I can handle the output.

September 8, 2009 7:35 AM

Seeking free/cheap print-quality stuff online with which to decorate our new home!

I have access to several high-end printers, including an oversize inkjet plotter. We need crap to hang on our walls. What, O Hive Mind, are your favorite online resources for free, cheap, legal, high-resolution drawings/photos/illustrations? Got any good Flickr pools? Illustration blogs? What?

Our tastes include, but are not limited to, the typical design-y, crafty, homemade stuff all the kids seem to be into these days. Honestly, anything's worth considering at this point as long as it's lovely. Thanks!

posted by 2or3whiskeysodas to home & garden (9 comments total)

This might be a job for the Rasterbator.
Check out their gallery for some inspiration.
posted by jonesor at 7:48 AM on September 8

See also...
posted by hermitosis at 7:49 AM on September 8

I knew I should have mentioned that I'm familiar with the Rasterbator. D'oh. And thanks, hermitosis, that didn't come up in my search!
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 7:52 AM on September 8

Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project.
posted by kidsleepy at 7:56 AM on September 8

Free stock photography can be had at http://www.sxc.hu/, as well as Wikimedia Commons. I don't know of any particular groups or photos to recommend though.
posted by Vorteks at 8:09 AM on September 8

Similar to the rasterbator effect, you could create your own large recursion-effect prints (assuming you have Photoshop).
posted by DawgterFeelgood at 8:41 AM on September 8

Gustave Dore's engravings, covered recently, if you're into biblical engravings.

Trawl through Google Image search, specifically searching for really high quality images (I've found print-quality movie posters this way).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:13 AM on September 8

This may not work for you, but looking for vector (svg) illustrations can allow you to print high quality stuff.

For instance, I used the svg file from this Wikipedia entry to make a nicely-sized motivational poster for my workspace (the image is in the public domain).
posted by sciencemandan at 3:04 PM on September 8

The Big Picture has lots of interesting hi-res images, with quite varied subject-matter.
posted by pompomtom at 5:45 PM on September 8