Free Christmas vectors and how to use them

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the song goes. And while your mind might be on how you’re fitting everyone (including Aunt Marge and her 9 cats) around the dinner table, there is still a lot of work to be done. It may be that last minute customer who doesn’t realise that Christmas is the same time every year, or the dash to use every penny in the marketing budget before January 1st. 

Either way you have a surprising influx of orders before the festive season begins and you sit down to start designing.

Then you hit a brick wall.

Christmas comes every year, but do you want to use the same designs year in year out? Or does your customer want something a bit more fresh?

This is where free online vectors are a lifesaver! Someone has done the hard work of vector illustrations for you and you can reap all of the benefits and the glory. Or can you?

A little known common issue with free vectors is that you are actually obligated to credit the author, and there are even more limitations to usage than first meets the eye. Typically you aren’t allowed to us that vector as a central part of the design. (Ie you can’t take a free Christmas vector and make a Santa standee from it). The vectors can be part of the design, but not a main focus point.

It is completely fair and we understand why designers have either charge for their work or put usage limitations on them. It takes a lot of time to design Christmas icons and vector Santas, and no-one should have to work for free, or at least without credit!

You then have paid vectors which are a step forward, but a lot of them still have the same limitations in terms of reproductions in print and media, plus you have to pay the price to then find out your customer doesn’t like the design!

Our approach to vectors is slightly different: we want to help our customers sell more print. It doesn’t matter if you’re using our vectors for online work, your own offline work or with prints you’re buying with us. We just want to make sure you have the opportunity to sell more!

What can you do with them?

• You can add a snowflake to your logo
• Design a freestanding Christmas tree
• Create an ‘elfie frame’ with our premade design
• Add some Santas to your next social media post
• Spice up your printed flyers with a few snowmen and reindeer

The bottom line is you can do whatever you like with them. No strings attached.

So dive in and have a look, and if you want to order a Santa Standee with our vector, or just use it for your own social media post, then go for it!