-
The image will be the “major visual” in your project [use
and purpose], and...
-
The project is “important” enough to you (or your client) to warrant making
sure a competitor doesn't use the same picture in the same way, and... [competing
usage]
-
Budget allocations allow the extra expense [pricing],
or...
-
You simply cannot find the image you need in the royalty free image
reservoir [use and purpose].
-
Your composition requires many images, and none of them is the “major
visual” on a critical “branding” project (music
analogy), or...
-
The image is a “secondary” or “ancillary” image that supports the major
visual but is not, itself, the major visual, [competing
usage] or...
-
Budget constraints won't allow the extra expense of rights managed [pricing],
or...
-
The type of image you are looking for simply does not exist in the rights
managed reservoir [nature of imagery].
-
If you are using rights managed, make sure you buy all of the rights you
need, and none of the ones you don't. [See:
Demystifying Rights Managed
Pricing]
-
Never use an image with a recognizable person in a way that is libelous,
defamatory or humiliating under any circumstances.
-
Read all licensing terms carefully. They vary from agency to agency.
Make sure you understand exactly what you can—and cannot do—with the
image, under the terms of the license, whether it is royalty free or
rights managed.
Here's an example:
You're doing a brochure. You have an image on the cover that “sets the
theme” of the brochure, plus a background image for the page. In
addition, inside, you have several “supporting” images that illustrate some
of the service aspects of the company you're doing the brochure for.
(For instance, they have a 24 hour help line and want a picture of a help
desk person wearing a telephone headset. Or, they will ship overnight
and you need a picture of a ready-to-go package. And so on...)
A savvy designer might very well purchase the one cover image as a rights
managed license, thereby ensuring at least some protection against
competing use of the “major visual” on the piece. But the background
image on the cover, as well as all the other images used on the inside of
the brochure would be purchased from the royalty free pool.
If it's true as carpenters say that the key is using the right tool for the
job, the rights managed “tool” should be used where appropriate and
the royalty free “tool” should be used where appropriate. Doing so
will absolutely optimize the results you achieve within the context of the
budget you have—or should have—for the project.
At JupiterImages, you can easily toggle back and forth between rights managed
images and royalty free images on any given subject or category. There
are a great variety of ways you can begin your search, and then expand it or
refine it as needed to home in on exactly the pictures that will work best
for you, whether they are rights managed or royalty free.
Finally, thanks for taking the time to go through this document; we hope it
has been helpful. If you have any comments or questions, please click
the feedback link below and let us know your thoughts.
Good luck on your projects, and we hope we can be of help!
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