17�Թ�����

Create impressive presentations that’ll wow your clients by using images to enhance your slides! Using images in the right way can help keep your audience engaged and improve the amount of information they remember from your presentation.

There’s loads of research out there like that supports the use of images and visuals to help people remember new information. Did you know, visuals like images are processed 60,000 times faster by the brain than text, which helps to explain why images are so effective as a learning tool!

In this blog we take you through all the great ways that you can benefit from using images in your presentations, the best places to find your images and how to make sure you’ve got all the right permissions to use them.

How images can improve engagement

1. Support your key messages and help get your point across
   Using an image will give your client a visual demonstration of what you’re discussing, which in turn should help their understanding of what you’re saying. suggests using an image to effectively introduce a new point to your audience as it will give them an insight into what’s coming next before you even start talking – this will help to keep your client engaged.
2. Make your content more visually appealing
   This is particularly important if you are presenting to people in the creative industries. using relevant, eye-catching images relating to your content will make it easier for people to remember your presentation. But be careful not to over-do it; too many images might be a distraction for your client.

Some top tips for picking images

• Pick images that are relevant to the topic – images that support or add to the subject matter will help to keep your client engaged while you present. Images that aren’t relevant will be both confusing and distracting.
•  Always use high resolution images – this will make your slides look professional and present a good impression of the quality of you or your brand.
• Avoid watermarked images – using a watermarked image will not only make the image look lower quality and take away some of the detail, but it could also spark concern about your credibility. Here’s an example of a watermarked image:

Where to find images for your presentations

There are a few ways you can find images to use in your presentations, and it will depend on your individual situation which one works best for you…

1. Search in Google images

Google Images is a great place to start your image search as it draws in content from all over the internet, so there are always plenty of images for you to choose from. Google will have a range of images; some will be available to use for free with a creative commons license and others will need to be licensed for a fee before you can use them.

If you’re planning on using an image from Google, be aware that Google place the full responsibility of image use with the user, so be sure to before you use any images.

Here are some handy pointers on using Google Images to source your imagery. For more details head over to our blog on using Google Images effectively.

1. Is the image watermarked? Lots of the images in Google search results will have watermarks on them. This is a clear sign that an image is being protected by the owner of the image, and acts as a reminder that the image needs to be licensed before it can be used in your projects.
2. What do the image credits say? Have a look at the website the image is hosted on to understand whether an image is available for downloading. To do this, all you need to do is click on an image in Google Images and have a look at the panel that appears alongside the image. Here you’ll see a URL to the page the image is hosted, along with any other details about the image.
3. Filter by “images with a license” – this is a handy way of filtering your search results in Google to show the images that have been authorised for ‘reuse’. Just go to ‘Tools’ and then ‘Usage rights’ in the Google Images search filter to see the options available. It’s important to remember that it’s possible an image may have been labelled incorrectly, so be careful. If you’re not sure, don’t use the image.
4. Is the image blurry? If the image is blurry or looks low quality, the chances are this is a low-res version of the original image. Using a low-resolution image will make your content look unprofessional and lower the quality of your presentation.

Check out our handy blog ‘Is it safe to use Google images?’ for more info!

2. Take some photos

There’s always the option of taking images yourself to use in your presentation, or commissioning a photographer to do a shoot for you.

Taking your own images means that you own all the rights to use the image, but this could be a time-consuming process and you might not get the images you want at the end of it. It’s a great option if you’ve got the equipment and the knowledge to do a great shoot.

Commissioning a photographer is a good option if you’re looking for specific images or you want access to unique images taken especially for your project. However, this could take time as a contract will need to be drawn up and agreed to, and you’ll need to consider timeframes and budgets.

3. Buy from a stock photo library like 17�Թ�����

A stock photo library is the perfect option if you’re looking to find all the images you need quickly and easily. Whether you need one image or lots, a stock photo library is a simple way of searching for the content you need in one easy place.

With more than 100 million images we have the world’s most diverse stock photo collection which means whatever you are working on you’ll be able to find the perfect image. And we add 80,000 new images every day so the next time you come to 17�Թ����� there will be loads of new imagery to see.

If you’re looking for lots of images, 17�Թ�����’s lightbox feature is a really helpful tool. It lets you store all the great images you find in one place until you’re ready to buy. Check out our handy blog for help creating an 17�Թ����� lightbox.

The legal stuff

If you’re going to use images in your presentations it is important that you have the right permissions. Using an image without the relevant permissions can cause legal issues down the line, which could be expensive.

Free images – if you’re using free images you need to check the licenses available cover presentation use as they’ll often have various clauses that state when and how you can use the image.

Commissioned photography – who owns the images and how they can be used will depend on the contract you agree with the photographer so make sure you understand what you are agreeing before you start the shoot.

Stock images – to use a stock image you’ll need to buy an image license which gives you permission to use the image for the use stated on the license. 17�Թ����� makes it easy to buy the right image license for your presentations with our ‘Presentation’ price package. This means you only pay for exactly how you’re going to use the image.

To find out more about buying image licenses, take a look at our blog on why buying an image license is important.

Our buying images help page is a good place to discover some more practical image buying tips. Check it out here.