Our imagery
Our brand uses a lot of photography. We have a rich archive of curated photos and videos on our new digital asset management system Canto which is available for all Queen Mary staff.
Finding and downloading images
You need to make sure you have the appropriate permissions before using an image or video. This includes permission of the copyright holder and, in some cases, the permission of anybody in the image (eg a signed consent form).
To ensure that you do not use any images or videos without the correct permissions, we ask that you download images from the below libraries.
Canto
Canto is Queen Mary's new digital asset management platform where you will be able to access curated photos and videos. Images on Canto are available for use by Queen Mary staff and our external partners, so you won’t need to get permission to use them.
Each image has a Digital Rights Management section where you’ll be able to find details such as the usage terms and copyright holder, so you can credit the image correctly if sharing externally.
Where in-house photography is not available, you are welcome to use stock photography, as long as it remains consistent with our aesthetic standards (see below).
iStock
The Content and Brand team has limited allowance to download stock images from iStock. If you would like to download an image from this platform, please send your request to content@qmul.ac.uk and we will assess whether we are able to download it for you.
Adobe Free Stock
Adobe Free Stock is a library containing lots of free stock images you can download without a credit limit.
Please check whether the images are AI generated before using them, and avoid them if so. You can exclude AI generated images by using the search filters.
Creating your own images
Photography Style
People
When featuring images of people, we prefer showcasing them actively involved in University life and avoid clearly posed, unnatural images. Please ensure you have the appropriate rights to use your chosen images.
Places
This imagery should reflect the openness, brightness and aspirational nature of our campuses and wider London areas.
Facilities
When showcasing our facilities, think about which aspects deserve to be highlighted; some spaces are best showcased in wide angle view, while others work best when we showcase them actively performing their purpose. People can appear in these shots, but should not be central to them.
Subjects
Imagery relating to specific research or study subjects should be relevant, accurate and fresh. We often use close-ups of equipment, laboratory/teaching spaces, or real-world applications of the subject in question.
Icon Style
Illustrated icons can be used to effectively contextualise and simplify our content. We have a suite of on-brand icons available for use across design materials. Our brand style for icons is clean and simple, with a single stroke at a consistent line weight. Icons can be used in either Dark Blue, Black or White to ensure contrast and accessibility on different background colours.
Our complete library of icons can be viewed and downloaded from Canto. If you need something that is not already featured in our library, get in touch with the Content and Brand team.
Illustration Style
Using illustrations can add a unique and memorable element to design materials. Illustrations can be used alone to represent topics or grouped together to make up a larger composition. Our illustration style builds off of our icon style and features simple shapes and clean lines.
Our current library of illustrations can be viewed and downloaded from Canto. If you need something that is not already featured in our library, get in touch with the Content and Brand team.
Additional information
If you are using images from external source or produced by an external supplier, it is important that you have clear permission of the copyright holder to use the image. Get in touch with the Content and Brand team if you are ever unsure.