214: Thou shall not use stock images just to save money

Commentary Don’t get me wrong here—I love the fact that we can go online nowadays and find 87,000 different shots of two businessmen shaking hands while grinning inanely at each other. This is ultimately a good thing because, if that’s the kind of image you need for a project, the bulk availability and lower overheads of online picture libraries mean stock images are now a relatively inexpensive option. However, you should always think carefully about whether or not a completely unique image would serve your client better. Remember that other designers can download the same photos or illustrations you’ve selected for their own clients, and the better (and therefore more popular) images get pushed to the top of the list when you search by subject. If....TS