How to download Alamy photos without a watermark

Alamy has an enormous collection of 355 million stock images, but there’s only one way of downloading them without a watermark that doesn’t get you in trouble.

If you’re looking for high-quality, professional photos without any watermarks, Alamy is not a great option. It is expensive, but it has a large library of stock photos, illustrations, and vectors. Here’s a quick guide on downloading pictures from Alamy without a watermark.

The risks of illegally downloading Alamy photos

Alamy, a reputable stock photo website, offers high-quality images for purchase. However, some users may attempt to obtain these images for free, which is both illegal and unethical. Here are four key reasons why you should avoid downloading Alamy photos without a proper license:

1. Legal consequences: Illegally downloading Alamy photos infringes on copyright laws and can lead to severe penalties in most countries, including the US. Consequences range from monetary fines to imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the violation. Courts may also order the infringing party to compensate the copyright holder for any losses incurred, in addition to other penalties imposed.
2. Unfair to creators: Stock photo creators invest considerable time and effort in producing high-quality images. When you purchase a stock photo, the creator receives a portion of the revenue, ensuring they are fairly compensated for their work. Illegally downloading images without compensating the creator is unjust and exploitative.
3. Risk of computer viruses: Using illegal Alamy downloaders to obtain stock images can expose your computer to malware, as these tools often originate from untrustworthy sources. The risk of infection could lead to severe consequences for your device and personal data.
4. Low-quality images: Illegal downloaders typically remove watermarks from low-resolution preview images, meaning that the best you can obtain is usually no larger than 1,000 pixels in width. As a result, these images are often pixelated and unsuitable for printing. Vectors pose an even greater challenge, as previews are in raster formats, rendering them unattainable through this method.

Sources

1. Copyright law of the United States. (2022, November 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_States
2. Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17). Copyright.gov. Access on November 15, 2022.