graphic presentation elements

100+ Free PowerPoint Graphics For Better Presentations [Free PPT]

PowerPoint graphics to move your presentation up a level, and plenty of top quality free options.

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By Lyudmil Enchev

in Freebies , Insights

4 years ago

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PowerPoint graphics are a great addition to all PowerPoint presentations no matter what the audience. A Powerpoint simply containing text and bullet points is not going to hold the attention, even with your hot topic content. You run the risk of being dry and dull, and simply put graphics are more visual and therefore more interesting. You know it too if you are happy with your material you feel better and more confident as a speaker. Double plus.

Of course, the quality of your PowerPoint Graphics is important, this isn’t just a case of adding visuals for visual’s sake. High quality, highly appropriate, thoughtful graphics will enhance any presentation and will be a vital tool in getting your message across, succinctly and memorably. Equally poor quality clip art type graphics, blurry, pointless, and inappropriate images may get you to remember as well, but probably not how you would wish.

So let’s look at some great keys ways you can impress with a presentation, it’s not hard but it is effective.

In this article: 1. How to insert graphics into PowerPoint 2. 100+ Free PowerPoint Graphics by GraphicMama 2.1. Free PowerPoint Templates 2.2. Free Arrows, Pointers, Bullets for PowerPoint 2.3. Free Icons for PowerPoint 2.4. Free Stats, Charts, Graphs for PowerPoint 2.5. Free Numbers and Steps Graphics for PowerPoint 2.6. Free Text Section Graphics for PowerPoint 2.7. Free Presentation Graphics for PowerPoint 2.8. Free Speech Bubble Graphics for PowerPoint 2.9. Free Sale Graphics for PowerPoint 2.10. Free Infographic Kit 2.11. Free Infographic Templates 3. More places to find PowerPoint Graphics

In the meanwhile, do you know, that you can use premade infographic templates? Check out our  50 Free Timeline Infographic Templates .

1. How to insert graphics into PowerPoint

Once you’ve created your presentation it’s time to add those all-important PowerPoint Graphics. And it’s easy, easy, easy.

Step 1: Go to the slide and create a space for your graphic Step 2: Go to insert on the toolbar at the top of PowerPoint, click on it Step 3: This will open up insert options depending on your version of PowerPoint ( 2019 reveals online pictures, photo albums, pictures, or screenshots, older versions are similar but replace online pictures with clip art.) Step 4: Choose an image from your files or online through categories or the search bar – filter general images through creative commons only licensed pictures (free to use), select, click on insert. Step 5: Resize and reposition

Alternatively:

Step 1: Select an image, right-click, and copy. (Ctrl+C) Step 2: Right-click and paste on the desired slide. (Ctrl+V)

It really is that easy.

2. 100+ Free PowerPoint Graphics by GraphicMama

One of the best ways to make your presentation look professional is by using professionally designed PowerPoint graphics and one of the best design agencies, Graphic Mama has plenty of options to choose from. As well as paid-for bundles of design icons you can take advantage of a great range of free graphics from sales icons, holiday icons, speech bubbles, people avatars, and many more. These are graphics designed in a vector file format, so the quality will stay as good even when resized. there are free backgrounds, templates, and infographic bundles too. It’s a no-risk option that will certainly add a high-quality, professionally designed look to your slideshow. Just click on the links below and you are almost there.

2.1. Free PowerPoint Templates

A tremendously good way to create a stunning professional look is by using templates for your PowerPoint Design and the good news is there are lots of free options out there just waiting for you to fill with content.

Free Hand-Drawn PowerPoint Presentation

This freebie from Graphic Mamas’s collection of free templates shows off the power of a sketched hand-drawn style in adding a customized look that is both attractive and clear.

Free Corporate Presentation Template

Ideally suited to a business proposal, this free template can be edited and customized for anything that would benefit from fresh, clear colors and fantastically designed and organized slides.

Free Business PowerPoint Presentation Template

Another free business template that benefits from strong structural elements and a great mix of text boxes and images in this modern-looking option. Superb editable infographics to get that all-important message to stand out.

Free Minimalist Presentation Template

This minimalist template broken up into large blocks of strong color is perfect for making a statement. Instant impact and full of confidence.

Take a look at Graphic Mama’s Modern Templates for the New Era of PowerPoint Presentations

2.2. Free Arrows, Pointers, Bullets for PowerPoint

Basic icons such as arrows, bullets, and pointers are so ubiquitous that they are often forgotten about. Big mistake. These free PowerPoint graphics show just how much impact well-designed elements can make and they’re a quick and easy way of raising your presentation to another level, and all for free.

2.3. Free Icons for PowerPoint

The cool, simplicity of these PowerPoint graphic icons can add swagger and style to your show. This completely free bundle gives a great selection all in the same consistent style and multiple usages will hold a presentation together in a subtle way.

2.4. Free Stats, Charts, Graphs for PowerPoint

Powerful infographics give you a great chance to get inventive and creative. Fully customizable, fully editable, and a fantastically varied and imaginative selection of all kinds of charts, graphs, and pictograms. It’s difficult to believe they are free but they really are.

2.5. Free Numbers and Steps Graphics for PowerPoint

You will need numbers, so why not take advantage of this free collection and make the mundane come alive. The key is to keep a consistent design and it will create a magical flow throughout the whole show from beginning to end.

2.6. Free Text Section Graphics for PowerPoint

PowerPoint graphics for text sections do a vital job. It is well known that text-heavy presentations are not popular and therefore less effective but you do need text. A great way of drawing the eye, focusing on text content, and still keeping people awake are these text section graphics. Customizable colors (ideal for branding), all forms and functions, a fully flexible and fully free bundle of creativity.

2.7. Free Presentation Graphics for PowerPoint

PowerPoint Graphics come in all shapes and sizes and illustrate all kinds of ideas. Download this free pack and check out a wide range of options to create visual impact, a professionally customized look, and vitality.

2.8. Free Speech Bubble Graphics

Speech bubble PowerPoint graphics can make your presentation pop, and with this stylish selection, you can’t go wrong. Flat, shaded, angular, rounded, clouds, and all sorts of variations on the theme. Impactful and fun they help create the conversation you want to have.

2.9. Free Sale Graphics

PowerPoint graphics for sales will do the crucial job of getting you and your product noticed. Fit your show with these free high-quality vector graphics and watch the crowds flock in. Once you’ve downloaded the graphics, you are not limited to PowerPoint, use the same images on posters, advertising, social media, etc., and get selling. The vectors’ technique means that there will be no loss of quality whatever the size and function.

2.10. Free Infographic Kit

A fully comprehensive infographic PowerPoint graphic pack that is crammed full of everything you could want to bring your statistics to the audience. Carefully crafted, tremendously varied, customizable, editable, flexible, and all this with the added professional pizzaz of expert design. It’s free and it’s ready to rock.

2.11. 20 Free Infographic Templates

If you want to speed things up, you can try using premade PowerPoint templates for your presentation. In this huge bundle of 539 infographics, you will find 20 free infographic templates. They are made with a lot of graphics, and you can easily grab some of the elements and adapt it to your presentation.

3. More places to find PowerPoint Graphics

Although it’s difficult to believe you haven’t found exactly what you are looking for already in our classic collection, let’s not worry. The one thing we do have now is plenty and plenty of choice. Here are some paid-for possibilities that you may want to jazz up that make or break a presentation.

PresentationPro

For $49.00 you could check out this royalty-free Graphics pack from PresentationPro. This pack contains thousands of graphics, clipart, and illustration in all sorts of categories from geography to calendars, from Scrabble to sport, and in differing styles. The graphics can be used in other formats too so you are not limited to PowerPoint.

GraphicMama

As well as the free offers, already covered Graphic Mama has a top-class selection of paid-for bundles ranging from characters to graphics assets, backgrounds , and templates from a little as $31 per set. This is ideal if you’d like to theme your presentation around a character as there are multiple gestures and poses for each. All are easily customizable, editable, and adaptable to any project and design. A gallery of cartoon characters , including businessmen, animals, robots, superheroes, doctors, ninjas, and more. Graphic Mama also offers custom designs, so you can turn yourself into a caricature and animated puppets to really make waves.

GetMyGraphics

At GetMyGrpahics you can take up a subscription giving you access to over 9,000 professional PowerPoint graphics starting at $49 per month or a Pro package at $99 per month.  Obviously, at this price, it is not for a one-off or occasional piece but for professionals it does provide plenty of options. They include infographics and illustrations in a wide range of categories and differing styles.

Final Words

The old PowerPoint presentation. It’s been around for years and it truly isn’t enough to just churn out the old stuff. Vital though they may be, people always expect more, always expect better, and why not? With a little extra effort, you can turn your slideshow presentation into something that isn’t just a time filler but that really makes a difference, communication, and shows you off in the best light. PowerPoint graphics can make all the difference by breathing life and energy into your presentation and consequently your performance. If you feel confident in your material it will help your delivery. Best of all you can step it up for free, so why wouldn’t you?

You may also be interested in some of these related articles:

• The Best Free PowerPoint Templates to Download in 2022
• Need PowerPoint Backgrounds? The Best Places to Check Out [+ Freebies]
• 10 PowerPoint Tutorials to Help You Master PowerPoint

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Lyudmil Enchev

Lyudmil is an avid movie fan which influences his passion for video editing. You will often see him making animations and video tutorials for GraphicMama. Lyudmil is also passionate for photography, video making, and writing scripts.

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15 Effective Visual Presentation Tips To Wow Your Audience

By Krystle Wong , Sep 28, 2023

So, you’re gearing up for that big presentation and you want it to be more than just another snooze-fest with slides. You want it to be engaging, memorable and downright impressive. 

Well, you’ve come to the right place — I’ve got some slick tips on how to create a visual presentation that’ll take your presentation game up a notch. 

Packed with presentation templates that are easily customizable, keep reading this blog post to learn the secret sauce behind crafting presentations that captivate, inform and remain etched in the memory of your audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a visual presentation & why is it important?

15 effective tips to make your visual presentations more engaging, 6 major types of visual presentation you should know , what are some common mistakes to avoid in visual presentations, visual presentation faqs, 5 steps to create a visual presentation with venngage.

A visual presentation is a communication method that utilizes visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to an audience. 

Visual presentations aim to enhance comprehension engagement and the overall impact of the message through the strategic use of visuals. People remember what they see, making your point last longer in their heads. 

Without further ado, let’s jump right into some great visual presentation examples that would do a great job in keeping your audience interested and getting your point across.

In today’s fast-paced world, where information is constantly bombarding our senses, creating engaging visual presentations has never been more crucial. To help you design a presentation that’ll leave a lasting impression, I’ve compiled these examples of visual presentations that will elevate your game.

1. Use the rule of thirds for layout

Ever heard of the rule of thirds? It’s a presentation layout trick that can instantly up your slide game. Imagine dividing your slide into a 3×3 grid and then placing your text and visuals at the intersection points or along the lines. This simple tweak creates a balanced and seriously pleasing layout that’ll draw everyone’s eyes.

2. Get creative with visual metaphors

Got a complex idea to explain? Skip the jargon and use visual metaphors. Throw in images that symbolize your point – for example, using a road map to show your journey towards a goal or using metaphors to represent answer choices or progress indicators in an interactive quiz or poll.

3. Visualize your data with charts and graphs

The right data visualization tools not only make content more appealing but also aid comprehension and retention. Choosing the right visual presentation for your data is all about finding a good match. 

For ordinal data, where things have a clear order, consider using ordered bar charts or dot plots. When it comes to nominal data, where categories are on an equal footing, stick with the classics like bar charts, pie charts or simple frequency tables. And for interval-ratio data, where there’s a meaningful order, go for histograms, line graphs, scatterplots or box plots to help your data shine.

In an increasingly visual world, effective visual communication is a valuable skill for conveying messages. Here’s a guide on how to use visual communication to engage your audience while avoiding information overload.

4. Employ the power of contrast

Want your important stuff to pop? That’s where contrast comes in. Mix things up with contrasting colors, fonts or shapes. It’s like highlighting your key points with a neon marker – an instant attention grabber.

5. Tell a visual story

Structure your slides like a storybook and create a visual narrative by arranging your slides in a way that tells a story. Each slide should flow into the next, creating a visual narrative that keeps your audience hooked till the very end.

Icons and images are essential for adding visual appeal and clarity to your presentation. Venngage provides a vast library of icons and images, allowing you to choose visuals that resonate with your audience and complement your message. 

6. Show the “before and after” magic

Want to drive home the impact of your message or solution? Whip out the “before and after” technique. Show the current state (before) and the desired state (after) in a visual way. It’s like showing a makeover transformation, but for your ideas.

7. Add fun with visual quizzes and polls

To break the monotony and see if your audience is still with you, throw in some quick quizzes or polls. It’s like a mini-game break in your presentation — your audience gets involved and it makes your presentation way more dynamic and memorable.

8. End with a powerful visual punch

Your presentation closing should be a showstopper. Think a stunning clip art that wraps up your message with a visual bow, a killer quote that lingers in minds or a call to action that gets hearts racing.

9. Engage with storytelling through data

Use storytelling magic to bring your data to life. Don’t just throw numbers at your audience—explain what they mean, why they matter and add a bit of human touch. Turn those stats into relatable tales and watch your audience’s eyes light up with understanding.

10. Use visuals wisely

Your visuals are the secret sauce of a great presentation. Cherry-pick high-quality images, graphics, charts and videos that not only look good but also align with your message’s vibe. Each visual should have a purpose – they’re not just there for decoration. 

11. Utilize visual hierarchy

Employ design principles like contrast, alignment and proximity to make your key info stand out. Play around with fonts, colors and placement to make sure your audience can’t miss the important stuff.

12. Engage with multimedia

Static slides are so last year. Give your presentation some sizzle by tossing in multimedia elements. Think short video clips, animations, or a touch of sound when it makes sense, including an animated logo . But remember, these are sidekicks, not the main act, so use them smartly.

13. Interact with your audience

Turn your presentation into a two-way street. Start your presentation by encouraging your audience to join in with thought-provoking questions, quick polls or using interactive tools. Get them chatting and watch your presentation come alive.

When it comes to delivering a group presentation, it’s important to have everyone on the team on the same page. Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools enable you and your team to work together seamlessly, regardless of geographical locations. Collaborators can provide input, make edits and offer suggestions in real time. 

14. Incorporate stories and examples

Weave in relatable stories, personal anecdotes or real-life examples to illustrate your points. It’s like adding a dash of spice to your content – it becomes more memorable and relatable.

15. Nail that delivery

Don’t just stand there and recite facts like a robot — be a confident and engaging presenter. Lock eyes with your audience, mix up your tone and pace and use some gestures to drive your points home. Practice and brush up your presentation skills until you’ve got it down pat for a persuasive presentation that flows like a pro.

Venngage offers a wide selection of professionally designed presentation templates, each tailored for different purposes and styles. By choosing a template that aligns with your content and goals, you can create a visually cohesive and polished presentation that captivates your audience.

Looking for more presentation ideas ? Why not try using a presentation software that will take your presentations to the next level with a combination of user-friendly interfaces, stunning visuals, collaboration features and innovative functionalities that will take your presentations to the next level. 

Visual presentations come in various formats, each uniquely suited to convey information and engage audiences effectively. Here are six major types of visual presentations that you should be familiar with:

1. Slideshows or PowerPoint presentations

Slideshows are one of the most common forms of visual presentations. They typically consist of a series of slides containing text, images, charts, graphs and other visual elements. Slideshows are used for various purposes, including business presentations, educational lectures and conference talks.

2. Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They combine text, images and graphics to convey complex concepts or data in a concise and visually appealing manner. Infographics are often used in marketing, reporting and educational materials.

Don’t worry, they are also super easy to create thanks to Venngage’s fully customizable infographics templates that are professionally designed to bring your information to life. Be sure to try it out for your next visual presentation!

3. Video presentation

Videos are your dynamic storytellers. Whether it’s pre-recorded or happening in real-time, videos are the showstoppers. You can have interviews, demos, animations or even your own mini-documentary. Video presentations are highly engaging and can be shared in both in-person and virtual presentations .

4. Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs are visual representations of data that make it easier to understand and analyze numerical information. Common types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and scatterplots. They are commonly used in scientific research, business reports and academic presentations.

Effective data visualizations are crucial for simplifying complex information and Venngage has got you covered. Venngage’s tools enable you to create engaging charts, graphs,and infographics that enhance audience understanding and retention, leaving a lasting impression in your presentation.

5. Interactive presentations

Interactive presentations involve audience participation and engagement. These can include interactive polls, quizzes, games and multimedia elements that allow the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations are often used in workshops, training sessions and webinars.

Venngage’s interactive presentation tools enable you to create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact and enhance audience retention. By incorporating features like clickable elements, quizzes and embedded multimedia, you can captivate your audience’s attention and encourage active participation.

6. Poster presentations

Poster presentations are the stars of the academic and research scene. They consist of a large poster that includes text, images and graphics to communicate research findings or project details and are usually used at conferences and exhibitions. For more poster ideas, browse through Venngage’s gallery of poster templates to inspire your next presentation.

Different visual presentations aside, different presentation methods also serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences. Find out which type of presentation works best for the message you are sending across to better capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

To make a good presentation , it’s crucial to be aware of common mistakes and how to avoid them. Without further ado, let’s explore some of these pitfalls along with valuable insights on how to sidestep them.

Overloading slides with text

Text heavy slides can be like trying to swallow a whole sandwich in one bite – overwhelming and unappetizing. Instead, opt for concise sentences and bullet points to keep your slides simple. Visuals can help convey your message in a more engaging way.

Using low-quality visuals

Grainy images and pixelated charts are the equivalent of a scratchy vinyl record at a DJ party. High-resolution visuals are your ticket to professionalism. Ensure that the images, charts and graphics you use are clear, relevant and sharp.

Choosing the right visuals for presentations is important. To find great visuals for your visual presentation, Browse Venngage’s extensive library of high-quality stock photos. These images can help you convey your message effectively, evoke emotions and create a visually pleasing narrative. 

Ignoring design consistency

Imagine a book with every chapter in a different font and color – it’s a visual mess. Consistency in fonts, colors and formatting throughout your presentation is key to a polished and professional look.

Reading directly from slides

Reading your slides word-for-word is like inviting your audience to a one-person audiobook session. Slides should complement your speech, not replace it. Use them as visual aids, offering key points and visuals to support your narrative.

Lack of visual hierarchy

Neglecting visual hierarchy is like trying to find Waldo in a crowd of clones. Use size, color and positioning to emphasize what’s most important. Guide your audience’s attention to key points so they don’t miss the forest for the trees.

Ignoring accessibility

Accessibility isn’t an option these days; it’s a must. Forgetting alt text for images, color contrast and closed captions for videos can exclude individuals with disabilities from understanding your presentation. 

Relying too heavily on animation

While animations can add pizzazz and draw attention, overdoing it can overshadow your message. Use animations sparingly and with purpose to enhance, not detract from your content.

Using jargon and complex language

Keep it simple. Use plain language and explain terms when needed. You want your message to resonate, not leave people scratching their heads.

Not testing interactive elements

Interactive elements can be the life of your whole presentation, but not testing them beforehand is like jumping into a pool without checking if there’s water. Ensure that all interactive features, from live polls to multimedia content, work seamlessly. A smooth experience keeps your audience engaged and avoids those awkward technical hiccups.

Presenting complex data and information in a clear and visually appealing way has never been easier with Venngage. Build professional-looking designs with our free visual chart slide templates for your next presentation.

What software or tools can I use to create visual presentations?

You can use various software and tools to create visual presentations, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Prezi and Venngage, among others.

What is the difference between a visual presentation and a written report?

The main difference between a visual presentation and a written report is the medium of communication. Visual presentations rely on visuals, such as slides, charts and images to convey information quickly, while written reports use text to provide detailed information in a linear format.

How do I effectively communicate data through visual presentations?

To effectively communicate data through visual presentations, simplify complex data into easily digestible charts and graphs, use clear labels and titles and ensure that your visuals support the key messages you want to convey.

Are there any accessibility considerations for visual presentations?

Accessibility considerations for visual presentations include providing alt text for images, ensuring good color contrast, using readable fonts and providing transcripts or captions for multimedia content to make the presentation inclusive.

Most design tools today make accessibility hard but Venngage’s Accessibility Design Tool comes with accessibility features baked in, including accessible-friendly and inclusive icons.

How do I choose the right visuals for my presentation?

Choose visuals that align with your content and message. Use charts for data, images for illustrating concepts, icons for emphasis and color to evoke emotions or convey themes.

What is the role of storytelling in visual presentations?

Storytelling plays a crucial role in visual presentations by providing a narrative structure that engages the audience, helps them relate to the content and makes the information more memorable.

How can I adapt my visual presentations for online or virtual audiences?

To adapt visual presentations for online or virtual audiences, focus on concise content, use engaging visuals, ensure clear audio, encourage audience interaction through chat or polls and rehearse for a smooth online delivery.

What is the role of data visualization in visual presentations?

Data visualization in visual presentations simplifies complex data by using charts, graphs and diagrams, making it easier for the audience to understand and interpret information.

How do I choose the right color scheme and fonts for my visual presentation?

Choose a color scheme that aligns with your content and brand and select fonts that are readable and appropriate for the message you want to convey.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my visual presentation?

Measure the effectiveness of your visual presentation by collecting feedback from the audience, tracking engagement metrics (e.g., click-through rates for online presentations) and evaluating whether the presentation achieved its intended objectives.

Ultimately, creating a memorable visual presentation isn’t just about throwing together pretty slides. It’s about mastering the art of making your message stick, captivating your audience and leaving a mark.

Lucky for you, Venngage simplifies the process of creating great presentations, empowering you to concentrate on delivering a compelling message. Follow the 5 simple steps below to make your entire presentation visually appealing and impactful:

1. Sign up and log In: Log in to your Venngage account or sign up for free and gain access to Venngage’s templates and design tools.

2. Choose a template: Browse through Venngage’s presentation template library and select one that best suits your presentation’s purpose and style. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for different types of visual presentations, including infographics, reports, posters and more.

3. Edit and customize your template: Replace the placeholder text, image and graphics with your own content and customize the colors, fonts and visual elements to align with your presentation’s theme or your organization’s branding.

4. Add visual elements: Venngage offers a wide range of visual elements, such as icons, illustrations, charts, graphs and images, that you can easily add to your presentation with the user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

5. Save and export your presentation: Export your presentation in a format that suits your needs and then share it with your audience via email, social media or by embedding it on your website or blog .

So, as you gear up for your next presentation, whether it’s for business, education or pure creative expression, don’t forget to keep these visual presentation ideas in your back pocket.

Feel free to experiment and fine-tune your approach and let your passion and expertise shine through in your presentation. With practice, you’ll not only build presentations but also leave a lasting impact on your audience – one slide at a time.

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PresentationGO is your go-to source for an extensive and ever-expanding library of free templates tailored for PowerPoint and Google Slides . Our collection is rich in diversity, covering a wide spectrum of graphics specifically designed for presentations across various domains, ensuring you find exactly what you need for your next project.

Crafted with premium quality by skilled designers, our unique and exclusive designs are meticulously optimized for slide formats, guaranteeing to elevate the effectiveness of your presentations. With over 2,481 high-quality templates , PresentationGO offers a vast selection that includes themes and backgrounds, charts and diagrams, text and tables, timelines and planning, as well as graphics and metaphors and maps.

Our fully editable graphics and themes are designed for effortless customization , allowing you to tailor each template to meet your unique needs. Available in both standard and widescreen formats and optimized for light and dark backgrounds , our templates ensure your presentations are visually appealing and professional, without the need for additional adjustments.

In conclusion, PresentationGO provides an all-inclusive resource for Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates , encompassing everything required to create an engaging, visually stunning presentation. Embark on exploring our remarkable collection today to discover the perfect elements that will make your presentation stand out.

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Design plays a great role in creating amazing PowerPoint presentations. No matter how amazing the content and your presenting skills, the way you visualize your concept is equally important when it comes to winning the audience’s attention. Depending on the topic, you will need appropriate high-quality visuals and the good news is, these often come for free. With this in mind, we did a lot of digging and collected a huge variety of PowerPoint graphics (most of them free for personal and commercial use) that you can download and add to your library. 

In this article, you will find everything you need in order to visualize your concepts and design a presentation worthy of your topics. Below we added a quick overview of the types of PowerPoint graphics you will find.

1000+ Free and Premium PowerPoint Graphics from all over the web: 

• Editable Templates
• Backgrounds
• Icons and Badges

Data Visualization Graphics

• Elements (Pointers, Arrows, Bullets)
• Speech Bubbles

PowerPoint Templates

Instead of starting designing your presentation from scratch, you can work with a pre-made template and customize it to suit your concept and topic. Usually, pre-made templates are editable, come with text and image placeholders, and additional icons you can use. For this section, we collected pre-made templates with different themes, suitable for multi-purpose presentations, business, marketing, branding, analysis, technologies, and more specific topics like educations, food and restaurants, and software. Most templates are free for personal and commercial use, there are some premium ones with animations as well. 

We listed the numbers of slides, price and license below each template.

Free Educational Presentation Template

• Theme: Education, online teaching, lessons
• Pricing: Free
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use│Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Free Hand-Drawn Presentation

• Theme: Multi-purpose, branding, marketing

Free Corporate Presentation Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, branding, business

Futuristic Free Template

• Theme: Technology, Science, Hardware, Future technologies

Spaceship Free Powerpoint Template

• Theme: Technology, Science, Business, Marketing

5G Technology Free Template

• Theme: 5G, Technology, Science, Business, Marketing

App Startup Free Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, Startup, Business, Marketing

Startup Corporation Free Template

Smart City Free Template

• Theme: 5G, Technology, Business, Software, Future technologies

Food Taste Free Template

• Theme: Food and restaurants
• License: Free for Personal Use│Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Free Business PowerPoint Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, startup

Free Minimalist Presentation Template

Special Burger Free Presentation 

• Theme: Food and restaurants, fast food, marketing

Opened Book Cute Free Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, education, marketing

Technology and Design Template

• Slides: 110
• Pricing: $29 full presentation, 0$ 6 sample slides
• License: Standard

Smash Animated Presentation

• Slides: 100+
• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing
• Pricing: $17 full presentation, 0$ 20 sample slides

Blanc Free Minimalistic Presentation

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, fashion

Ultimate 3D PowerPoint Presentation Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, branding
• Pricing: $31.84
• License: Standard│Royalty-Free

Ultimate Black and White Presentation 

• License: Standard│Royalty Free

Natuna Business Template

• Pricing: $16
• License: Regular│For one product

Massive X Fully-Animated Template

• Slides: 1500+
• Pricing: $15

Backgrounds PowerPoint Graphics

With templates out of the way, let’s go to the smaller PowerPoint graphics and elements. In some cases, you might want to customize your existing templates further by adding your own background. This is also a great hack when you’re building a short presentation with just a few slides of topic titles. You can easily do this in PowerPoint by selecting your slide and hitting Design> Format Background . For this section, we selected quite a lot of modern and trendy high-quality background PowerPoint graphics from over the web, all suitable for PowerPoint presentations.

Abstract Wave Gradient Liquid Background

• Files : PNG, SVG, AI
• Price: Free
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use with Attribution │Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Halftone Background with Circles

• Files : PNG, EPS

Wavy Abstract Background

• Files : JPG, AI, EPS

Grunge Paint Background

• Files : JPG

Flat Geometric Background

• Files : JPG, EPS

Neon Fluid Background with Geometric Shapes Free Vector

Hand-Drawn Minimal Background

Gradient Abstract Background

Half-Tone Lined Background

Isometric High tech Background

Abstract Technological Background

Black and Gold Luxurious Background

Set of Vector Liquid Shapes for Presentation Design

Neon Fluid Abstract Background

Liquid Gradient Color Background

Abstract Creative Background with Multicolored Flow

Glowing Particles Dynamic Background

Abstract Colorful Background

Modern Gold Background Free Vector

Geometric Black and Gold Background

• Price: Subscription

Abstract Shapes Gradient Background

Pink Luxury Rose Gold Gradient Background

Abstract Wave Colourful Background

Abstract Backgrounds – Mega Bundle

• Files : PNG, AI, EPS, PDF 
• Graphics: 66 
• Price: $31.84
• License: Standard │ Royalty- Free

Holographic 3D Background

• License: Standard 

Abstract Holo Shapes Background

Hi-Tech Futuristic Background

Neon Frame Sign Background

Icons for PowerPoint

One of the best ways to direct attention to certain parts of your presentation is through icons. They not only look great but also represent entire concepts and can replace a lot of text. We found a lot of sets in various styles that you can use in your own presentations to give them the homebrew personal touch.

Huge Hand-Drawn Doodle Free Icon Set

Web and Tech Development Themed Icon Free Set

Web and Tech Development Themed Icon Free Set v.2

Multimedia Icon Set for Presentations

Business and Finances Themed Icon Set

Set of School Stationery Icons

School and Education Icons Set

Cartoon Icons of Designer Work Process

Business Icons Free Set for Presentations

Modern Business Free Icon Set for Presentations

Set of Business People Icons for Presentations

Set of Business People Icons v.2

Free Business Scheduling Icon Set

Digital Marketing Thin Line Icons Set

A huge part of standard presentations covers a lot of data. In order to visualize it in a comprehensive and intuitive way, you will need editable charts, bars, graphs, and other infographics. This is why this section includes free and premium packs of data visualization PowerPoint graphics that you can edit and add to your presentation.

Steps/ Timeline Free Infographic

• Graphics: 1

Ultimate Infographic Template Collection – Mega Bundle

• Files : AI, EPS, PDF, PNG, PSD, PPT
• Graphics: 539
• License: Standard │Royalty-Free

16 Free Infographic Templates for Presentations

• Files : EPS, PDF
• Graphics: 16
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use │Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Data Visualization Elements Set

• Graphics: 40+

Data Visualization Elements Set v.2

Creative Modern Business Infographic

• Files : EPS, JPG

Bundle Infographic Tools

• Graphics: 15+

Free 6 Steps Startup Infographics

Internet Trading Vector Infographic Template

Marketing Diagram Infographic Template

Step by step From Research to Goal Infographic

Free Vector Infographics Elements

• Graphics: 6

Free 6-Steps Infographic Design

Essential PowerPoint Graphics and Elements (Pointers, Arrows, Bullets)

Using icons will help you replace a lot of text with visuals. However, you will still have a lot of text to organize and structure on your slides. Bullet points and arrows are a standard type of PowerPoint graphics to present your plan, list parts of your concepts, or indicate processes. As the original bullet points might be too simple, here we have custom, more colorful, and interesting-looking elements that will do the job in style.

Free Colorful Geometric Bullet Points

Colorful Arrow Bullet Points Collection

Arrow Aign Icon Set for Presentations

Green Arrows Set for Presentations

Arrow Neon Icon Collection

Colorful Arrows with Different Shapes

Vector Flechas Arrows Set

Circular Bullet Points Collection

Map Legend Vector Icons

Square Bullets with Labels

Marker Location You Are Here

Cutout Number Bulletpoints

Colorful Pin Bulletpoints 

Infographic Bullet Points

Colorful Pencils Bulletpoints

Gradient Pin Bullet Points

Traditional Bullet Points Collection

Bullet Paragraphs Set

Bullet Point Labels

Crystal Bullet Points

Vector Paper Progress 

Speech PowerPoint Graphics 

Speech bubble PowerPoint graphics and stylish testimonial boxes can make your design pop. This is a fun addition to have and it’s always worth taking the extra mile to use them in some of your slides. 

Hand-Drawn Doodle Speech Bubble Set

Comic Bubble Speech Set

Collection of Colorful Speech Bubbles

Silhouette Speech Bubbles

Cartoon Speech Bubbles

Paper Cutout Speech Bubbles

Testimonial Speech Bubble

Infographic Speech Bubbles

Abstract Gradient Speech Bubbles

Quote Boxes

Testimonial Quote Boxes

Futuristic Sci Fi Style Labels

Artistic Blue and Purple Speech Bubbles

Colorful Origami Speech Bubbles

That’s it

In conclusion, PowerPoint presentations don’t have to be plain, simple, and predictable. You can always make them special by putting an extra effort to customize them. It is much simpler to accomplish if you already have a library with valuable PowerPoint graphics and assets that will help you quickly build a presentation that will inspire interest and communication. We hope you found the right graphics for your projects and feel inspired to deliver your best presentation.

In the meantime, why not take a look at the related articles to get some more inspiration or grab a couple of freebies:

• 60+ Free Images of Cartoon People for Your Future Projects
• 70 Free Arrow PNG Objects, Illustrations and Vectors to Download Now
• 20 Really Good PowerPoint Examples to Inspire Your Next Presentation

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Home PowerPoint Templates Graphics

+579 Graphics Templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Download and use our 100% editable PowerPoint Graphics Templates. It simplifies, accelerates, and improves your presentation. SlideModel’s Templates are well-crafted visual designs that help users illustrate their project procedures. Displaying the entire project process at a glance makes it easier to communicate the project idea.

We use all of the PowerPoint elements that are required, such as icons, shapes, charts, graphs, colors, clip art, etc. These templates were created in formats that are universally usable and accessible. Our Graphic Slides work on both Mac and PCs, as well as Google Slides, Keynote, Office 365, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Featured Templates

Keyhole Graphics for PowerPoint

Home Workspace PowerPoint Graphics

Flat Business Metaphor Graphics for PowerPoint

Graphic Equalizer Shapes for PowerPoint

Latest templates.

Purple Abstract PowerPoint Background

Pink Purple Orange Yellow Animated Gradient PowerPoint Background

Logo Presentation PowerPoint Template

Did You Know Slide PowerPoint Template

Map with GPS Icons PowerPoint Template

Modern Cutout PowerPoint Template

Minimal Portfolio PowerPoint Templates

DNA Ideas Head Illustration PowerPoint Templates

Charity Model PowerPoint Template

Warehouse Logistics PowerPoint Shapes

General Purpose Business PowerPoint Template

Flat Design Icons Website Development Template

Presentation graphics are an effective and modern way to add visual interest to your presentation. As well as infographic slide templates , their purpose is to supplement the text, making it easier to understand or more engaging for the audience. Professional presentation graphics come in a variety of styles and design elements, allowing you to tailor them to your specific presentation needs.

Professional designers carefully choose the shapes, colors, and icons used in presentation graphics to create a cohesive look that will help draw attention to the content. In addition, they make the material easier to comprehend, as the visuals provide additional context and help illustrate key points.

SlideModel’s presentation graphics can also be used effectively in marketing materials or training presentations. They are a great way to make your message stand out and help ensure that audiences stay engaged throughout your presentation. Furthermore, they can be tailored to reflect brand messaging or specific themes, helping you effectively communicate with potential customers or employees.

Overall, presentation graphics are an indispensable visual tool for any project requiring communication with an audience. They give your message a modern feel and will bring life to any project. Whether you need something for a business meeting, training session, marketing campaign, or anything else – professional presentation graphics will help make sure your message hits home with its intended audience!

What Are Powerpoint Graphics?

PowerPoint graphics are visual images and designs that you can use to easily illustrate the contents of your presentation. It most commonly refers to a grouping of shapes into an image, also known as vectors. This includes SmartArt, which is a type of native PowerPoint graphic with unique properties.

Can You Add Graphics To PowerPoint?

Depending on the version of PowerPoint you’re using, you can add pictures, photos, clip art, and other images from your computer or the Internet to your slideshow. You can place one or more images on a slide, the slide master, or the background.

How Do You Draw Graphics In PowerPoint?

When you get to the slide where you want to draw, simply place your digital pen on the screen and start drawing. If you don’t have a digital pen, you can use your mouse to select the pen or highlighter by moving your cursor to the lower left corner of the window, clicking the ink button, and selecting the pen or highlighter.

How do I edit slide Master Graphics?

To edit the side master graphics, go to View and then Slide Master. Change the text, color, and alignment as desired. If you want to use a predefined theme, go to the Slide Master tab and click Themes. Then choose your colors, fonts, effects, and background styles.

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Our annual unlimited plan let you download unlimited content from slidemodel. save hours of manual work and use awesome slide designs in your next presentation..

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PowerPoint Graphics: How to Improve Your Presentations w/ Graphics

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
• Presentation Design
• August 21, 2018

If you’ve ever touched a PowerPoint slide, chances are that you’ve already used PowerPoint graphics already.

But you may have questions: How do you find good graphics? How do you manipulate them correctly? And how do you customize them?

That’s what this article will answer for you.

What is a PowerPoint graphic?

There seems to be a wide range of things that people label as a graphic for PowerPoint.

Here at Nuts & Bolts, we define a graphic in PowerPoint as any image that is not a picture. This includes SmartArt, which is a type of native PowerPoint graphic and has special attributes.

A PowerPoint graphic most typically refers to a grouping of shapes into an image, commonly referred to as vectors.

From PowerPoint’s perspective, vectors are considered to be shapes – and that means that you can customize them as you would any rectangle, circle, or freeform shape… giving you complete freedom to create the visual you need.

Vector graphics can come in the following file types:

• EPS (Encapsulated PostScript – create by Adobe – this is perhaps the most common vector image format)

However, PowerPoint will only accept certain file types. To see which ones, go to the section on how to use vectors in PowerPoint below.

Why use a graphic in PowerPoint

As the representation of an idea, a graphic is the perfect way to help your audience immediately visualize and grasp a concept you are sharing with them.

On top of that, it’s a great way to add some flair to any presentation and a quick way to take it up a notch.

Graphics can be better than pictures in some situations, when you need to be able to edit elements in a visual. For example, maybe you need to remove, add or re-color a certain item.

You cannot do this with pictures – but with the right graphic (and in particular a vector graphic), you could potentially customize it to your heart’s content.

Where to get free graphics for PowerPoint

Getting free graphics for PowerPoint is easy – you just have to know where to look.

Here are our favorite 2 places to find free vector graphics for PowerPoint:

• Freepik – Great database with tons of very high-quality and modern icons, flat icons, vectors, and PSD files to use. Freepik does require you to give them credit if you use their material, but they make it very easy with a simple html code.
• Pixabay – Awesome site for 100% free and Creative Commons CC0 licensed images, illustrations, vectors, and videos.

To learn where to get more free PowerPoint graphics, images, videos, etc. check out this list of  our favorite PowerPoint resources . Another way to get free vector graphics is to create them from scratch. There are two tools that can help you do this:

• Text-to-Outline by YouPresent – Allows you to convert text into vectors/shapes, which you can then format any way you like in PowerPoint.
• Vector Magic – Creates a vector out of any image…truly magic!

Keep in mind that because these are all free methods for finding vector graphics for PowerPoint, you will be limited in what you find or create. If you want a very specific and professional-looking vector, you may have to go to a paid service to purchase well-designed graphics that suit your need better.

Where to buy graphics for PowerPoint

By far the easiest way to get professional & unique graphics onto your slides (especially now that ClipArt is gone) is to use a service like GetMyGraphics .

They are custom-built graphics designed for PowerPoint. All you need to do is download and insert them onto your slide and then tweak them like you would SmartArt.

Although this is a paid service, we’ve found that we’ve reused these graphics again and again, so we see it as a good investment in sharper looking slides.

How to use vector graphics in PowerPoint

Using vectors in PowerPoint depends on what file type you have. If you have an older version of PowerPoint (2013 and earlier), you can insert the following vector files types into PowerPoint:

If you have Office 365, you can no longer insert EPS files. However, you can still use EMF files, and you can also insert SVG files (except for on a Mac).

If you have an EPS file and can’t import it into your version of PowerPoint, check out our article on how to import EPS files into PowerPoint .

Note:  If you’re trying to use a file type that is not supported by your version of PowerPoint, you can try converting your file into the correct file type.

For a really good tutorial on how to convert vectors into usable PowerPoint objects without Adobe software, check out Microsoft MVP  Dave Paradi’s post on finding and using vector images in PowerPoint.

Once you have an SVG file downloaded onto your computer, you’ll want to insert it into your presentation.

There are two ways to insert a vector file onto your PowerPoint slide:

Method #1: Drag the file from wherever it is sitting on your computer and drag it onto your slide.

Method #2: Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and select ‘Pictures’ (make sure to select the ‘Pictures’ icon and not the ‘Online Pictures’ icon). Then find your vector file and click on ‘Open.’

Note: If you have PowerPoint 2016 with Office 365, you have a new object class, called Icons. These are also vector files (SVG).

You can insert them by going to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and selecting ‘Icons’ (or using this shortcut: Alt, N, Y1). You can learn more about the icons feature in this Office blog article .

Once you have a vector file inserted on your slide, you can manipulate its various pieces.

To do that, you’ll need to ungroup it twice. To ungroup a vector image, select it and then use one of the following methods:

• Hit the ungroup shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + G
• Right-click the vector and select ‘Group’ and then ‘Ungroup’
• Go to the Drawing Tools > Format tab in the Ribbon, select ‘Group’ and then ‘Ungroup’

A pop-up box will appear, asking you if you want to ungroup it. Click on ‘Yes.’

And now you have a series of shapes (instead of a picture) that you can edit and format however you like, just like for regular PowerPoint shapes.

Note:   Keep in mind that some things might come out strangely as vectors in PowerPoint:

• Gradients and shadows
• Lines (the lines will likely come out as one object and may lose their original weight)
• Complex artwork, such as sketching and other artistic effects

Some things you can do with your vector images now include:

• Change the fill color
• Add an outline with a custom weight
• Move and resize pieces of the vector
• Edit the points of certain pieces to change even the shape of it

And much more!

What’s next?

Related articles, about the author.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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50 Free Resources For Presentation Design

• Presentation design /
• Visual communication

Translating ideas into presentations is not as easy as it might seem, which I’m sure you know by now. How many hours have you spent searching the web for resources for presentation design, preferably free ones?

Sometimes opening a new presentation is a bit frightening. Organizing your thoughts in this beautifully designed document is a real challenge especially if you’re pressed for time or are juggling multiple tasks.

Here, at Visual Hackers, we want to help your creative juices flow faster so we’re going to share some of our favorite websites that offer free presentation design resources such as templates, icons, images, vectors, fonts and more.

All inclusive (images, vectors, icons, etc.)

1. creative market.

Creative Market is a platform for handcrafted, mousemade design content from independent creatives around the world. This is truly a design heaven. You can purchase any type of photos, graphics, templates, themes and fonts at a great price. But they also have a section of free goods , to get you to become a Creative Market believer.

You can find anything you need here, from icons, illustrations, photos, fonts and templates to add-ons and textures.

2. Free Design Resources

Free Design Resources is a site dedicated to help you find the high quality design resources for free. You can use the resources listed here for any number of personal and commercial projects for yourself or on behalf of a client. You may modify the resources to fit in the requirements of your projects.

No link or attribution required, but they do appreciate if you want to give one. Some item may have a different license, in which case it’s best to read additional notes in the description of the item’s page.

3. Creative Tail

CreativeTail.com is a fresh new design community. The website collects the best open source files from a variety of top quality, handpicked designers. When ready, the files are published as open source, free to use for private and commercial use. All their free product on this site are under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Browse their icons, images and backgrounds to create memorable slides in your presentation!

4. Inscribe Mag

Inscribe Mag is an online publication dedicated to provide the best quality resources and articles for designers and developers. They provide fresh articles for topics like web design & development, wordpress, UX design, photoshop, coding, graphic design and more.

Here you can find free resources including fonts, icons, web templates, mock-ups, PSD design resources, UI kits, backgrounds, tutorials and much more. Check out their freebies section.

Also read: Top 10 Design Trends in 2020 and How to Use Them in Presentations

5. CSAuthor

CSS Author is a design and development related blog for web designers and developers. They offer free PSD design resources, daily design inspirations, articles, roundups, tutorials and the latest web trends and techniques.

Most resources are provided under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

6. Free Goodies for Designers

Created by a small group of designers and art directors, Free Goodies for Designers offers free icons, textures, mockups and everything else you could need.

You can choose to donate if you find the resource useful and if you want to support the website.

7. Graphic Burger

GraphicBurger is a buffet of premium quality design resources offered for free to the community. Here you’ll find exclusive PSD files “cooked” in-house along with featured top-notch freebies from creatives around the world.

You are permitted to use the resources in any number of personal and commercial projects for yourself or a client. No attribution or link back to this site is required, however any credit is appreciated.

8. Smashing Magazine

Smashing Media  is a well-respected international online publication for professional web designers and developers. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you’re in for a real treat!

The famous publication also has a freebies section. Every resource presented here has a detailed section about how you can use it and what license applies.

Featured Download:  An Easy Guide To Repurposing Content Get your free copy

9. Design Bundles

As the name says it you can find here a bundle of free elements to use, graphics, mockups, icons, templates, backgrounds & textures. Their team provides top selections of free designs, but also premium resources they practice a reduced price.

Illustrations

10. humaaans.

Illustrations are in high demand, they are in top design trends for a few years now, this is where Humaaans comes with resources. They are a design library of mix-&-match illustrations of people with templates for every occasion. Pablo Stanely made free his creations for commercial and personal use. 

Ouch.pics is a project of Icons8 dedicated to free vector illustrations for user interface. They would give a clean, trendy look to your designs. Find there a variety of vector subjects and styles and don’t forget to appreciate them giving the credits for their work.

12. Drawkit

Drawkit offers hand-drawn vector illustration resources for your next project, Get their free illustrations or go premium to get customisable illustration to suit your needs.

13. Undraw Illustrations

A very easy way to get the illustrations you need is to search them on Undraw . They have an on-the-fly color image generation to match your brand identity.

Videos are the content that everyone is looking at right now, they get your attention and deliver the brand’s message in a few seconds. Coverr appeared as a project built in order to provide entrepreneurs  with Free beautiful looking videos, for the products they were building.

15. Motion Place

Motion Places is a curated collection of beautiful footage you can use for your projects. T hey provide creatives with free stock footage from around the world . Their clips in HD are for free or for $99 the 4k clips.

Videvo offers free stock videos and motion graphics for use in any project. You may use these video clips free of charge, in both personal and commercial productions. Choose from their variety of categories the video that you need.

17. Videezy

The same team of Vecteezy and Brusheezy ( we will talk about them a bit later ), also made a website for video resources called Videezy. Discover free HD stock videos, b-roll, backgrounds, and other cool free video footage.

The same rule applies – all the videos are free to download and, depending on the license, free to use in your projects.

18. Wedistill

Distill offers for creatives curated videos for personal and commercial use. You can get 10 free HD videos every 10 days, but also by joining their community you can submit your own videos.

19. Pixabay

Pixabay is a community of creatives, sharing copyright free images and videos. All contents are released under Creative Commons CC0, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist – even for commercial purposes.

You can copy, modify, distribute, and use the images, even for commercial purposes, all without asking for permission or giving credits to the artist. However, depicted content may still be protected by trademarks, publicity or privacy rights so make sure you read their list of exceptions.

If you’re sick of stock photos this website will lift your spirits instantly. All photos on Pexels are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. This means the pictures are completely free to be used for any legal purpose –  the pictures are free for personal and even for commercial use, you can modify, copy and distribute the photos without asking for permission or setting a link to the source. So, attribution is not required.

The only restriction is that identifiable people may not appear in a bad light or in a way that they may find offensive, unless they give their consent. You should also make sure the depicted content (people, logos, private property, etc.) is suitable for your application and doesn’t infringe any rights.

Also read:  Spice Up Your Reports With Visual Data

21. Unsplash

Another favorite of ours, Unsplash offers over 200,000 free high-resolution photos, courtesy of the world’s most generous community of photographers. All photos published on Unsplash can be used for free. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes.

You do not need to ask permission from or provide credit to the photographer or Unsplash, although it is appreciated when possible. A credit can be as simple as adding their name with a link to their profile or photo.

22. Stocksnap

Similar to Unsplash, Stocksnap offers beautiful free stock photos, curated nothing from a pool of submissions.

All photos uploaded on StockSnap are released for free under Creative Commons – CC0 and do not require attribution.

Similar to Stocksnap,   Pikwizard is also a great stock photography website, with a lower cost licensing model.

23. Freeimages

Freeimages is another alternative for expensive stock photography. The idea was to create a site where creative people could exchange their photos for inspiration or work. The site has evolved into the massive community you see today — there are over 2,500,000 registered users and around 400,000 photos online.

All of the licensed content is owned by either FreeImages.com or the artists who supply the content. You do not need to include a photo credit for commercial use, but if you are using content for editorial purposes, you must include the following credit adjacent to the content or in audio/visual production credits: “FreeImages.com/Artist’s Member Name.”

24. Picjumbo

Viktor Hanacek, a 22-year-old photographer and online entrepreneur created Picjumbo in 2013 as a website that offered free pictures. He was also the first person ever to sell a package of photos on Creative Market. Generally, Picjumbo users are from the ranks of bloggers, theme developers, marketers, web designers, app designers or even whole design agencies from all around the world.

“As a web designer I know every designer needs high quality photos in full resolution. That’s why I created Picjumbo.”

25. Startup Stock Photos

A platform addressed to startups, bloggers, publishers, websites, designers, developers, creators, but also to everyone else. Startup Stock Photos was started as an outlet for photos taken on a regular basis, and now offers free photos to organisations all over the world.

26. Font Squirrel

These guys worked really hard to find fonts that are free for commercial use licenses. The fonts available here have free desktop licenses, meaning they can be used in commercial graphics and images free of charge. Make sure to read the license for more information on what you’re allowed to do with the fonts.

Each font has an row of symbols indicating what typical uses we think it allows for free. Please read the license though on any font you plan to use just to make sure. They also have an amazing tool called Font Identifier .

Also read: How to make an efficient remote presentation

27. Google Fonts

One of the best directories of open source designer web fonts. All the fonts in their catalog are free and open source, making beautiful type accessible to anyone for any project. Google Fonts takes care of all the licensing and hosting, ensuring that the latest and greatest version of any font is available to everyone.

The open source fonts in the Google Fonts catalog are published under licenses that allow you to use them on any website, whether it’s commercial or personal. Search queries may surface results from external foundries, who may or may not use open source licenses.

DaFont offers a huge archive of freely downloadable fonts, categorised by style, theme. Typography is an essential part of your presentation, choose a font that represents your brand.

The fonts are free, but if you want to support the author of the font there is the possibility to donate.

29. Befonts

Free fonts for creatives with beautiful script type, professional sans serif font and more. Befonts is a high quality resource that can be used for personal and commercial use.

30. Freepik.com

Freepik offers users, high quality graphic designs, most of which are free to use. They offer illustrations and graphic resources that can be used in both personal and commercial projects.

However, you have to give attribution to the designers that created the resources. Around 1% of the content that they offer comes from third parties. In these particular cases, although they are not frequent, you should check their licenses. If you download Freepik’s resources for free you must include the attribution line “Designed by Freepik” on the products you are willing to sell.

31. Vecteezy

This vector graphics community makes it easy to explore thousands of graphics created by vector artists from all over the globe.

Most of the files are free to download and, depending on the license, free to use in your projects. Almost all licenses will require attribution, so be sure to include credit every time if it does.

32. Brusheezy

The same people who brought you Vecteezy also created Brusheezy, a place to find free Photoshop brushes and other Photoshop-related resources. Here you can explore and discuss the creations of other artists from around the world, or just find that perfect little freebie for your next Photoshop project.

Brusheezy makes it easy to explore thousands of resources created by artists from all over the globe. All the resources are free to download and, depending on the license, free to use in your projects.

33. Themezy

Last one in the series, Themezy is a directory for free website templates. Make sure to abide by the license on each file you download–they are often not the same, so read each license carefully and if there is a README file attached to the download.

To quickly view the license for each video, click on the artist’s username next to “copyright” on the same page as the preview image.

34. Paaatterns

In presentations are used a lot of time patterns as backgrounds. As you could already tell, Paaatterns comes with a free collection of patterns. They come in all vector formats so are easy to customise and edit. 

35. Venngage

Infographics are a big part of presentations, but it’s not always simple to make a good-looking one. Venngage is the tool you need to tell your stories and present your data with infographics. 

There are 3 steps in creating your free of charge infographics, first choose a template, then add charts and visuals and finally customise your design by changing colors, shapes, fonts.

36. Squid Ink

Squid.ink offers thousands of handcrafted, consistent and pixel perfect icons ready to use. Their icons have been specially built to match the current design trends and to help you expand on your projects.

You can find flat icons, line icons and solid icons for every presentation. Their free sample includes 50 free icons for unlimited personal and commercial projects. If you need more than that, you can buy a 2000 icons pack for $45.

37. Flaticon

One of the largest search engines of free icons, Flaticon offers users, high quality graphic designs. Their free pack contains 511,000+ icons (39,500+ every month). They also have Premium content for Premium Users.

You can use all Flaticon’s Selection and Premium icons with no need of attribution with both monthly and annual subscriptions. It doesn’t matter if you are going to use them for a commercial purpose or a personal project. However, it’s probably a good idea to go over their terms of use.

38. Boxicons

Boxicons is a simple vector icons set carefully crafted for designers and developers to use in their next project. You can play there with the categories, they also have different styles of icons and the section of logos.

39. Feather Icons 

Feather is a collection of simply beautiful open source icons . Each icon is designed on a 24×24 grid with an emphasis on simplicity, consistency, and flexibility.

At its core, Feather is a collection of SVG files. This means that you can use Feather icons in all the same ways you can use SVGs (e.g. img , background-image , inline , object , embed , iframe ).

40. The Noun Project

The Noun Project has free icons for everything, over 2 million curated icons created by a global community. New icons are added daily by the creator community. 

Bring your presentation to life with some free mockups from Dunnnk . They generate mockups of Android and Apple devices where you can add visuals and customise them for your needs.

42. Mockup Free

Mockup Free is a website with a huge collection of Free PSD mockups for business and entertainment. They create a lot of different themed mockups that can be easily customised and used for both private and commercial projects.

All the mockups on there website are fully layered and very qualitative and all of them have a clear design structure.

43. Mockupworld

Mihai, our founder recommends Mockup World. Mockup World is a collaboration of high quality best free mockups including Apple Devices, Branding, Logos, Print, Digital Art, Fashion, Apparel & More.

Color Palletes

44. coolors.

Generate color schemes to play with in your presentation. Coolors  is a tool that gives you access to more than 700K color palettes designed by its users. It also lets you create your color palette and export it in a couple of clicks. 

There is a free trial of 3 months where you can create the color scheme for your brand.

45. Adobe Color

Adobe also made available a color wheel that helps you create a color scheme. You have 10 types of color schemes from where you can choose, analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary, shades and more.

Discover there current color trends in different industries from the creative communities on Behance and Adobe Stock.

46. CSS Gradient

CSS Gradient is a happy little website and free tool that lets you create a gradient background for websites. Besides being a css gradient generator, the site is also chock-full of colorful content about gradients from technical articles to real life gradient examples like Stripe and Instagram.

Design inspiration

47. behance.

This is a name that all designers know. Behance is a platform for creative professionals around the world to showcase their own work and to discover the creative work of others.

Their community has a lot of members so you will see a lot of projects from different areas, from different perspectives, with different styles. So it’s an excellent source of inspiration.

48. Dribbble

On Dribbble you will discover top creatives and designers that are showing their work to the world. It is a fantastic place to get inspiration for your graphic design project,  also has a vast archive of various free design elements.

49. 99Designs

99Deigns is a global creative platform that makes it easy for designers and clients to work together to create designs they love. They connect more than one million talented freelance designers with creative people, genius entrepreneurs, savvy businesses… anyone who needs great work.

Their Discover page is a great resource for browsing logos, brand identity packs, icons, illustrations and more created by professional designers from all over the world.

50. Typewolf

Are you interested in what’s trending in Type? Go to Typewolf for more than just fonts, they have also recommendations, a collection of lookbooks, blog posts, guidelines. If you are looking for inspiration you find it there.

That’s it for our list of freebies and inspiration websites. What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!

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Great list! You should add Textures4Photoshop to your list as it has lots of free textures and backgrounds:

http://www.textures4photoshop.com/tex/

Thanks John!

Hi, great resources also check out https:// 366icons .com our project with free icons. Thanks.

One of the most needed articles to help us with managing our creativity ability for the business presentation. I am going to explore these resources and see how can I use them. You can visit https://presentationexperts.co.uk/presentation-training-london/ to know more about PowerPoint presentations.

Thanks, I love most of the resources. https://thecreativeclippingpath.tumblr.com/

Awesome List of site in every aspect. thanks for sharing

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The 7 Elements of Graphic Design, and How to Apply Them This Year

Updated: August 08, 2017

Published: March 13, 2017

Have you even looked at a seemingly simple design and thought: I could totally do that.

But later, when you sit down to actually give it a whirl, you don't know why your attempt doesn't measure up to the professional version. What gives?

It turns out professional graphic designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make their work look, well, professional . Even with all the amazing free tools available for wannabe graphic designers these days, amateurs usually don't have the foundational know-how necessary to create consistently polished-looking designs. 

To help you out, we've put together a list of seven basic graphic design elements. It's not a graphic design degree by any means, but having a foundational understanding of these seven basic elements can boost your content creation skills and improve your ability to communicate your design preferences if you ever decide to hire a professional. 

We deep-dive into the seven elements below, covering what they are, why you should care, and how to use them to create more professional looking designs -- even if you're operating on a zero-dollar budget. 

7 Basic Elements of Graphic Design

Sir Isaac Newton is widely credited with creating the very first color wheel back in 1706.  As the story goes, Newton took the spectrum of colors produced when light passes through a prism (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) and arranged them in a segmented circle. When the circle was spun rapidly on a rotating disk, the colors blurred together, appearing completely white to the human eye. 

Below, you can get an idea of how Newton's color wheel likely appeared. This 1708 version was illustrated by the French painter,  Claude Boutet , and makes reference to Newton's color theory research. 

Newton's visual categorization system for color was adopted and expanded upon by scientists, artists, and philosophers over the years, eventually resulting in the modern color wheel we all know today. 

The modern color wheel consists of three primary colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- which can theoretically be mixed in varying ratios to produce secondary and intermediate colors. Although modern research tells us that color theory is actually a little more complicated than that, the color wheel is still a valuable tool for graphic designers looking for aesthetically pleasing color combinations.

When selecting hues for a project, consider colors that appear directly opposite or beside each other on the color wheel -- these tend to produce the most consistently pleasing combinations. You could also consider using a free online color scheming tool, like ColorSchemer , to do the work for you. 

Color in Action:

This example from ∆ Studio–JQ ∆ is a great example of complimentary colors in action. Violet and yellow, which appear directly opposite on the modern color wheel, produce a bold, visually appealing effect when paired together. 

Lines are more than just dividers -- the right lines can convey movement and emotion, tying together your composition and making it looked polished and professional.

Rikard Rodin, a graphic designer and blogger with over 15 years of design experience, explains that lines can form the underlying architecture of your project. Defining the line of movement in your composition before you get started can help you construct a design that achieves the desired mood. 

"You can use mood lines in virtually every element of your design," Rodin writes on his blog . "Or you can contrast different mood lines in different parts of your design to create a more layered design. Take, for example, the 'STABLE' mood line. You can use this in creating your layout. You can use it in your photography. And you can use it in your font selection."

Mood lines don't have to be visible in your final composition -- they can simply act as a guide to provide structure and direction as you work. Of course, line can also be visibly incorporated into your final design as well. 

Line in Action:

Designer  Alexander Koltsov  and the folks at  Shuka Design  created this stunning visual identity for the 2016  World Chess Championship in New York. The team used purposeful but asymmetrical swirls of overlapping lines to represent " the thought process of a chess player." 

The scale of different elements in a design will have a big impact on how your audience views and makes sense of your composition. Playing with the relative size of different components in your design allows you to set a focal point, highlight areas of importance, and ultimately guide viewers' eyes through the piece. 

Scale isn't quite the same thing as size (though many people tend to incorrectly use them interchangeably when discussing design, i.e., "Make the logo bigger!"). Size refers to an absolute measurement (e.g., the sheet of paper 8'' by 11'') while scale refers to the direct relationship between elements in a design (e.g., the circle is twice as big as the square). 

You can use scale to create a visual hierarchy for your design. When an element is displayed at a relatively larger scale than the other elements in a composition, our eyes are naturally drawn to it. 

Scale in Action:

To create a sense of drama and importance, New York-based graphic designer  Aurelio Sánchez Escudero  uses a high-contrast scale between elements in these promotional materials for San Francisco's Social Innovation Week. 

Shapes: they're not just for preschoolers! A shape can be loosely explained as anything defined by boundaries. There are two categories of shapes to consider: Geometric shapes , which are defined by perfect, uniform proportions (such as a circle, square, triangle), and organic shapes , which have less well-defined edges, free-flowing proportions, and essentially no rules (such as wiggly, blob-like things that don't fit into any real category). 

When working on a design, consider both the shapes you're deliberately incorporating (the positive shapes), and  the shapes naturally formed around those shapes (the negative shapes).

Perhaps the most famous example illustrating the distinction of positive and negative shapes is Rubin's vase . Developed in 1915 Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin , this now-ubiquitous optical illusion shows two completely different images when the negative shapes are viewed vs. when the positive shapes are viewed.

Learn more about how our brains view shapes and make sense of design in the video below:

Shape in Action:

The humble circle has always been a popular, trusty way to display information in a clean, unified composition. Sydney-based  Made Somewhere  developed this simple, modern logo for Hidden Gems of Sydney, a blog focused on highlighting local attractions in the area. 

5) Alignment

Think of alignment like an invisible axis that runs between elements, connecting them visually either by their edges or centers (see the image below).

Alignment most frequently comes up in design discussions about text and typography, but it's equally important to consider the alignment of non-text elements when building a balanced, orderly composition. 

The example above illustrates uniform edge and center alignment -- but that doesn't mean all the elements in your composition always have to follow a single pattern of alignment. In the image below, you can see the elements are aligned by their edges, but not united by a single axis.

Alignment in Action:

Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers  designed this minimal book cover for Chasing the Sky , a book that honors the careers of influential female architects. The title typography is aligned around a geometric shape.

6) Contrast

Contrast refers to the juxtaposition of elements that strongly differ (big vs. small, light vs. dark, etc.) to create visual interest or draw attention to particular elements. 

Without contrast, our designs aren't just lackluster and boring to look at, they're also difficult to understand. A lack of contrast is often what separates mediocre design work from designs that look professional, polished, and clear. 

Take the images below for example -- in the picture on the left, there isn't adequate contrast between the background photo of the man working at a desk and the white text. It's not so easy on the eyes, and the message is difficult to comprehend. In the image on the right, the background has been darkened to create more contrast, making the text way easier to read. 

Contrast in Action:

The team at Barcelona-based  toormix  expertly plays with varying contrasts in this poster design for Barcelona Design Week 2016. 

Space is exactly what it sounds like: the empty areas between elements in your design. When it comes to creating professional-looking designs on your own, sometimes what you don't include is just as important as what you do. 

When working on a design, consider not only the elements you're including (such as images and text) but how they're arranged and grouped in the composition. It can be tempting to fill every inch of your digital canvas with something, but try to give your elements some room to breathe. 

In the example below, you can see how changing the space and grouping of the elements creates a completely different feeling in the composition. On the left, the uniform space between the elements creates a sense of order and security. On the right, the varying spaces between the elements convey a sense of disorder and confusion.

Space in Action:

In this poster from designer  Jonathan Lawrence , the text "March Madness" is displayed with unconventional spacing, adding some unexpected visual interest to an otherwise minimal design. 

How do you make your designs look professional on a limited budget? Let us know in the comments.

Don't forget to share this post!

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The 7 Fundamental Graphic Design Elements & Principles

The 7 Fundamental Graphic Design Elements & Principles

When it comes to graphic design, most of us focus on what's easy to get right: colours, fonts and images. But if you look deeper, you'll realise some basic principles apply across all types of designs.

The reason why graphic designers can turn a seemingly dull project into an interesting one is that they understand and apply graphic design elements. Every time you look at a logo, a poster, a flyer, or anything that uses visual media , you see the results of a specific set of rules and principles. The goal of any graphic designer is to make these principles come to life visually. If you want to learn how to be a great graphic designer, there are some fundamental elements and principles that you should understand.

In this article, I will cover the essential graphic design elements, including the seven fundamental principles of graphic design to live by when designing anything.

Table of Contents

The 7 Graphic Design Elements

A line can be used as a structure to organise and present information, define shapes, and convey emotions. It can also represent the motion of things, including people and animals.

For example, the line can serve as a structure for information. You can use lines to create the path of movements, such as a train or a player's path during a basketball game.

A line can also indicate a physical boundary or separation. For example, the line can show where two objects separate or a person can be divided into two distinct parts, such as left and right.

There are many reasons why the lines you use on your projects can affect the outcome of your design. For instance, the type of lines you choose for a project will determine if it will work well for the viewer and the viewer's perception of the project. Horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines are the primary lines most often used.

Horizontal lines are straightforward to comprehend and can be applied to any shape. Vertical lines are also simple and straight. However, they may not have as much impact on the viewer as horizontal lines. Diagonal lines are harder to grasp. You can use them to convey a wide range of ideas. It's up to the artist to decide which line will best convey the concept they wish to convey.

Other lines include solid, broken, zigzag, and implied. Solid lines represent the exact form of the object being depicted. Broken lines break the object down into its constituent parts. Zigzag lines are curved and imply movement. Finally, implied lines show the lines that are implied or exist in a drawn shape.

As lines can be both visible and invisible, you can use them in both ways. You can use these guidelines to design the best-looking pattern. You create a solid and cohesive visual impact by placing elements over lines. Meanwhile, you can use visible lines with weight and form to communicate various messages and moods in a designer's final work.

It's important to remember that the lines you see around you don't exist in a vacuum. Lines are everywhere in your life, so it's important to note them.

To begin with, start by noticing the lines around you. Are they heavy, thick, straight, or do they appear jagged? Look at your body language, and see if you can figure out what the lines tell you. It's also a good idea to notice how lines affect your mood.

The simple line is the basic building block for almost all designs. It is a powerful tool that can help designers create a strong visual impression in many different ways. It is instrumental in communication design, where it helps to build tension, drama, and excitement.

When designing for the web, the simple line can help designers create a strong visual impression and add a punch to the design. We can use the simplicity of the line to emphasise the message.

In addition, the simple line can help designers create strong contrast in the way it can help the designer draw attention to elements of the page. Simple lines can also help designers create open and free-flowing space, making the design easier to read and navigate.

Simple lines can also help designers create depth and dimension, helping the viewer understand the overall design better. You can also use it to help define areas within a design so that viewers know where to focus their attention.

You can combine a simple line with other design techniques to make an even stronger impression. A simple line combined with a subtle texture can help create a sense of movement.

Colour theory can be a valuable tool for graphic designers who want to select a single colour or harmoniously combine multiple colours.

The Color Wheel is a group of hues that helps us categorise and understand all the different colours. This is especially helpful when we are designing a logo . We can quickly determine which colour category a colour belongs to and decide on what kind of message it will best convey.

Sometimes people try to create a certain mood or style through colour, which can look great when done correctly but also look terrible. If we choose the wrong colour combinations for our logo , it will look unprofessional.

A Color Wheel is a circle divided into 12 sections. Each section represents a colour, while the numbers indicate the level of the hue. So the colour red is on the first section, orange is on the second section, yellow is on the third section, etc.

Some people use the Pantone colour wheel, while others prefer the RGB (Red, Green and Blue) colour wheel. The best way to find out which is best for you is to compare them.

• Primary Colours:  The primary colours are red, yellow, and blue. They are the primary pigments—those used to make all other colours. To make other colours, you can mix them.
• Secondary Colours:  Secondary colours are formed by combining two primary colours. For example, violet is a mixture of red and blue; green is a mixture of yellow and blue, and orange is a mixture of red and yellow.
• Tertiary Colours:  Tertiary colours are a group of colours formed by mixing the primary colour (red, yellow, blue or green) with the secondary colour (such as orange, purple or yellow). Tertiary colours are often used to describe the hues of the rainbow. Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet are the six hues in this group. Red is the primary colour, orange is the secondary colour, and the rest are the tertiaries.

There is no absolute ‘perfect' harmony as every combination is different, and so will be the outcome. As with any combination of colours, the outcome of a combination will depend on the amount of each colour, the intensity of each colour, and the contrast between the two.

For example, a purple and orange combination could be beautiful. However, if the purple is too bright and the orange is too dark, it may not work well.

The same principle applies to colours in art and fashion. Combinations that work well in one environment may look awful in another.

• Opposites attract, so complementary colours lie opposite one another on the colour wheel. These colours are very contrasting and can express vibrancy and energy or be visually jarring, depending on their use.
• Choosing colours close to each other on the colour wheel is good practice. This can help create a sense of calm and harmony within a design, but it can also be dull and uninspiring if misused.
• The best way to add interest to a design is to introduce different colours that contrast with each other. For example, you can create a striking design by combining red with orange, blue with green, or yellow with purple.
• The Triad colour scheme is one of web and print design's most popular colour schemes. It's a vibrant and dynamic way to use colour in the design. This is because the colours are evenly spaced around the colour wheel. They are very lively and require balance to be visually pleasing.
• Split-complementary colour schemes are similar to monochromatic, except they include two additional colours that are complementary to the primary colour. As such, they provide more visual contrast than monochromatic colour schemes. They're also considered to be more visually appealing.
• The tetradic scheme is a square colour scheme that uses two sets of complementary colours. There are more than a few reasons why this is the case. First, the scheme allows for an extensive range of design possibilities. Second, the scheme uses two different colours, which means that the designer can create a colour scheme that is unique from others in the market. Finally, the scheme utilises four colours, giving the designer abundant colour choices .

If you consider your colour scheme, you might also want to consider what colours work best for your project. Darker shades may suggest seriousness or professionalism, but lighter colours may suggest happiness or fun.

The colours you use in your communications directly impact your results. That's why it's important to know what your audience associates with each colour .

For example, if you're writing a letter to a customer, you may want to use light blue ink to match your customer's company logo . If you're sending out a newsletter to a specific demographic, you may want to use a red font and yellow/orange colour palette .

Similarly, if you're sending out a press release, you might want to choose a green background and a bright orange headline. Or, if you're sending a business proposal to a potential investor, you might want to use a black background with a light blue font.

You should also consider your audience when choosing your design. Does your brand have a distinct visual identity? Is your audience familiar with your logo?

You must also learn your audience's colour associations and use them to your advantage or avoid them if your goal is to achieve a particular result.

As a graphic designer, you must create something to capture your audience's attention. A good photograph or illustration can do just that. They provide a background for the design and add necessary drama or action.

The way that the graphic designer works on multiple levels is that they provide a framework for the designer to communicate. That means that when the audience looks at the image, they understand what the design is about and the purpose.

You also need to consider the mood that you want to convey. That may be different from the subject or theme of the design. Sometimes, the mood that the design is trying to create is essential.

In a sense, the graphic designer is working on three levels simultaneously:

• They need to tell the story.
• They need to make sure that the story is visually compelling.
• They need to ensure that it doesn't lose the audience.

An image is a powerful tool in all types of communication. Whether trying to persuade others or want to communicate a message to the masses, images can be a powerful way to get your point across.

Images can be created using many different mediums. From photography to painting, to graphic design, to animation, to printmaking, to sculpture, there are many different ways to convey your message through images. The trick to using images effectively is picking the right one for the purpose.

They are the most powerful communication vehicles because they communicate an immense amount in a fraction of a second. Using them well will make your work more effective than ever imagined.

A graphic designer must be able to understand both organic and geometric shapes. They should be able to draw and design both in a transparent manner. A designer also needs to have a thorough understanding of the structure of the human figure. This is essential to drawing the proper proportions.

You need to be able to create an exciting composition that tells a story through the use of lines. In addition, you also need to be able to compose shapes and create interesting compositions of objects.

• Some geometric shapes can include either two-dimensional or three-dimensional forms. They are created by a set of points that connect straight or curved lines and are usually abstract and simplistic.
• Geometric shapes include triangles, pyramids, squares, cubes, rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, decagons, circles, ellipses and spheres.
• The most notable feature of organic shapes is that they vary considerably in size and proportion. For example, leaves can range from a tiny fraction of an inch wide to several feet long, while crystals and vines are much larger than most organic shapes. The shapes are symmetrical or asymmetrical and include natural forms such as leaves, crystals, and vines or abstract forms such as blobs and squiggles.

While many associate circles with happiness, community, love, friendship, and harmony, squares and rectangles suggest stability, dependability, and strength. People also use triangles to indicate stability, dependability, and organisation. Others use triangles to represent chaos, creation, and fun. If you pick a particular set of shapes, you can imply stability, dependability, and order. Choose others, and you can imply chaos, creation, and fun.

By Gestalt psychology, considered a prevailing design theory, audiences form an impression of designs by looking at them as a whole rather than by analysing each element individually. For example, if a design is made of unusual shapes, such as a triangle with rounded edges, it will stand out in people's minds. So when designing a website or a logo, you should be aware of the psychological principles behind the design and try to incorporate them into your work.

The texture is the feel of a surface—furry, smooth, rough, soft, gooey or glossy. It's crucial for visual designers who must visually convey texture by using illusions to suggest how their work might feel if viewers could touch it. It's essential to ensure that the textures you create look like they belong in the real world, not in a virtual one.

The natural world often inspires texture, but it doesn't always mean that you must look for something that resembles nature. In some cases, you may be inspired by manufactured textures. There are many different sources of inspiration for textures, and it may not always mean looking to nature.

Combining two-dimensional elements into one is a great way to create an abstract pattern. Using this technique, you can repeat uniform elements to create a two-dimensional pattern. Use the pattern to design a background for your images, and they'll pop off the page.

You can also combine patterns to create an abstract graphic. To do this, uniformly repeat the same element repeatedly, then use those patterns to design the background for your images. This will provide additional visual interest to your text and make your images stand out.

Nothing like a little textural contrast adds interest to a photo. This is where adjustments to your photo's colour saturation and transparency levels can help. If you're looking for something to bring texture to a layout, consider playing with your photo's colour saturation and transparency settings.

A lack of space can have an impact on the impact of the design and the message you're trying to convey. Identifying essential information or messages within the design can make it difficult. It can also reduce the impact of the design and make it harder for the viewer to absorb.

If too much visual information is crammed into a design, it can also be challenging to see the overall picture. And if there's not enough space to give the viewer the breathing room they need to absorb the content, the design can feel like it lacks clarity and organisation.

We can use spacing to indicate the relationship between two visual elements. Narrow spacing between two visual elements is usually used to show that they are closely linked, while broader spacing indicates that they are less related. Surrounding a visual element with space suggests that it is crucial, but the space can also suggest loneliness and isolation.

While designers focus solely on creating a positive space, they forget the importance of negative space. However, the inclusion of negative space is equally important to a well-designed project. You'll notice the difference if you consider how negative space affects a design.

If you're working on a website, you want to ensure that your content is readable. Use large text and avoid using too many colours or too much detail. Your type will be much easier to read if you keep the line height consistent throughout your text.

You can choose fonts and typefaces for a variety of reasons. Some fonts have a historical connection to certain events or places, while others have a specific emotional or cultural association. Choosing a font that reflects the mood and style of your piece can help bring your design together and establish a cohesive, unified tone.

The weight of your letters is just as important as their typography. They should reflect the importance of the words they convey. However, too much weight can cause them to look clumsy and fragile. Thin letters can convey elegance or modernity, but they can also seem fragile. If you can't decide on one font or size, there may be room for you to include more than three in your logo's final design. However, remember that it's best not to go beyond three in any project.

The 7 Principles Of Graphic Design

The weight of the elements on a page can be increased by using the element's colour, size, or texture. Colour is often used to make a particular element stand out. For example, the font of the text could be made larger to emphasise a particular word. You can also add colour to make an element stand out.

The size of a particular element can also affect the way it affects the reader. For instance, adding a larger font can emphasise a particular word. However, a word that is too large can be distracting. You can also use an element's texture to highlight one element over another. For instance, adding a patterned paper can give a page a more exciting look.

The term “symmetrical” comes from the Latin meaning “of equal weight”, while “asymmetry” is a result of imbalance. While symmetry is the norm for the human body and a good thing to strive for, asymmetry is also part of the natural world. Both plants and animals tend to grow and develop symmetrically. For example, the legs of a spider have always positioned the same way (or at least the majority of them), and both sides of a caterpillar are always equal.

When designing a piece of art, however, there is a difference between the two kinds of symmetry. In art, symmetry is a deliberate decision. Artists and designers are very particular about their choices and which elements they place on the page or screen. The human body doesn't work in this way. We all walk around with an innate sense of balance that makes us naturally symmetrical.

Symmetrical design is a design style that features a consistent balance of elements. It's a design that has no solid focal point. On the other hand, asymmetrical design is a more expressive design style. Asymmetrical designs are bolder and visually attractive.

Unity & Harmony

Harmony is the balance of the elements that make up a design. When these elements combine harmoniously, the composition will have an overall balance. Using similar colours that match and integrate elements organically creates a sense of unity, making the page appear as if it was created together.

Visual design is about achieving unity. Keeping things neat and organised is essential because otherwise, you risk creating an uninteresting design. You want to avoid creating designs that are too uniform. At the same time, you should use other elements to give the design personality, movement, and depth.

The layout design should help the viewer get a clear message. But your layout will feel cluttered and disjointed when it isn't cohesive. This will cause viewers to focus on the wrong element. A good rule of thumb is to place an element in the design only if it helps enhance the message. Think about what element is adding value to the composition.

The concept of hierarchy is not as simple as it might appear. It seems to imply the organisation of physical objects, but as we look at it, we discover that it is also a way of structuring our ideas and relationships. When we use the word “hierarchy”, we describe the relationship between two elements, or “levels”.

A hierarchy is a set of rules for organising information to guide a viewer through a page or a website. It can be used to organise a page's content and to create a user experience that guides the eye in a specific direction.

Hierarchy is usually applied to a page's layout. It is a way to arrange elements on a page to relate to each other. You can use it to guide the eye and help the viewer understand where to go next.

Scale & Proportion

You need to pay attention to the size of the fonts and typefaces you use in your design. It must be in proportion with the rest of the design to look good in context. A design with highlighted vital elements, including the most critical points, will be better received. But don't make them so big that they overwhelm everything else.

You've got to catch the viewer's attention before you start to provide the information. Once you've accomplished that, it's time to start filtering in the details. But just because something is relevant to the message doesn't mean it has to be shown in its entirety. You won't overwhelm the viewer by keeping the details proportionate to the rest of the piece.

Dominance & Emphasis

Dominance is a powerful way to emphasise and draw attention to the main element in your design. It's the main idea in the design. When we see something with dominance, we think about it immediately and subconsciously.

We want to create dominance when designing a page by emphasising one or more specific design elements. Dominance will lead the viewer to other parts of the page.

For example, if you have a photo as your dominant element, it will be where the viewer looks first, and most of the rest of the page is secondary.

When planning your design, try to identify your dominant element and then plan the rest of the page around that.

Each design should have a primary focus. This is often the place where the design will begin. From this point, you can add elements to the design that serve as secondary or even tertiary focus.

Dominance relies on contrast. It's an extreme contrast. Without it, everything would be the same.

Similarity & Contrast

Similarity and contrast are tools designers use to attract viewers and shape how they perceive the design. When artists use similar colours, shapes, and sizes of objects, it suggests they are alike. Contrasting elements spark interest and, perhaps, excite you. You'll want to use these two tools to create a piece of art.

Their physical connection can show the visual similarity between two elements. If two objects are connected, then they should look similar. Otherwise, if they are not connected, they should look different.

The Similarity Principle states that we perceive the world in terms of its similarities and differences. This is why we see objects and people as groups of similar elements.

The Similarity Principle is essential in how we see and process information. We also tend to group and organise things based on the similarity principle. In other words, we see patterns and trends in our environment, not necessarily because they are the most common, but because they are the closest to being similar to what we already know.

White Space

Because negative space is the only element of design that deals with what you don't add, white space is the only element that deals with what you don't add. This means that white space is the place where you can put things that don't belong in your composition. This can sometimes be an unsafe zone for beginning designers .

Sometimes simply giving a composition more room to breathe will help it improve.

White space doesn't just sit around doing nothing—it's telling us that something is essential enough to warrant being separated from other things. Our brains naturally associate plenty of white space around an object with importance and luxury. This tells our eyes that objects in one section are distinguished from elsewhere.

Graphic design is an art form that takes a lot of practice and study. Just like painting, drawing, sculpting and other creative arts, graphic design has a set of fundamental elements you need to master to produce a professional result. Some basic principles are as old as history, and others are relatively new. Some of these universal principles while others are more specific to certain professions.

It may sound complicated, but these graphic design elements and principles are simple and common sense. You should try them out in your next project.

Stuart Crawford

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