, poster, or any other purpose, you’ll definitely need something to easily win the attention of your viewers. For this, you can either choose between an illustrative image or a photo image.
Here are some of the reasons why you should use stock illustrations:
1. It will save you Money
Using illustrations for your business will save you money in many ways. Illustrations are works of imagination, and when you use stock illustrations, you won’t need to hire a creator or designer to help you out. Also, you won’t need to pay a model for this as you can simply get an already made illustration and use it.
2. Fewer Copyright Issues
One interesting thing that many people fail to realize is that after fulfilling all the requested criteria for an illustration, you can conveniently use them as you please without having to worry about any copyright issues. The moment you pay for an illustration, it automatically becomes yours to use, and all you need to do is to register it as copyright or trademark if you wish to. This also applies to all the free stock illustrations that you’ll find out there. In such cases, you only need to follow the laid down guidelines when you download such illustrations and also try to adhere to all the terms and conditions listed.
3. Strong Branding
If you are having issues with branding your business, the next thing that you might want to consider is using illustration to achieve this. With illustrations, you can easily and conveniently create memorable and strong branding for your business. This is because you have the freedom to create anything that relates to your business. You are in complete control of the form, color, and style that you choose.
Illustration also allows for a greater level of consistency, and with through it, you can conveniently express your brand with a greater degree of flexibility. These illustrations can also be adapted for different situations, and it all depends on your preference.
4. Visualize the Idea and Concept
With illustrations, you can easily express things. Whether it’s an idea, concept, vision, or anything similar, you can easily express this for the benefit of your business. Illustrations are art pieces that go beyond literal, and you can easily add emotion and personality to them. In general, they offer an easy and convenient way of connecting your brand with your audience and potential customers.
5. Search Engine Optimization
The next reason why you might want to consider using illustrations is for search engine optimization. This is a more practical way to use illustrations, rather than all the other reasons we have mentioned earlier. With these illustrations, you can easily give your viewers and audiences a memorable digital experience.
Illustrations are also a better way to include media files on your website without slowing it down. Unlike photos that are usually slow websites, illustrations will make it a lot easier for you to speed up your websites. All of these are factors that search engines love, and they will help you boost your ranking on these search engines.
Conclusion
You’ll always have multiple options when it comes to stock illustrations, whether it’s free or paid. Also, these illustrations are always available in different styles, formats, and forms and will suit different individual preferences. Regardless of what you want to use the stock illustration for, you can be sure of finding it on any of the stock illustration websites available.
There are so many of these websites, but we have only listed four of them in this article. If you’re wondering where to start from, you should consider checking illustAC, which is a relatively new stock illustration website with a lot of juicy offers. You can rest assured that you’ll find the exact illustration you want for your business because they constantly add more illustrations to the platform daily. Alternatively, you can also check any of the other options that we have mentioned above. Rest assured that you’ll still find the exact thing you seek.