Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
sort through over 150,000 different icons that are just waiting to be used on your next
project.
With icons and graphics ranging from 12 pixels to a whopping 512 pixels, this search
engine is almost guaranteed to have something that you can use to visually lift up any
project you are working on.
While the icons in this search engine are free to use, not all of the icons that are
available on commercial web sites (i.e., a site built for a for-profit group, versus a non-
profit) are free to use, so please make sure to read the licensing on any icon you find
that you might want to use. We've mentioned the Creative Commons license a few
times so far, so it makes sense to take a moment and consider it and other licenses.
First and foremost, you must remember that whoever originally designed a piece of
artwork (whether an icon, photo, etc…) retains copyright to that artwork. It's tempting to
think “Hey, it's on the Internet; it must be free.” However, that sort of thinking can
quickly land you in trouble if the owner finds out. Many artists and designers who do not
wish to create a unique license for their content decide to go with one of the Creative
their work to be used freely, with or without certain restrictions. You can't merely
assume that something licensed under Creative Commons is free to use—it may have a
restriction against commercial use (NC is the shorthand used by the Creative Commons
team), or it may require attribution in your app (crediting the icon or image to the owner,
BY is the shorthand used here). In addition, the owner may specify other options which
one should be aware of.
All in all, if you are unsure of whether you can use an icon, don't be afraid to reach out to
the author and ask. The worst that will happen is that they will just say no!
Figure 8-1.
Iconfinder search engine home page. Over 158,184 icons strong, and growing!
