For Print Designers

Are there any limits to how or what I can use the image for?
See the Image Usage Agreement for full details. Basically, most uses are permitted except for reselling or posting them as stock images, or anything that defames or slanders the models in the image.

However, you should be aware of U.S. Fair Use laws and copyright laws that may affect your usage of the image in question. Some images are OK for virtually any use, whereas others may be intended more for editorial purposes, and some uses may not be permitted unless your usage falls under Fair Use laws.

The responsibility of determining whether your use is legal is yours, since it's impossible for BigStockPhoto to know what your planned usage for the image is.

File Formats: In what format do we receive the photos?
JPG format mostly, but we now offer EPS, AI, PNG, PDF and PSD files also. Note that the Photo Details and Downloading pages tell you what formats are available for any given image.

Is there more than one size or resolution available?
We sell several sizes of most images: small, medium, large and extra-large. In some cases the image originals from the photographers are small, so we only offer the smaller sizes you see. The standard image sizes are 900x675 px, 1600x1200 px, 2400x1800 px and 3800x2900 px. Some are larger. The small images come at 72 dpi while all the larger images come at 300 dpi. Vector images such as EPS, AI are available too, as well as Photoshop PSDs and PDFs.

You can choose the 1 credit (small), 2 credit (medium), 4 credit (large) or 6 credit (extra large) image sizes. Credits cost as low as $1 each, or $2.50 when you are buying one at a time.

We receive images in many sizes from photographers around the globe. File sizes and resolutions vary depending on what the photographer supplies to us.

How large are the photos? What is the d.p.i.?
We sell three or four sizes of most images: Small (72 dpi), Medium (300 dpi), Large (300 dpi) and Extra Large (300 dpi). These average .6 megapixels, 2 megapixels, 6 megapixels and 11 megapixels. Some images are as large as 14-16 MP.

Once you download the image you can easily change its dpi as needed in your graphics program like Photoshop. remember DPI is merely a printer setting and has nothing to do with the image size itself.

On the photos "More Info" page there is data about how big the photo will print at a variety of dpi resolutions.

Are there any fees for using them more than once?
You should purchase the image ONCE per project that you use it for. From there you can make as many copies of the product as you like.

For instance, you print 50,000 copies of a brochure or a book, that is one purchase. But if you want to use the same image for a new book or a web site or another brochure, you should re-purchase it for that secondary use.

You can not sell the images alone, or print them as is, and sell them -- but it may be included in a work or product as long as the image comprises 50% or less of the product.

Will there be watermarks on the large images I download with my credits?
Absolutely not. They are large images, mostly high resolution, no watermarks.

What does "royalty-free" mean?
It means that we won't ask you to pay based on the number of times you are using the image in a given product. Purchase the image once for EACH product that you are using the image in.

You pay for each download, and you cannot resell the image as a stock image or alone, but it may be included in a work or product as long as the image comprises 50% or less of the product, and that product is not a stock image or stock imagegraphy type product.

Are these images FREE?
No - you must sign up, purchase credits for a buck or two, and then you can download images for between 1 and 6 credits normally depending on the image size you want. The money is split between the photographer and BigStockPhoto.

Do I own the rights to any image that I download?
No. You own the right to use the image or image within the bounds of our Image Usage Agreement. The original photographer retains the copyright to the image.

Do I have to include copyright information or credit BigStockPhoto.com when I use the image?
We ask that you do that... please include the copyright information from the image file somewhere visible in this form: "Image: BigStockPhoto.com © Photographer's Name".

Can I resell the downloaded images?
No absolutely not. You may not resell, repost, free or for payment the images unless they are part of another product or work where the images comprise less than 50% of the product, and that product is not a stock image or stock image type product.