Royalty free icons and stock images

An icon vector graphic is a type of image file graphic designers use when creating icons that need to scale to different sizes. Pixel-based icons and images use pixels (tiny digital dots) to create a mosaic that, when zoomed out appropriately, looks crisp and sharp. However, if you enlarge pixel-based images enough, the pixelated edges of the image will appear, and it will look out of focus. A vector graphic uses points connected by lines and curves. Because you could theoretically zoom these points out as large as you like, you'll never get a pixelated image because the lines and curves that connect them are flexible. Computer software will interpret the shapes necessary to connect scaled-up points and redesign the image at the correct size, so you could create a business card, a poster, or a billboard — all from the same file.

Primarily, we use icons to interact with digital platforms like smart phones, laptops, and tablets. Modern UX (user experience) design often involves actually touching the icons on a responsive screen, but we can also click on icons with a mouse or select them with a remote control. They stand in for an application or file that we want to use, like a medical app, a fitness tracker, or the different forms of input for a TV. We can also use icons to indicate behavior, like where to exit a building, where not to park a car, or how to navigate a website. Icons enable interactivity without requiring us to type tedious command-line instructions on a computer or selecting endless menu options with a remote control.

Logos are not inherently icons. Logos represent services or products, often by associating a brand with an otherwise-unassociated image. Logos stand in for the presence of a brand — they don't necessarily indicate a means of interacting with that brand. However, most logos include images or stylized letters that can become icons. When these images or letters become icons, they allow us to interact with the brand, like ordering products, using the brand's app, or entering relevant information like ongoing medical data. It makes sense for logos to appear in brands' icons because users won't have to remember two different images when they're thinking of the brand and how to interact with it. Once they recognize the logo, they can find the app easily on their devices.

The most popular icons based on our download data are phones, people, money, food, and calendars. These icons all represent some of the most common interactions in our daily lives, so it makes sense that many people would need these icons for different projects. Money and food are the staples of modern existence, and we need both to interact with people, which we need to track on our calendars. In fact, even though we all use different apps in our daily lives, we use many of the same types of apps, and these icon categories have come to represent these types, generally speaking. People icons for contacts, food icons for restaurants and grocery stores, phones for phones, and calendars for calendars.

Finding interesting icons is easy. First, you can simply scroll down to see our curated collection of icons stock photos and royalty free images. There, you'll find some of our favorite icon images from our global contributor network. If you need to find a more specific icon, enter your search query (or queries) in the white box labeled "Search for images" at the top of this page. Once you get your results, you can filter them with the options on the left side of the screen. By specifying things like orientation, image type, and color palette, you can narrow down the options you see. If you have an image already, and you'd like to find a similar one, simply click "Search by image" on the Shutterstock homepage. Upload your file when prompted, and the Shutterstock A.I. will return similar compositions from our library.