How to Create Your Own Custom Images with Software You Probably Already Have and Know How to Use

Lesson 1

Video transcript:

I’m a business writer, inspirational author and blogger. Because of the work I do, I need images. And regardless of what business you’re in, chances are, you need images for your website, blog, social media and other projects as well.

My husband and business partner is a professional photographer, so you’d think getting photos would be quick and easy for me. Not so. I usually don’t know what I want until I’m in the process of posting a blog – and then, I want it now. I don’t want to wait for Jerry to set up the lights, gather the props, stage the scene, find the models and shoot the picture. And even after he gets all that done, the image isn’t finished. He has to edit it and get it into the right format.

And while he’s doing all that, I’m saying, “Really? You’re spending hours on this because you insist that it be artistically perfect and all I wanted was a little eye candy to break up the text or help me make a point.”

I found a better solution and that’s what I’m going to share with you in this course.

Why Do You Need Images?

We live in an increasingly visual culture. From a business perspective, there is no place that images are more important than in supporting your online presence. Images help with search engine optimization, general visibility, user engagement, readability and branding. Not using images or using poor quality ones tells your audience that you don’t know how to communicate with them in the most meaningful way. Using images effectively demonstrates that you are internet-savvy and understand your online audience.

The ideal way to illustrate your website, blog and other content is with original images that you own. But hiring a skilled photographer to take those pictures can be expensive—unless, like me, you happen to be married to one. Setting the cost aside, original photography is also time-consuming to create, and—again, like me—you probably don’t always know in advance what sort of images you’ll need for your blog or whatever other type of content you’re working on.

If you don’t have or want to spend the time or resources to do your own original photography, stock photos are an alternative to consider. Stock photos are professional photographs of common places, landmarks, nature, events or people.

What Does Royalty-Free Mean?

You can purchase a license (the rights) to use stock photos in your projects, usually on a royalty-free basis. It’s important to understand that royalty-free does not mean free; it means the right to use the photos (or other copyrighted material or intellectual property) without having to pay royalties or license fees for each use.

Typically a royalty-free license means you pay one time and can use the picture as many times and in as many places as you choose. The license may contain other restrictions, such as a time period, a limit to the commercial use or a requirement to include a credit with each use. End user license agreements (EULA) may not be the most exciting thing you’ll ever read, but you should be sure you understand the rights you’re purchasing. Violating those agreements can cost a substantial amount in money and aggravation.

Should You Use Stock Photos?

Stock photo services have long been a great tool for marketing departments, art directors, graphic designers and web designers. But in addition to the cost (good stock photography doesn’t come cheap), navigating the sites can be challenging even for design professionals. For example, one of the most popular stock photo services, iStock, has millions of images. If you don’t have some expertise in how to search using the best keywords for what you need, you could waste hours trying to find just one usable picture. Or you could spend all that time and not find what you want at all. And if you happen to choose a popular image, you might see it used in another company’s ad or even on a competitor’s website—not exactly the best way to establish your unique brand identity.

There are a number of companies that offer free stock images as part of their marketing strategy. The problem with free images is that they are widely used; that familiarity makes them undesirable as art elements for your projects. Do you really want people seeing the same image on your site that they may just have seen somewhere else?

Then there’s the strategy of just searching the internet for an image that works for your project and downloading it. But just because an image is on the internet doesn’t mean it’s in the public domain or that you’re free to use it. If you use a copyrighted image without permission, you risk a wide range of potential legal issues and related costs, not to mention damage to your reputation.

What’s the Solution?

The solution is customized images that you own and can brand with your own text, your logo and other design elements. You don’t have to be a tech-guru to create these images. If you know how to send an email, you can use the techniques you’re going to learn in this course.

In the next lesson, I’ll explain the technique I’ve been using for years to create customized images using presentation software such as PowerPoint, OpenOffice or Google Slides.