Where to Find Quality Images for Your Designs

One of the most frequent questions we get asked here at Make Badges is where one can find quality images to use for badge designs. There are several factors to consider when answering this question. Firstly, achieving a high quality badge starts with high quality artwork. Our team at Make Badges prides itself on producing top-quality products and we are always on hand to assist with any design-related queries you may have, however even our talent can’t fix unsuitable artwork.

Digital art files comprise of two distinct formats: raster or vector. In their simplest definitions, raster images comprise of a series of pixels wherein each is assigned a colour. They are resolution dependent meaning the larger you try to increase their size, the greater the loss of clarity resulting in a blurry image. Vector images are constructed from points, lines and curves. Their relationship is mathematical meaning they can be increased in size without any loss of quality.

• Logos and clip art are suited to vector images
• Photographs need to be high-resolution raster images (at least 300dpi)

You can read a more in-depth analysis of the two here:
http://www.makebadges.com.au/badge-blog/vector-vs-raster-images-the-importance-of-high-quality-images/

Where to find images

Google Images is the first port of call for most people but the major problem is that image files are often badly labelled meaning they don’t surface during searches. A better search tactic is to visit one of the many sites that offer free raster and vector graphics. Most of these sites offer a selection of free and paid graphics, mostly by subscription. Below is a selection of our favourites:

http://pixabay.com/en/ : Over 300,000 free photos, vectors and illustrations

http://www.stockfreeimages.com : A massive amount of free images coupled with a Premium access service.

http://www.freevector.com : Roughly 16,000 vector sets to choose from including company logos.

http://www.vectorstock.com/free-vectors : A substantial library of reasonably-priced vectors including plenty of free ones.

Free templates

Once you have obtained your image you may want help in laying it out ready for your fantastic custom badge to hit the production line. We have supplied a help sheet for exactly this reason:

https://www.makebadges.com.au/Artwork

And never forget, the team at Make Badges want the process of making your custom badges to be as smooth as possible, so if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.