All graphic designers will be familiar with image libraries and there are plenty out there to choose from. By far the most popular because of its range and quality of images is iStock and it is one that we use here at Yellow Cat Design. When creating those initial proofs for customers you obviously don’t want to pay for an image in case it turns out to be not quite right so iStock provide a low resolution watermarked “comp” image (see sample image). These are usually fine because they give you a rough idea of how the image will fit within a design but often the large watermark obscures the image and when blowing them up to A4 size or larger they get very pixelated.
However, there is a very easy trick that will allow you to access much higher resolution images with smaller watermarks by following the steps below. We have used Safari on a Mac for the demo but you should be able to do this in any browser with an inspect tool add on.
Before you start you need to enable the Developer menu in Safari by going to Safari>Preferences>Advanced and tick “Show Develop menu in menu bar” at the bottom
Instead of clicking the “Get a Comp” link as usual zoom right into the image as far as it will go.
Zoom right into the image to the highest magnification.
Return to the page and right click anywhere on the page and select “Inspect Element” from the menu
Right click and select “Inspect Element”
In the Developer menu find and open the images folder and look for images that start with the word “zoom” .
Find the largest “zoom” image within the Developer menu.
Double-click the largest “zoom” image with the number 3 at the end to open it in a new window.
Right click the image and select “Save Image As…” and save the higher res version wherever you like. Now you have a nice large image with much smaller watermarks to use in your mockups!
The larger zoomed in iStock image.
Please note that these images should only be used in design mockups for private use. If you want to use the image in commercial or public work then please purchase the image through iStock.
Mark at Yellow Cat Design has been amazing, he has worked with me to transform some basic ideas into a professional website… More for my small business BarkWorks. Mark has gone above and beyond to ensure he achieved what I was looking for and is always on hand if I need any support. The website functions perfectly and has everything that I want whilst looking aesthetically pleasing. I have had many of my new clients comment, saying how impressed the have been with the site and the ease at navigating through the pages which has allowed them to find me. I would highly recommend Mark, he is a friendly person who will listen, extremely talented and always very professional ensuring he delivers content to meet your expectations.
Mark designed my website and some marketing materials for my business, and I’ve got to say his creativity, attention to detail… More and ability to capture and reflect the essence of my business were amazing. He’s also very efficient and professional. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
We used Yellow Cat design for our business websites and have been really impressed with their professional yet personal approach… More in creating a bespoke website catering our exact requirements. As our business grew, their ongoing support and advice was crucial in identifying how we were evolving as a business and the changes we needed to make. I would have no hesitation recommending Yellow Cat Design to my existing clients and friends.
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great stuff