Buying and Downloading Images from Depositphotos

Depositphotos is a paid stock photo library with a large catalog and clear licensing, making it a solid option when a free stock site doesn’t have what you need. Here’s how to find, buy, and download an image.

Step 1: Search for Your Image

Use the search bar to look for your subject, and narrow results using the filters for orientation, color, and style — useful for quickly finding an image that fits a portrait-oriented book cover layout specifically.

Step 2: Check the License Type

Click into an image to see its available license options. Depositphotos generally offers:

• Standard license — covers most common uses, including a book cover for typical print runs and ebook sales.
• Extended license — needed for larger print runs, merchandise, or other expanded commercial uses beyond the standard threshold.

Check the specific usage limits listed on the image’s page before purchasing, since thresholds (like maximum print run size) can vary. See our full guide to stock image license types if you want more detail on what each license type generally covers.

Step 3: Purchase Credits or a Subscription

Depositphotos sells access either as one-off credit packs (buy a set number of credits, spend them as needed) or as a subscription plan (a set number of downloads per month at a lower per-image cost). For a single book cover, a small credit pack is usually the more cost-effective choice; a subscription makes more sense if you’re sourcing images regularly.

Step 4: Download the Image

Once purchased, go to your account’s download history or the image page itself, and choose your resolution — always download the highest resolution available for a book cover, since print requires significantly higher resolution than web use, and it’s much easier to downscale later than to try to upscale a low-resolution file.

Step 5: Keep Your Receipt and License Confirmation

Save the purchase confirmation and license terms for that specific image. If a license dispute or platform inquiry ever comes up, having proof of a legitimate purchase and license readily available saves a lot of hassle.