Bright, bold, colorful, eye-catching images. Pictures that stop traffic — internet traffic. We see them every day and everywhere we go online. We notice them and, more importantly, we click on them.

明亮，大胆，色彩鲜艳，醒目的图像。 阻止流量的图片-互联网流量。 我们每天都在网上看到他们。 我们注意到它们，更重要的是，我们单击它们。

为什么，为什么？ (Why, Oh Why?)

You’ve slaved away over your keyboard for nearly a day creating a masterpiece. You’ve edited, proofread until your eyeballs bled, and now you need an image. Two minutes later you’ve inserted it and hit pub…whoa there!

您已经用键盘奴隶了将近一天的时间，以制作出杰作。 您已经编辑，校对，直到眼球流血，现在您需要一张图像。 两分钟后，您将其插入并点击了pub…哇！

The image for your piece deserves a little more attention than two minutes. I know you know this. We’ve all seen the articles reinforcing this, and yet, sadly, time and time again, we pick a sucky, bland, nondescript picture. I know because I do it too.

比起两分钟，您的作品图像应引起更多注意。 我知道你知道这一点。 我们都看到了加强这一点的文章，但可悲的是，一次又一次地，我们选择了一张令人毛骨悚然，平淡无奇的图片。 我知道，因为我也这样做。

Why? Well, there are a number of reasons and I’m going to examine these and offer solutions along with examples of what works and what doesn’t. We’re going to look at:

为什么？ 好吧，有很多原因，我将研究这些原因，并提供解决方案以及有效和无效的示例。 我们来看看：

• Color.颜色。
• Composition.组成。
• Context (how the image relates to your piece).上下文(图像与作品之间的关系)。
• Science. Sorry, I know it’s boring, but sometimes it does have something constructive to add to the creative process.科学。 抱歉，我知道这很无聊，但有时确实可以为创作过程添加一些建设性的内容。
• Motivation (yours and mine).动机(您和我的)。
• Royalty-Free Image sites.免版税的图片网站。

I’m going to start with composition because this is probably the biggest mistake we make when selecting images.

我将从构图开始，因为这可能是我们选择图像时遇到的最大错误。

组成：保持简单 (Composition: Keep it simple)

Take a lesson from the world of logo design: Less is better. Always. Keep it simple and clean — here’s why.

从徽标设计领域汲取教训：少即是好。 总是。 保持简单和干净-这就是原因。

Big complex pictures that fill your screen may look amazing at high resolutions. Filled with detail and nuance, they wow us and move us. But reduce this image to the size of a matchbook, or smaller depending on the device, and you’re left with a meaningless jumble of colors and lines.

充满您的屏幕的大型复杂图片在高分辨率下看起来可能很棒。 他们充满了细节和细微差别，让我们感动并感动我们。 但是将此图像缩小到火柴盒的大小，或者根据设备的不同而减小，您将留下毫无意义的颜色和线条混乱。

That’s why brands keep their logos simple. They need to be clear and discernible at any size — big or small. Your complex picture, that looked stunning at high resolution, doesn’t work in thumbnail size. Don’t even try.

这就是品牌保持徽标简单的原因。 无论大小，它们都必须清晰可见。 您的复杂图片在高分辨率下看起来令人惊叹，但无法以缩略图大小显示。 甚至不要尝试。

Simple images like the one below work. Bright, bold and eye-catching.

像下面这样的简单图像可以工作。 明亮，大胆且引人注目。

The next example image doesn’t work — it’s far too complex and the colors are dull. To show you I’ve reduced both images and put them side by side. Tell me which you think will catch a reader's eye.

下一个示例图像不起作用-太复杂了，颜色暗淡了。 为了演示，我缩小了两个图像并将它们并排放置。 告诉我您认为哪一种会引起读者的注意。

Note I’ve used both these images before in articles and the size they’re reduced to is typical of online thumbnails used in publications and blogging sites. That’s the sizeof image readers see when they’re deciding which article to choose.

请注意，我之前在文章中都使用过这些图像，并且它们减小到的大小是出版物和博客网站中使用的在线缩略图的典型代表。 这就是图像阅读器在决定选择哪篇文章时看到的大小。

The two images reduced and viewed together:

这两个图像缩小并一起查看：

Your eyes went straight for the blue, didn’t they? The blue fills a lot of the image and is only broken by one other color. It’s simple, bold, and eye-catching. Notice the other image has blurred into a meaningless block that we ignore when we’re scanning quickly.

你的眼睛直视着蓝色，不是吗？ 蓝色填充了很多图像，并且仅被另一种颜色破坏了。 它简单，大胆且引人注目。 请注意，另一张图像已模糊成无意义的块，当我们快速扫描时我们将其忽略。

Here’s another example of how we waste prime advertising space by using complex images and bland colors.

这是我们如何通过使用复杂的图像和淡淡的颜色浪费主要广告空间的另一个示例。

This image was taken from the front page of Medium, where articles have to compete with thousands of new entries on a daily basis. The images on the right of the articles are dull and will never catch the eye of a reader. The writers have lost a golden opportunity.

这张图片取自Medium的首页 ，其中的文章每天必须与成千上万的新条目竞争。 文章右边的图像很暗淡，永远不会引起读者的注意。 作家们失去了千载难逢的机会。

Keep it simple. Pick bright colors and keep to a minimum mix of two if you can to emphasize the contrast. Choose colors that contrast well and compliment each other. Even a simple bold black and white image can be arresting, because the brain is able to make sense of it even while in scanning mode.

把事情简单化。 如果可以强调对比度，则选择鲜艳的颜色并至少混合使用两种颜色。 选择对比鲜明并相互补充的颜色。 即使是简单的黑白大胆图像也可能会停滞不前，因为即使在扫描模式下，大脑也能理解它。

语境 (Context)

Context is not as important as you might imagine, within reason. If your article is about chicken farming, putting a photo of a cow on the piece is a little misleading, even if there’s a chicken in the distant background.

在合理范围内，上下文并不像您想象的那么重要。 如果您的文章是关于养鸡的，那么即使在遥远的背景中有一只鸡，在牛身上贴一张牛的照片也会让人产生误解。

You’re an author for heaven sakes! Be a little creative and this leeway will allow you to find something that really shouts and works with your piece. How about this image for your piece on chicken farming?

你是天堂的作家！ 有一点创意，这个回旋余地将使您找到真正喊叫和与作品搭配的东西。 这张关于养鸡业的图片怎么样？

动机 (Motivation)

Why do we continuously (me included) give up after a few minutes of searching and pick what is usually a terrible image?

为什么我们经过几分钟的搜索就不断放弃(包括我在内)并选择通常可怕的图像？

There are a few reasons including

有几个原因，包括

• Laziness懒惰
• Royalty-Free images are not always brilliant.免版税的图像并不总是很出色。
• Time. Not many of us have it to waste.时间。 我们当中没有多少人会浪费它。

Let’s address those issues.

让我们解决这些问题。

懒惰 (Laziness)

Guilty as charged. We’re only human and we naturally gravitate towards the easy thing. In most instances, image selection included, the easy thing is not the right thing.

被控有罪。 我们只是人类，我们自然会倾向于简单的事情。 在大多数情况下，包括图像选择在内，简单的事情不是正确的事情。

There’s no easy way around this other than making the task as simple as possible. I’ll look at that below.

除了使任务尽可能简单之外，没有其他简便的方法。 我会在下面看。

免费使用：免版税 (Free to use: royalty-free)

The problem is right there in the description. While lots of these images are really good, if they were brilliant they’d be behind Getty’s paywall (and if our writing was better, we’d be working for the NYT and not reading this article!) Neither statement is true and you’re just going to have to expand your search sources for free images.

问题就在描述中。 尽管这些图像中的许多图像确实非常好，但是如果它们非常出色，它们将在Getty的酬劳背后(如果我们的写作更好，我们将在NYT工作，而不阅读本文！)两种说法都不对，您会只需要扩大搜索范围以获取免费图像。

时间 (Time)

Finding a really good image on these free sites can be time-consuming. I don’t recommend using a blogging platform’s inbuilt image search. It’s very limiting and will result in the bland images we’ve seen above or you’ll be using the same image as fifty other people.

在这些免费站点上找到真正好的图像可能很耗时。 我不建议使用博客平台的内置图像搜索。 这是非常有限的，会导致我们在上面看到过平淡无奇的图像，否则您将使用与其他五十个人相同的图像。

Do your searches manually. I know, that’s even more time-consuming if you’re not properly prepared. So, here’s what you need to do.

手动进行搜索。 我知道，如果准备不充分，那会更加耗时。 因此，这是您需要做的。

At the end of this article, you’ll find a list of royalty-free image sites that only require attribution below the image. The generally accepted norm for attribution is as follows:

在本文的结尾，您将找到仅需在图片下方注明出处的免版税图片网站的列表。 公认的归因规范如下：

Image/Photographer Name/Website or Source

图像/摄影师名称/网站或来源

look at the images used in this article to see how this looks in practice.

查看本文中使用的图像，以了解实际情况。

Open the provided website links one at a time and bookmark them. Add the bookmarks to a folder as this will speed up your search time. Another hugely helpful thing to do is to save images you come across during searches that catch your eye.

一次打开提供的网站链接，并将其添加为书签。 将书签添加到文件夹中，因为这样可以加快搜索时间。 另一个非常有用的操作是保存在搜索中引起您注意的图像。

Just save them into a folder for later. Don’t bother about attribution at this stage. When the time comes, open Google and type “search by image.”

只需将它们保存到文件夹中以备后用。 在此阶段不要担心归因。 时间到了，请打开Goog​​le并输入“按图片搜索”。

Google lets you upload the image and will then instantly produce the site and page it’s on. Open the page and add the attribution details to your article.

Google允许您上传图像，然后立即生成该网站及其所在的页面。 打开页面，然后将归因详细信息添加到您的文章中。

A final thought on this process: You can choose to spend time finding the right image that will help your piece or you can waste your entire effort by handicapping your article with a terrible image. The choice is yours.

关于此过程的最终思考：您可以选择花时间寻找对您的作品有帮助的正确图像，或者您可以通过用可怕的图像遮盖文章来浪费您的全部精力。 这是你的选择。

颜色及其背后的科学 (Color and the Science Behind It)

Does the color of your image affect its visibility? The obvious answer to this is “yes”. A photo of a white page is not going to show up against a white background, is it? A bright pink page, on the other hand, is definitely going to show up. To what extent does color matter? Can using color correctly give you an edge?

图像的颜色会影响其可见性吗？ 对此的明显答案是“是”。 白页的照片不会出现在白色背景下，是吗？ 另一方面，明亮的粉红色页面肯定会出现。 颜色在多大程度上重要？ 可以正确使用颜色给您优势吗？

Here are two infographics showing a survey conducted to determine people’s favorite and least favorite colors. Blue wins hands-down.

这是两个图表，显示了为确定人们最喜欢和最不喜欢的颜色而进行的一项调查。 蓝色胜出。

In terms of online advertising is yellow better than green? What about blue? We’re going to assess colors based on the following criteria and I will only look at the most important colors:

在网络广告方面，黄色胜于绿色？ 那蓝色呢？ 我们将根据以下标准评估颜色，而我只会研究最重要的颜色：

• Visibility on screens屏幕上的可见性
• Advertisers favorites广告商的最爱
• Applicability (some colors are just better suited to a subject)适用性(某些颜色刚好适合主题)
• Emotive reactions情绪React

1号：黄色 (No 1: Yellow)

First place by a country mile. Yellow is the most visible of all the colors and the blogger's best friend. It is the first color that the human eye notices. Use it to draw attention. There’s a reason this color features on road signs, warning signs, Postit Notes, and flowers.

全国英里排名第一。 黄色是所有颜色中最明显的颜色，也是博主的最好的朋友。 这是人眼注意到的第一种颜色。 用它来引起注意。 这种颜色在道路标志，警告标志，便笺和花朵上具有特征是有原因的。

Combine it with high contrast backgrounds to increase the effect but don’t go overboard — a little goes a long way. Yellow evokes warm and sunny feelings, so use it for happy, fun pieces. It’s not so suitable for more serious pieces. For that, look to red…

将其与高对比度的背景结合使用可提高效果，但又不会太高-有点用处。 黄色唤起温暖和阳光的感觉，因此可以将其用于快乐，有趣的作品。 它不适用于更严肃的作品。 为此，请期待红色…

2号：红色 (No 2: Red)

Hot, dangerous, sometimes angry — red is a powerful color. It evokes images of wealth and power. It is associated with anger and powerful emotion. As with yellow use with a dash of a moderation. Too much red in an image is overpowering.

炽热，危险，有时会生气-红色是一种强烈的颜色。 它让人联想到财富和权力的图像。 它与愤怒和强烈的情感联系在一起。 与黄色一样使用，但要适度。 图像中的红色过多会导致过载。

It works especially well for more serious articles associated with power, aggression, and money.

对于与权力，侵略和金钱相关的更严肃的文章，它尤其适用。

3号：蓝色 (No 3: Blue)

We’ve all got our favorites and this is mine. It also happens to be the favorite color of the vast majority of us. Blue is soothing and tranquil but draws attention at the same time. As with the red and yellow, this color offers an excellent contrast to dark backgrounds.

我们都有我们的最爱，这是我的。 它也恰巧是我们绝大多数人最喜欢的颜色。 蓝色舒缓而宁静，但同时引起人们的注意。 与红色和黄色一样，此颜色与深色背景形成了极好的对比。

Blue is associated with trust, authority, and reliability. It is the color of the intellect and social media brands favor it. Use it for opinion pieces and guides or “how to” articles.

蓝色与信任，权威和可靠性相关联。 它是智力的色彩，而社交媒体品牌则青睐它。 用它来表达意见和指导或“如何”文章。

Blue encourages productivity and is used by Twitter, Facebook, and other social media companies for their logos.

蓝色可提高工作效率，Twitter，Facebook和其他社交媒体公司将其用作徽标。

4号：粉红色 (No 4: Pink)

Pink says feminine but don’t think this playful color is reserved for ladies only. Used on contrasting backgrounds it can be a real eye-catcher and when it leans into the neon shades it’s practically irresistible to the eye.

粉色代表女人味，但别以为这种俏皮的颜色只为女士们保留。 在对比鲜明的背景上使用时，它可能是真正的引人注目，当它倾斜到霓虹灯色时，几乎是眼睛无法抗拒的。

Use this for articles that are playful, fun and entertaining. If the article has a feminine slant, pink is your go-to color.

将此用于有趣，有趣和有趣的文章。 如果文章有女性味，则粉红色是您的首选颜色。

5号：绿色 (No 5: Green)

The eco-warrior. Peaceful, tranquil and soothing, green provides an eye-catcher that won’t overstimulate. Be wary of this color as it tends to get lost amongst its brighter cousins listed above.

生态战士。 和平，安宁和舒缓的绿色提供了醒目的效果，不会过度刺激。 警惕这种颜色，因为它往往会在上面列出的较亮的表亲中丢失。

Green is for growth. The association is obvious. Use this color for articles about health, growth and environmental issues. Green has another benefit. It’s one of the easiest colors for the human eye to process and it aids in concentration. Companies like Starbucks and Wholefoods use green for their logos.

绿色代表增长。 关联是显而易见的。 使用此颜色写有关健康，生长和环境问题的文章。 绿色还有另一个好处。 它是人眼最容易处理的颜色之一，并且有助于集中。 星巴克(Starbucks)和Wholefoods等公司的徽标使用绿色。

免费颜色 (Complimentary Colors)

Not sure which colors go together best. Don’t worry, our use of the color wheel helps determine this. If you don’t have one handy here’s an absolutely brilliant tool from Canva.

不知道哪种颜色搭配得最好。 不用担心，我们对色轮的使用有助于确定这一点。 如果您没有方便的工具，那么这是Canva提供的绝对出色的工具。

If this article has awoken the color beast in you and you want to find out more of the science and psychology behind colors, visit CoSchedule for a more detailed and in-depth look at color and marketing.

如果本文唤醒了您的色彩野兽，并且您想了解色彩背后的更多科学和心理学信息，请访问CoSchedule ，以更详细，更深入地了解色彩和市场营销。

关于霓虹灯的最终决定 (A Final Word on Neon)

Hell yes. There’s a reason businesses hang these signs outside — they work. Even someone who’s blind drunk at two in the morning can still find the next watering hole. Why? There’s a great big neon sign hung outside. Some of them even flash (for the really drunk).

当然好。 企业将这些标志悬挂在外面是有原因的-它们可以工作。 即使是凌晨两点盲喝的人，仍然可以找到下一个水坑。 为什么？ 外面挂着一个很大的霓虹灯招牌。 其中一些甚至闪烁(对于真正喝醉的人)。

Don’t be afraid of the neon signs. Embrace their bold and garish colors. There’s a time and place for them and you’ll know when they’re suitable.

不要害怕霓虹灯招牌。 拥抱他们大胆而华丽的色彩。 有一个适合他们的时间和地点，您会知道它们何时合适。

免版税图片网站 (Royalty-Free Images Sites)

An aggregator is a site that collects things from around the web and displays them under its own banner .Most of the royalty-free image sites are simply aggregators — you’ll see that their interfaces are strikingly similar.

聚合器是一个从网上收集事物并将其显示在自己的横幅下的站点。大多数免版税图像站点只是聚合器-您会看到它们的界面非常相似。

You’ll find content is duplicated and they even refer back to each other on occasion — visit Pexels and you’ll see images from Pixabay, for example. That doesn’t mean they don’t host different images, but there’s a lot of duplication.

您会发现内容重复，并且有时它们甚至还会相互引用-访问Pexels，例如，您会看到来自png的图像。 这并不意味着它们没有托管不同的映像，但是有很多重复项。

Here is a curated list that I use daily, presented in no particular order:

这是我每天使用的精选列表，没有特定顺序显示：

Pixabay

Pixabay

Pexels

像素

I’ve kept this one for last. It’s unique as it isn’t an aggregator. It has loads of original and unique images. Enjoy!

我把这一个留了下来。 它不是聚合器，因此非常独特。 它具有大量原始和独特的图像。 请享用！