Where do you get icon imagery

..for those of us who are not illustrators

[mgm_03]

There are plenty of stock photo sites on the web. But when it comes to icon imagery, it's tough to find anything but the cheesy clip art we see everywhere.

I'm talking about small .gif graphics that would be used for navigation (e.g. see the top of the yahoo home page). There must be a stockpile of this stuff somewhere?

It would take me a week to draw something like a "printer" icon or the silhouette of a phone or computer, know what I mean?

[digitalv]

Take a week off and do it then... unless you're going to buy a CD with royalty-free images, it's the safest bet.

There are many sites out there that claim to offer royalty-free images but these are actually scams to get you to pay up. People create images, copyright them, and distribute them via royalty-free image sites.

Then they search the web for their images and contact the webmasters using them, informing them they have copyright-protected images on their site and they have two options: (1) buy the CD so they can own the license to the image, or (2) get sued. The CD is anywhere from $20 to $100. They don't tell you what images are protected by copyright. Basically, your only options are the two they gave you - as the copyright holder if they can prove you're violating their copyright it's a pretty black & white case. They don't have to tell you what images they are or give you a chance to take it down, the fact that you used it is all they need to file suit.

And even if you did figure out what images they were referring to and took them down, it doesn't make you innocent - you are still guilty of copyright infringement for using the image, they could still sue you, and would win. It doesn't matter whether you "think" it's royalty-free - unless you have a bill of sale (ie; someone else the copyright owner can go after) it falls back to you.

In other words ... don't use other people's images. If you can find a commercial CD in a store (not a burned CD from a flea market or computer show) then have at it, but if not you should take the time to make your own.

[smokeyb]

Hmmm... Those icons you referred to are incredibly basic. When you create images for print, you should have a good knowledge of how to do things. However, the sort of graphics you are looking for are very forgiving indeed. It should only take a few hours of learning to get to the level to create them. I'd take digitalv's advice and take time out and make them yourself. If only to protect you from any copyright infringement (how many people ever read the small print?)
Smokey

[PatrickDeese]

I believe, if you are Windows user, something like Wingdings, or Webdings and a little basic Photoshop can serve nicely for stuff like that.

[mgm_03]

you guys have more confidence in me than i do...so,

when my next client sees my handiwork, I let you all explain that I'm not a graphic designer ...just trying to be ethical. i hope they care as much as you. ;-)

btw, how does one unsubscribe from a thread? I've got a few that are no longer needed but can't find the "exit" button.

[smokeyb]

I think that only your last 15 threads are shown in your control panel, so they eventually get knocked off 1 by 1 anyway. If you need to keep ones that are really useful? flag them.
HTH

[digitalv]

...just trying to be ethical.

If ethics is your concern, then make sure you tell your client that you just found the images on the web and don't really know if they're copyrighted or not. If your customer is going to get sued by the true copyright holder, he/she should at least be aware that it's a possibility beforehand.

Now go make some images :)