As a content creator, you rely on a mix of tools and resources to produce eye-catching hero images, YouTube thumbnails, and social media graphics. However, not all tools deliver the same results—and some may require an upgrade.
If you’re ready to refresh your design toolkit, this article is for you. It highlights the best websites with design assets for bloggers, smart editing tools for creators, and template libraries for YouTubers. Let’s explore!
Design assets for bloggers to create thumbnails and more
1. DepositPhotos: High-quality stock vectors, photos, and videos for YouTube
DepositPhotos is a one-stop shop for all your creative needs. This platform features over 322 million royalty-free files, including photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, music, and sound effects.
Don’t let the size of the library intimidate you. DepositPhotos offers advanced search filters and curated collections, making it easy to find exactly what you need. You can search using reference images or keywords and filter results by orientation, angle, color, and more.
DepositPhotos has nearly 500 curated collections of handpicked files, covering everything from trends and aesthetics to everyday and niche subjects—helping you quickly find the perfect asset for any project.
2. Alamy: Royalty-free illustrations, historic photos, and footage for blogs
Launched in 1999, Alamy has grown into a vast stock image platform offering over 427 million assets, from editorial photos and panoramic shots to vector graphics, illustrations, and videos.
While its curated collections are still limited, Alamy stands out for its archival and editorial content. Through its exclusive partnership with the Associated Press, it provides access to over 18 million historical images, making it an excellent resource for educational, journalistic, and storytelling projects.
3. Vecteezy: Royalty-free graphics for social media
If you’re looking to scale your content production, Vecteezy is a great choice. It offers design bundles filled with photo overlays, backgrounds, patterns, fonts, icons, and more.
A highlight is its collection of 500 professionally designed Instagram templates, perfect for maintaining a consistent aesthetic. You can also download millions of stock photos, vectors, and videos individually—all royalty-free and ready for use across your social platforms.
Design tools for creators to customize and enhance content
1. DepositPhotos Background Remover
DepositPhotos isn’t just about vectors and photos—it also provides free, intuitive design tools to help you customize visuals. The Background Remover lets you create transparent images in seconds with a single click.
The tool works with any images, from photographs to illustrations. You can upload visuals featuring people, animals, or objects, and the Background Remover will instantly isolate the subject, making it ready for use in your design.
2. Pixlr Smart Resizer
Size matters when it comes to social media visuals. Each platform has its own requirements—and Pixlr’s Smart Resizer ensures your images are ready for any platform, from Instagram to Pinterest to YouTube.
With preset dimensions, you can resize visuals effortlessly without manual adjustments. This saves time and ensures your content looks crisp and perfectly formatted everywhere you post.
3. Freepik Image Upscaler
If your photos aren’t sharp enough for publication, Freepik’s Image Upscaler can instantly improve their quality. Powered by AI, it enlarges visuals up to 16 times their original size without losing detail.
The tool maintains texture, lighting, and sharpness while improving clarity. It even supports bulk upscaling, letting you enhance multiple images at once—ideal for bloggers and social media teams managing large batches of visuals.
Template and layout resources for YouTubers
1. VistaCreate YouTube Thumbnail Maker
According to YouTube, 90% of top-performing videos feature custom thumbnails. With VistaCreate’s YouTube Thumbnail Maker, you can easily design eye-catching visuals that help your videos stand out.
The platform provides ready-made templates, so you don’t have to start from scratch. Simply customize them with your own images, text, and colors to create a polished, on-brand look.
2. Placeit
Placeit is another excellent resource for YouTube creators. It helps elevate the visual appeal of videos with a wide range of customizable thumbnail templates. From style and beauty to travel and sports, Placeit offers designs for virtually any type of YouTube content.
Best of all, creating a thumbnail takes just a few clicks. Upload your images, adjust text and colors—and you’re ready to go. With Placeit, even non-designers can produce professional, attention-grabbing visuals in no time.
3. Venngage
Want to make your YouTube channel stand out? Venngage can help with more than just video graphics—it also offers a range of customizable banner templates in various styles.
Choose a design you like and personalize it with your own text, images, icons, and colors using the Venngage editor. In just minutes, you’ll have a banner that perfectly matches your brand.
Quick FAQs for busy creators:
Where can bloggers find visuals to make posts more engaging?
Bloggers can make posts more appealing by using high-quality visuals from stock photo sites like DepositPhotos or by generating custom graphics with AI tools such as the DepositPhotos AI Image Generator.
Are there affordable design resources for small creators?
Yes, there are plenty of affordable (and even free) design resources for small creators. You can find both paid and free stock photos and vector graphics on DepositPhotos, while VistaCreate offers ready-made design templates and intuitive editing tools.
What’s the best platform for both stock vectors and photos?
If you’re looking for the best platform for both stock vectors and photos, DepositPhotos is a top choice. It boasts one of the largest collections of high-quality stock content online, including photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, music, and sound effects for creators.
How can content creators use vectors to build a consistent visual style?
Vector files can be easily resized, recolored, or reshaped without losing quality. This flexibility allows content creators to adapt design elements to their brand and maintain a consistent visual style across all their projects.
What kind of graphics work best for YouTube thumbnails?
A mix of photos and vector graphics usually works best for YouTube thumbnails. Photos draw attention to faces, products, or real-life scenes, while vectors add text, icons, and overlays that make the design more dynamic and engaging.
Let’s recap
Great content starts with great resources—whether it’s royalty-free illustrations, vectors, or easy-to-use templates. Find what fits your workflow and bring your ideas to life with ease.