Whether you’re looking to illustrate, demonstrate or decorate, here are 5 sites where you can easily find free images to use for your teaching content.
Did we miss your favourite one? Let us know in the comments!
1. Adobe Stock
Did you know that UTS staff can access images from the Adobe library by logging in with your UTS ID and password? Head to Adobe Stock for a huge range of still images and video files.
2. Unsplash
For a more artistic selection, take a look at Unsplash and search through the vast trove of photos shared by users. Some of the images are only available for paid accounts, but there are still many free images. You can also choose to filter your search so that it only includes free images by clicking on the License dropdown menu and selecting ‘Free’.
3. Pixabay
Pixabay has a little bit of everything, with quality ranging from very good to somewhat questionable. But there’s a huge range to choose from, so start searching and rummaging. There’s also a fairly decent search filter that includes choices like colour, style and orientation – not too bad for a free website.
4. Freepik
This one is particularly useful for illustrations and vectors. On Freepik you can also find templates for various formats, such as posters and business cards. Plus, there’s a ‘Mockup’ option that allows you to impose an image of your choice onto items like book covers and shirts.
5. Creative Commons
Creative Commons has been running for a long time and has always been a trailblazer in keeping content open and available. You can check out the Creative Commons Search Portal for a wide range of materials available under CC licenses, or just go straight to Openverse to specifically search for images.
Learn about two common CC licenses in a blog post by Mais Fatayer, Creative Commons explainer: NonCommercial and ShareAlike.
AI images
As UTS staff have access to Copilot, you also have the option of using prompts to create your own images. Here are some instructions directly from Copilot on creating images:
- Describe your image: Start by providing a detailed description of the image you want to create. The more specific you are, the better the result will be. For example, you can describe the scene, colors, style, and any particular elements you want to include.
- Request image generation: Once you have your description ready, you can ask Copilot to generate the image based on your description. Just type out your request, and I’ll take care of the rest!
- Review and refine: After the image is generated, you can review it and provide feedback. If you want any changes or adjustments, just let me know, and I can refine the image accordingly.
Alt text
Make sure to keep your images accessible by adding alt text to digital content. For an introduction (or a refresher) to alt text, take a look at some of our resources.
Feature image by helloimnik on Unsplash.