Royalty-free – a type of license that users buy from particular platforms allowing them to use their creative work without any copyright issues. Royalty-free art includes royalty-free images, fonts, videos, icons, backgrounds, etc.
Rather than hiring professional graphic designers, startups like web designing agencies often get such licenses. The reason is that it’s the only cost-effective solution for them to bring creativity into their work.
But there’s a challenge, chances are that multiple businesses having the license can use the same art in designs. This thing can make their audience feel like they are copying someone else. That is why they have to customize the art to make it unique before use.
The question is how can one make royalty-free art unique? This is what we have answered in this blog post. Read on to find out the possible solutions.
You are looking for a way of using royalty-free art by making it unique for your website design. It means you already know the importance of art in web design.
So, we will not waste your time explaining the basics.
Let’s jump straight into the ways you can opt for customizing the art to give it a unique touch.
A good way to give royalty-free art a unique touch is by playing with its colors. For example, if you are using royalty-free fonts, you can adjust the colors as per your website theme. You can match them with the color of the header or the logo.
If you are using royalty-free images then a good practice to make them unique is inverting them. For this, you can get assistance from the photo inverter tool. It will turn the color of the art opposite to the original one. A good option is the Photo Inverter by Imagetotext.info for free.
Besides this, if you are using videos or illustrations, consider making the contrast stronger to highlight certain details. Plus, you can also adjust the saturation to create a catchy look.
If you have multiple licenses to royalty-free art or have one that can give access to multiple sources then why just stick to one piece? Consider mixing up the things.
Take elements from different pieces of art and combine them together. To mix and match elements you can use a graphic design platform like Canva. Besides mixing up the things, you can also add the graphic elements from the tool to further enhance the digital art.
For example, you can use the background from one image and add icons or patterns from another. Or you can also merge two or more images or make a collage. This way, you create something fresh and original that no one else has.
Another way to make the digital art unique is by adding the layers, textures, and filters over it. For example, you can add a grunge texture or a layer over the image or video you are using. But the thing can vary with the CMS you are using.
If you are using platforms like WordPress or Shopify, they come with built-in features that’ll allow you to add layers to any art. Else, you have to write the custom code to do the thing.
Plus, you can also use filters and effects to make the art unique. For example, if you are adding art in case study sections or using logos to showcase client testimonials you can make them black and white. To add such photo effects, you can use tools like Fotor.
If you are using licensed quality fonts try different variation styles or consider customizing the typography like font size and weight. While customizing fonts, adding layers, or adding texture make sure that your design doesn’t feel like a cookie-cutter replica.
Using digital art in website designs can make them look amazing. But to get the most out of them you need to follow some good practices. Below we have shared some key ones among them.
Using royalty-free digital art in website designs is always considered a good practice to make them catchy. Bringing uniqueness to them takes it further to a level up. Be creative and try to bring uniqueness to the art before using it. Try out the customization methods we have shared above. They’ll help you in giving a unique touch to your royalty-free digital art.
