Anyone involved in the development of marketing collateral must understand the legal and practical implications of buying and commissioning images – but not all do. With this in mind, Designplus organised a practical workshop in October entitled “Using Images”, drawing on both legal and industry experts to present delegates with a comprehensive set of practical guidelines and tips.

Dids MacDonald, Chief Executive of ACID (Anti Copying in Design) stressed the importance of only using authorised images – and explained that you can only own the rights to images if there is an agreement by the party transferring the rights. She also stressed that you should only purchase from reputable image providers – and read the small print about authorisation and use before signing any licence or royalty agreements.

Sarah Saunders of Electric Lane considered the different ways that users can buy images using picture libraries. She also emphasized the value of using a picture researcher to help you find the best image for your requirements.

Lynne Bryant of Arcaid provided valuable information regarding where to find good quality images that fit your remit.

The final presentation was made by Anne Braybon, Consultant to the National Portrait Gallery. She spoke about the advantages of commissioning images over purchasing rights to existing images. To get the image that you want, Anne emphasized the importance of being completely prescriptive with a very tight brief – and of choosing the photographer wisely!

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