Sourcing images for your presentation might sound like an easy task, but there are some things you need to consider to make sure your presentation appears professional and you capture the attention of your audience.
A lot of people think that doing a Google image search and using the images from the search results is a good option – but this is actually not only illegal, but it also doesn’t send a great message to your audience.
We’ve put together some information to help you source the right images in the right way, to make your presentation as impactful as possible.
Think about the images you need
When picking images for a presentation you need to make sure they’re relevant and work with the message you’re giving. Using images that aren’t clearly related to the topic of the presentation might confuse your audience.
Images are used in presentations for a number of reasons:
- To illustrate a point you have made or are making
- To provoke emotion in the audience
- As a clear break between slides
Whatever the reason for using an image, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to use and where you want to use it before you start searching.
Options for sourcing the images
You’ve thought about the images you need, so how do you find them? There are a couple of options for sourcing images for your presentation.
- Use a search engine like Google
Type in your search term and see what comes up in the Google image results. This option will give you a good range of imagery but you need to be aware that the majority of these images won’t be copyright free, so you can’t legally use them without permission from the copyright holder. The size and quality of these images will also vary hugely.
Some of the images in the Google results will be stock images and by clicking through to the original web page you should be able to license the image to use it legally.
- Use a stock site
The other option is to source your images from a stock site directly. Although this means having to pay for the images, it does mean you’ll have legal permission to use them. This will not only save you from trouble down the line but will also make your presentation look professional and trustworthy as you’ll have high resolution images with no watermarks.
Use a stock library like 64ÌåÓýand you could save money by only buying what you need and not having to sign up to a subscription or credit package.
How to use the image
So you have found the perfect images and got the right permissions to use them. Now you need to think about how to add the images to your presentation to get the best out of them. The three key things you need to think about are size, placement and frequency.
Size – want to make an impact? Use a full slide per image. If you’re using an image to illustrate a point then use it at half a slide with copy on the side.
Placement – group together images and messages that work together. Think about the flow of your presentation and the impact on the audience. Tell a story.
Frequency – getting the balance right between text, images and talking is a huge challenge when you’re putting together a presentation. Make sure you’re always using the images for a reason, not just as a filler, and run through your presentation a few times before you present it to make sure it flows.