Photo Editing, Illustration, and Image Licensing for Public Agencies

What this covers

This service covers the images in agency materials: correcting and preparing photographs; creating maps, icons, infographics, diagrams, and seasonal and spot artwork; incorporating photography and artwork the agency already has; and sourcing stock images when nothing suitable exists.

Typical uses include activity guides and facility maps for parks and recreation, and graphics that help public works, utilities, and communications offices explain projects and services. Much of the source material comes from agency systems: facility locations from a GIS, program categories from a registration system, figures from a budget.

The hard part is being able to stand behind an image later. A photo of a flooded street documents a fact, and editing it can change what it says. A stock image licensed under a designer's personal account may not transfer to the agency. An infographic that relies on color alone fails readers who cannot distinguish those colors.

How we do it

Keep the original untouched. We edit a copy using adjustment layers and keep the original beside it, so the change is visible and the original survives as a record.
Correct, do not alter. Exposure, color balance, cropping, straightening, and sharpening are routine. Removing, adding, or moving people, objects, or conditions is not, including with generative fill, and this matters most for images documenting a public event or condition. When a face or license plate must be obscured for privacy, we use a visible blur and record the change.
Prepare each image for its medium. Print files are converted to the printer's specified color profile and checked for resolution at printed size. Screen files are exported in sRGB. One master produces both, so a correction happens once.
Check agency-provided material first. For every photo, logo, or artwork the agency supplies, we check resolution and confirm who made it and on what terms. A photo from a resident or past contractor may not carry the rights the agency assumes.
Build graphics from source data. Maps start from the agency's GIS or an open data source, with its attribution terms recorded. Infographics use figures the agency confirms in writing, with the source noted so the numbers can be traced.
Design graphics to work without color alone. Charts, maps, and diagrams use labels or patterns alongside color, keep text live rather than flattened, and come with a text equivalent for alternative text or a caption.
Read the license before choosing the image. We check each stock license for limits on sensitive subjects, merchandise, print runs, and editorial-only use, and check each image's model and property release status. Where possible, the license is bought in the agency's name; if not, we confirm the terms allow client use and transfer before the image enters a layout.
Follow the agency's AI policy. We use AI-generated imagery only where agency policy permits, never to depict real people, places, or events, and label it in the register.
Record every image in a license register. Each entry lists the file, source, creator, license type, license holder, restrictions, and where it was used. Credit and rights details also go into the image's IPTC metadata.

What you receive

Layered master files stored beside the unedited originals.
Print and screen exports of each image, named to match the piece they were made for.
Original illustrations, maps, icons, and infographics in editable vector formats, with data sources noted.
A license register in spreadsheet form, with copies of each stock license and receipt and the release status each provider lists.
Text equivalents for every informational graphic, for use as alternative text or captions.

Considerations for public agencies

Accessibility. Under the ADA Title II web rule, which adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA, images in posted content need alternative text, text equivalents for maps and infographics, adequate contrast for graphical elements, and no reliance on color alone. The digital editions and accessible PDFs page covers the rule and its compliance dates.
Public records. Published images, original and edited files, and the license register can be public records, subject to retention schedules that vary by jurisdiction. Recorded edits let the agency show whether a photo was changed.
Ownership and licenses. The contract should state who owns original illustrations and maps and whether native files are delivered. Royalty-free does not mean unrestricted: the agency holds only the rights the license grants, and some licenses cannot be transferred from the purchaser. Procurement staff can require license documentation as a deliverable.
Consent and releases. Photos of recognizable people, particularly minors, may need a signed release or parental consent under agency policy; confirm what is on file. Many stock licenses restrict using images of models in connection with sensitive subjects such as health conditions, substance use, or criminal activity, or require a statement that the person shown is a model.
AI-generated imagery. Copyright requires human authorship under federal court rulings and Copyright Office guidance, so an agency may be unable to control reuse of an image generated by AI. The agency's own policy governs use and disclosure.
Language access. Graphics with live text can be translated without being redrawn. The language access obligations that decide which languages are needed are outlined on the publication layout and typesetting page; confirm which apply.

Starting an engagement

An engagement begins with a review of the images the agency holds: photo libraries, stock accounts and their licenses, supplied artwork, and any AI policy. HQT builds the license register from what exists, flags unclear rights, and agrees on editing limits and approvals before production starts against the agency's calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can you remove a person or object from a photo we already have?

For images that document an event, facility, or condition, HQT limits edits to technical correction such as exposure, color, and cropping. Removing or adding content changes what the photo shows, which matters if the image is later questioned or requested as a record. Where privacy requires it, a face or detail can be visibly obscured and the change recorded in the file notes.

We bought stock images through a past designer. Can we keep using them?

It depends on whose name the license is in and whether its terms allow use by a client or transfer. Many stock licenses stay with the account that purchased them. If the documentation cannot be found, the safer course is to license the image again in the agency's name or replace it.

Does royalty-free mean we can use an image for anything?

No. Royalty-free means the agency does not pay a fee each time the image is used, but the license still limits how it may be used. Common limits cover sensitive subjects, merchandise or items for resale, large print runs, and images marked for editorial use only. Merchandise and large print runs often need an extended license; editorial-only images cannot be used to promote a program or service.

Can we use AI-generated images in our materials?

That depends first on the agency's own policy on generative AI. Federal courts and the Copyright Office require human authorship for copyright, so the agency may not be able to control how others reuse an AI-generated image. Where policy permits, HQT labels such images in the license register and does not use them to depict real people, places, or events.

What do you need from us to make a map or infographic?

The underlying data from the department that owns it, such as GIS layers for facility locations or confirmed figures for a chart, along with sign-off from the person responsible for those numbers. HQT records the source in the file so the graphic can be traced and updated. Each graphic is delivered with a text equivalent for use as alternative text or a caption.

Photo Editing, Illustration, and Image Licensing