I just moved into a new apartment, and I’d like to hang a few picture. There’s one spot that’s just perfect for three pictures hanging in a row. I’ve got the frames, I can do the matting, and I know what I want pictures of. I just don’t have the actual pictures. I’ve found some good sites online where I think I can find some prints that will be just what I want, but they’re not always the right size. Are there any legal or ethical considerations for resizing and cropping other people’s photographs, and are there studios that will handle this sort of work?
Yes there is a consideration. You cannot make copies of copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright holder. An ethical printer will not do this kind of work.
Yes, but I’m finding a few prints online with no artist (or “Unknown”) listed. If I can document that something is not under copyright, is it possible?
And for copyrighted images, do the photographers (or whoever sells their work) ever do custom sizes?
Yes, but then you’re moving from mass-market print to collectible print, and the price will go up 10x-100x. It will be much nicer than the cheap version though.
Once I get an idea about how I want to do something, I can be extremely stubborn about it. But just how much money are we talking about here?
Anyone know about my other option, getting public domain images in a specific size?
And thanks to Padeye and SmackFu for the advice so far.
As has been mentioned, you can’t resize. However, you’re obviously not restricted from cropping art.
If you could demonstrate that whatever image was not under copyright (you’d pretty much have to show that it had been purposely released into the public domain or was too old to be copyright protected, you could do it.
Also, if you don’t have specific pictures in mind, check out Creative Commons. With some restrictions, all the work up there is licensed for copying like you want. I imagine Kinko’s would be happy to make you a poster if you got a high-quality enough image for them.
What is the time limit on copyrights? I’m looking for black-and-whites from the '30s; the Chrysler Building, an Auto Union or Mercedes Formula One car, things like that. And if I can find a good source, I’ll probably have to reduce the size. I only need 8 x 10.
There’s a couple picture at Creative Commons that might work. Thanks for the link, walrus.
Currently, works from prior to 1923 and some more recent works are in the public domain in the US. Other countries have their own laws. Almost all of them comply with the Berne Convention. See a nice table with info on US copyright dates.
Obviously, each year, that date will move forward until it is changed by another law. By the Mickey Mouse Rule of Copyright (which states that Mickey Mouse shall never fall into the public domain), this should happen sometime in the next 5 years.