Free Vector Art for Graphic Designers

While web designers are sometimes artists, there are also many who are not and must use art elements to create the overall design aesthetic they want. Even if a designer is capable of creating art, using ready-made vectors can save a lot of time and effort in the overall design process. Free vector art is one solution to help you create amazing designs with minimal effort.

Fortunately, there are a number of places to gather these images without breaking the budget.

1. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is a good first stop when you just want to browse through a variety of different vector images. If you’re looking for inspiration for your design, this is the place to go. You can search by keyword, new images or category. For the free vector art, you can also browse through the featured art listed on the main page. You’ll find everything from save-the-date templates to beautiful butterflies, thought bubbles and icons.

2. All Silhouettes

Do you need a silhouette? All Silhouettes is a great place to browse for free vector art of silhouettes. The site boasts more than 15,000 free images. For example, you can find bicycle riders, elephants, spiders, people and even wind turbines. One of the great things about this site is that the silhouette themes are unique. You’ll even find silhouettes of donkeys.

3. Retro Vectors

Need a look that says yesteryear? These vintage vectors at Retro Vectors may be just what you need to complete your design. Vectors are separated by time periods. For example, you’ll find Victorian vectors as well as vectors with a 1950s theme. The site also offers advice such as how to distress vectors to give them a vintage look. All vectors on this site are royalty free for you to use. Choose from a number of fonts as well.

4. Vector.me

From the minute you land on Vector.me’s front page, you’ll be greeted with vivid colors and unique vector art to choose from. The site has more than 280,947 free vectors available. You can search by keyword or browse through logos and icons for additional inspiration. Just want to see what’s new at the site? You can search the new vectors on the front page.

Some examples of more unique vector pieces on the site are Egyptian symbols, businesspeople silhouettes and cityscapes. You’ll even find a grunge retro text banner that is very eye-catching and unique. This would be a perfect header for a retro ‘70s site.

5. Freedesignfile

Find colorful vector art at Freedesignfile, which helps this site stand out from the crowd. For example, you’ll find vector art of brightly colored food, such as carrots and other vegetables. This might work well for a restaurant design. In addition to food art, the site has some interesting free letters, as well as designs such as a psychedelic background with a cat licking its paw in the foreground.

Some of the categories include abstract, architecture, patterns, people, festival and travel. You’ll find free icons, such as lighthouses, birthday cakes and first-aid kits. The site also offers free PSD and fonts for your use.

6. Freepik

If you want to search through a wide variety of vector art, Freepik is the right place to start. The site claims to add hundreds of new, free vectors daily. Many are free — and you can also find PSD, icons and photos — but there are some premium offerings mixed in as well. It is easy to discern between what is free and what is paid, and there is a nice mix of each.

You can search by category, such as background, logo, business card, wedding, brochure, banner, poster and frame. You can also type in a keyword and search that way.

Free vector art can expand your design abilities more than if you had to create everything from scratch on your own. These six resources will get you started and keep you busy for a long time. Remember to look for royalty free images, so you can use them in your designs without having to credit the original creator.