Here I cite some really good and legally free resources.
Images
Unspash is a good first place to look for free images. Note that if you use a free Unsplash image commercially, you are supposed to cite the origin (“Photo by John Blogs on Unsplash”) — which is a reasonable requirement for getting a high-quality free image.
Adobe Stock has a large collection of free images and videos, well indexed. To access these, open Adobe Creative Cloud, and click on “Stock” in the left side menu quite near the bottom — and you will be directed to the Adobe Stock website page. To get free images, make sure that the “Free” option is set at the left of the search field, as shown below. Roll over an image that you want, confirm that “FREE” is written bottom left, then click on “Licence” bottom right, and the image will download.
Other good places to look for free images
- Wikimedia Commons
- Pixelbay
- Canva — might need to create a free account first.
If you need a very specific photo, let’s say a photo of Dieppe harbour, then search for it at for example Shutterstock.com: when you find the photo that you want, then click on the photo, then click on the “Download a preview” icon to download the photograph. While you are still previewing your work, use the photo with the “Shutterstock” watermark; when your design is approved for use, then buy the full-resolution un-watermarked image from Shutterstock. It costs just €40 for 5 images, and less if you buy in bulk.
Sound
Get royalty-free music and sound effects from Artlist. You first need to create an account but that’s easy.
Fonts
Free fonts:
- from your Adobe Creative Suite subscription
- Google Fonts
- Font Squirrel
Sending large files
One often needs to send somebody very large computer files. For this I use Wetransfer.com. It’s easy to use and free for sending up to 2GB, and there is an audit trail in as much as you get confirmation when the file has been downloaded.
For sending even larger files, Fromsmash is an alternative to Wetransfer.
To send large files a little more elegantly, you can use your Adobe cloud storage. Each file can have a link, which you can get from opening your cloud storage files on the web. Just email the link.
Miscellaneous
Dummy text: For generating lots of dummy text, I often use Blind-Text-Generator. But note that InDesign can automatically generate dummy (Latin) text into a text block: to do this go .
Language translation: I use DeepL — online or even better with the installed application.
Proofing English text: I use Grammarly — online or even better with the installed application.
Password management: I use the open-source BitWarden, which syncs across all my devices.
Aside: inspiration
When seeking inspiration when starting a new visual identity (logo, banding et al) project, I visit the BrandNew website. Then click on Browse and choose the industry that interests you — and look around.
To have access to the full content, which is useful, you need a paid subscription. As a student you can request free access: click on SUBSCRIBE and then on the email link under “Free Access if Needed”.