Support
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Free use of images
Images on this web site may be downloaded direct from this web site FREE under certain conditions. See Terms of trade.
Hints on image use
1. Our archived image files
Our library archives contain high quality TIFF (Tag Image File Format—having a .tif extension) files prepared from transparencies, negatives and on rare occasions, prints. This file format is the best choice for storing quality images, since it uses 'lossless' compression. This means that you can always read back in what you wrote out without data corruption or loss. If you are going to modify and write the file a second time, then use this type of format. TIFF files can be very large, so unless they are smaller than about 4–6 Mb, they are not suitable for sending via the Internet.
2. JPEG image files
If you have licensed the use of images from our library and received them as e-mail attachments, they will be JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group—having a .jpg extension) format. When a JPEG file is created from a TIFF file it can be compressed by up to 20 times. This is a 'lossy' compression, meaning that some quality is lost when the file is written.
When we prepare JPEG files, we use much less than 20 times compression, so your files are still high quality, commercially-acceptable images when you receive them. However, be aware that a little more quality is lost every time a JPEG file is manipulated, compressed and saved again. If you must do this, to avoid aggravating the damage, make sure you use the same value of Quality or Compression every time you save the file.
If you copy image files (thumbnails or previews) direct off our web site you will find they are JPEGs, not TIFFs as would be suggested by their Image Number .tif extensions. (The Image Numbers have .tif extensions because the original images are archived as TIFF files.)
3. Convert JPEG files to TIFFs for quality publishing
For quality publication purposes, it is best to open a JPEG in an image editing program such as Photoshop or Corel Photo-Paint, make changes, then save a copy as a TIFF file. The TIFF file will be a number of times larger than the original JPEG file. You can then open, modify and re-save the file as a TIFF as many times as you wish, without the quality loss you can encounter using the JPEG format.
If you have a special reason to optimise image quality, it is best to request your images as TIFF files in the first place. These files will be too large for sending as e-mail attachments—our standard larger TIFF file size is 25 MB—so you will need to order them on CD-rom. (While you are waiting for your image file to arrive, you can copy a water-marked low resolution image direct off our web site for comping purposes.)
When you receive images from us, they will be in RGB (Red Green Blue) mode. This is the most universally versatile mode, since the images can be printed directly using an inkjet or other non-CMYK device while retaining accurate colours. If you need to convert the images from RGB to CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow blacK) for commercial printing, you will need to use the correct CMYK model (selected for example in Photoshop's CMYK Setup), and this will be determined by the type of press being used—something which of course only you and your pre-press house or printer will know.
There are advantages to RGB files. They have a wider colour gamut than CMYK files and a wider range of filters can be applied to them (e.g. in Photoshop). An RGB image file is also considerably smaller than its equivalent CMYK file. So, it is best to perform image manipulations and other changes in this mode before converting to CMYK.
Our images are of high quality, but do not carry a colour profile tag. It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of colour images through additional stages of your work-flow.
In preparation for commercial printing, convert RGB images to CMYK mode and do all your proofing using this mode to avoid unexpected colour changes in your final print job.
4. Use of JPEG files on web pages
Keep files in JPEG (or GIF) format if you wish to use them on a web site. To minimise loss of quality, open the JPEG file in an image editing program once, perform changes to the image as required, including image dimensions and resolution, and save (using the same value of Quality or Compression as the file was saved originally—see the table in Terms of trade for the values we use in Photoshop). Alternatively, save the file using an option such as 'Save for web' available in Photoshop. Avoid opening, manipulating and re-saving the JPEG file over and over, since you will lose more and more image quality each time.
5. Images may need editing
Regardless of the file format, images you receive from us may need editing in order to match your end purpose. Use an image editing program such as Photoshop to crop, change brightness, apply filters, resize and change the mode (to grayscale, CMYK, etc.). Always proof your images on the same output device(s) (printer, video monitor, data show, etc.) as you intend to use to display the final images.
6. Questions?
If you have any questions about our image files and the use of them, please e-mail us.
Sample images
The purpose of this page is to give an indication of the quality of images held in the Image Library. Of course, the images you view are still only low resolution because of: i. the limitations of video monitors—they are themselves low resolution, and ii. file sizes have been kept small to minimise download times.
Click on a Thumbnail below to see a larger Preview image. Using a 56 k modem, the images will each take around 10 seconds to load.
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Research/Institutions
Crop & Food Research
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Lincoln University
Department of Conservation
Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry NZ
MAF Forest Management
Royal Society of New Zealand
NIWA
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry of Research, Science & Technology
Conservation
Seafriends
Forest and Bird
New Zealand Whale & Dolphin Trust
ZooCheck New Zealand
Publications
Abstracts of NZ Journals
Lincoln University Library
Manaaki Whenua Press - New Zealand Natural History & Science Books
National Library of New Zealand
Birds
The Fabulous Kakapo Parrot
Hoiho - Yellow-eyed Penguin
Kiwi Recovery
Moa Central
New Zealand Birds
Penguins in New Zealand
Fungi
The Hidden Forest
Industry
Airborne Honey
Educational
National Science Technology Roadshow
Educational Solutions Publishers
Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust
© COPYRIGHT Web site and all images are copyright of Educational Solutions Ltd (owner of the Natural Sciences Image Library) and contributing photographers. All rights reserved. Licensing of images is limited solely to a one-time reproduction in a print run, edition or publication or one 'page' of a web site. Licensed images may not be used on more than one computer and may not be distributed. For details see Terms of trade.