Images for Presentations

Public domain and creative commons refer to an image's copyright restrictions. Public domain refers to sources that are openly available for reuse, while Creative Commons refers to licenses with various levels of use and remix restrictions. 

Images found online are subject to copyright protection unless they are sourced from a site that provides copyright-free images, the creator has provided permission, or they are covered under a Creative Commons (CC) license.

For images covered under a Creative Commons license, information will be provided to indicate the terms of use. 

Learn more about using images and other materials under a Creative Commons license:

• Creative Commons homepage
• Wikipedia page on Creative Commons licensing
• Flickr Creative Commons page

Permission for use of an image may be requested if the creator can be identified and contact information made available.  When using images from Unsplash, Pexels, etc., where the creator is known, it is recommended that the image be credited (e.g., "Photo used by permission from Creator Name") and if possible, link to the page where the image was found. 

Example of attribution for a Pexels image:

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels

Images considered in the public domain may be used without copyright restriction. Proper attribution is recommended for all images, including those in the public domain. 

Some places where public domain images might be found:

• British Library
• Getty Open Content
• Library of Congress
• Public Domain Review
• Wikimedia Commons

For comprehensive information, please see our Copyight & Fair Use Subject Guide.