Free Graphics

All of the sites listed below contained (at the time of listing) a high proportion of graphics that were indicated as free for non-commercial use, although pages may include advertisements and sign-ups for pay-for-use services, too, so that visitors sometimes need to be aware of what’s what! Some of these sites seem to indicate almost no restrictions at all; others impose relatively minimal limitations (e.g. do not claim authorship; provide a credit; etc). But some have diverse categories of material: e.g. some freeware, along with other materials entailing costs and/or restrictions. Thus, it is important to read and observe whatever conditions may bespecified. However, with a little care, teachers can find a lot that they will be able to use very freely.

HassleFree ClipArt

(http://www.hasslefreeclipart.com/)

This site claims to be one of the clip art sites providing the highest level of freedom from pop-up ads and similar annoyances. It offers a very long list of clip art categories potentially suitable for teaching materials – Air Travel, Animals, Body Parts, Clothes, Food, Garden, People, etc – that are designated as available for use “with no strings attached”. The images are in GIF or JPEG format.

Classroom Clipart

(http://classroomclipart.com/)

The collection includes JPEGs as well as still and animated GIFs. Some images might seem childish if used with adult ESL classes but many would be totally fine. Some images are colour photos with potentially limited utility as printouts, but many are easily printable line drawings, cartoons or monochrome etchings. A membership payment is required for access unencumbered by banner ads, but totally free access is also available and quite convenient provided that you can put up with the ads.

Public Domain Clip Art

(http://www.pdclipart.org/index.php)

The site offers colour photos and drawings in a variety of categories that might well interest teachers; the collection also includes various arrows etc. and decorative images (letters, borders, frames). All seem to be in PNG format (Portable Network Graphics, a sophisticated successor to the more familiar GIF format). These 25K+ images are posted on a volunteer basis by contributors who have made an effort to assure that every image is in the public domain (i.e. entirely free for use in any way), but the Terms of Use warn of a very slight risk that a few copyrighted images may have been unintentionally included.

#1 Free Clip Art

(http://www.1clipart.com/)

10K+ free images, mostly GIFs but some JPEGS. Most images are cartoon-type or realistic line drawings (some in colour, other monochrome), although there are a few photo-like graphics, too. No terms for use seem to be identified; in any case, the images are easily downloaded. Categories include animals, buildings/houses, flags (many nations), food, games, office/business, sports etc.

Microsoft Office Online: Clip Art

(http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/clipart/default.aspx)

Images are intended for use with Microsoft Office products and cover a very wide range of themes, not all of which have obvious applicability for ESL teachers, but some of which are clearly appealing: e.g. Animals, Expressions, Emotions, Leisure, and several others. The graphics are very high-quality; some are JPEGs; others are in WFM format, which is reportedly designed to work only with legal Microsoft software.

Freebyte: Free Clipart, Images, Photos, Fonts, Icons, Backgrounds

(http://www.freebyte.com/clipart_images_photos_icons/)

Not a collection of graphics per se, but an extensive organizer page with dozens of links to other sites featuring royalty-free graphics of various types: some applicable to teaching materials, others for WebSite design, computer desktops, etc. Some sites require, for example, a free log-in process, but there are no obligatory charges; occasionally, sites do charge for commercial use but also offer the same images free for non-commercial applications. Under the ‘Graphics and Software’ menu item, you will also find links for free graphics-manipulation programs. Part of a much larger volunteer site from Holland with everything from free software downloads to recipes (http://www.freebyte.com/).