What is Stock Imagery?

Ashley King

Stock images are professionally designed or photographed images that are sold or licensed for use to the buyer or licensee. Stock images are considered third-party material and are allowed in certain situations and under certain conditions on 99designs.

Designers often incorporate stock images into their designs to provide clients with high-quality photos without the client having to put resources into creating their own images. These stock elements can include photos, icons, textures, graphic elements, and other design assets.

Using Stock Images on 99designs

Only specific design categories allow for the use of stock images, and as a client, you can choose whether to permit or deny the use of stock images in the design.

If you choose to deny the use of stock images, make sure you provide original images or assets for the designer to use. If stock images are not permitted in your contest, but you later decide you would like stock images incorporated, please reach out to us to update the preferences in your brief. Without this update, designers will not be allowed to incorporate stock imagery in their designs even if you encourage them to do so. It's important to communicate clearly and make sure the contest settings reflect any changes in your preferences.
After launching a contest, you cannot change your stock image preference directly. However, you can reach out to support and discuss any adjustments if needed.

Stock Image Licensing and Pricing

Stock images can either be free or require a purchase. For stock images that require a license, the cost typically ranges from $10 to $50, which covers the licensing rights for the image.

You can easily identify if a designer has used stock images by checking the panel to the right of the design. There, you’ll find a list of the stock image(s) used along with links to learn more about each image.