Shutterstock Logo PNG
A library is a place that connects users and provides great content. The idea of communication can be traced in the site’s visual sign. The Shutterstock logo represents the best favorite songs, videos, and photos available to subscribers.
Shutterstock was founded in 2003 by New York programmer Jon Oringer after he struggled to find affordable licensed images for his web projects. At the time, companies such as Getty Images and Corbis relied on expensive pay-per-image models. Oringer bought a Canon Rebel camera, photographed around 100,000 images himself, and uploaded roughly 30,000 to launch the platform without outside investment.
The business introduced a subscription model that differed sharply from traditional stock agencies. For $49 per month, users received unlimited downloads instead of paying for each file individually. Oringer initially handled development, photography, and customer support alone. Shutterstock expanded rapidly, reaching 570,000 images by 2006 and adding the Shutterstock Footage video division the same year. By 2007, the library contained 1.8 million photos.
In 2008, Shutterstock introduced on-demand purchases alongside subscriptions. The company strengthened its market position in 2009 through the acquisition of Bigstock, moving closer to competitors such as Getty’s iStockphoto. Shutterstock went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012 under the ticker symbol SSTK, raising $76.5 million. By 2013, analysts described Oringer as the first billionaire from New York’s “Silicon Alley” technology sector.
The company aggressively expanded through acquisitions during the 2010s and 2020s, acquiring Rex Features, PremiumBeat, TurboSquid, PicMonkey, Pond5, and Giphy. In 2024, Shutterstock acquired Envato for $245 million. In January 2025, Shutterstock announced a $3.7 billion merger agreement with Getty Images, which shareholders later approved while regulators continued antitrust reviews.
Meaning and History
Shutterstock’s online platform is used only to have photographs. But as it expanded, it became a global marketplace for media content where you can find artistic images, graphics, music, videos, and more. All this was reflected in the emblem, which, over time, became more abstract and universal.
What is Shutterstock?
Internet service from the United States provides access to stock photos, music tracks, and materials. It has operated since 2003, is headquartered in New York, has six subsidiaries, and brings together users from 150 countries.
2003 – 2005
Since the service was initially associated only with photography, its first logo featured a green camera with a three-dimensional lens. The white word “Shutterstock” ran along the long black film.
2005 – 2008
The designers made the camera black and 2D to fit inside the green circle. The second part of the emblem remains the same, except for a slight change in size.
2008 – 2011
In 2008, the company introduced its first logo without a camera. The green circle has become a multi-part image resembling a large eye with a pupil. The dark tape disappeared, so the inscription appeared on a white background and turned black. All letters except “o” have been combined in pairs. The word “images” appeared in the right corner under the service name, denoting Shutterstock’s main focus.
2011 – 2012
The updated emblem has removed the green elements, allowing the inscription to be slightly enlarged. Black has taken on a gray tint, and the word “images” uses a font that didn’t exist before.
2012 – today
The latest redesign completely redesigned the logo, focusing on the service’s name. Lippincott designed the branding identity, and Matt Angorn, the creative director at Shutterstock, led the process. Their collaboration resulted in red and gray lettering with a viewfinder instead of “o.” The font has changed, but the two ts are connected as before. The new visual identification system debuted in 2012.
Font and Colors
The two angle brackets in place of the “o” should be interpreted as a “Viewfinder” function. This demonstrates the constantly growing media content database, an element of visual communication. The icon symbolizes that the authors of digital images, videos, and audio materials keep all the most important and interesting aspects in focus. Here, you can see a reference to past Shutterstock emblems: the viewfinder is meaningfully linked to the camera lens.
Lippincott designed the modern logo font. They used Uni Sans SemiBold as the base and slightly modified the letter shapes. The most noticeable differences are in “s” and “t.” The lowercase “o” is replaced by two opposite corners.
The choice of color was driven by the desire to show a vivid love of creativity. According to the designers, red (#DA291C), a symbol of passion, performed best in this role. But he made only the first half of the inscription. The second part is painted gray to balance the scale visually. This contrasting combination contrasts with the classic Shutterstock black-and-green color scheme used in the early emblems.
FAQ
Is it OK to use Shutterstock images?
You can use images on websites without any restrictions on the number of visitors to your site. The brand is popular among web designers, bloggers, and businesses for its reliable, high-quality images.
Make sure you have the correct license for the images you use. The brand offers standard and extended licenses. The Standard license suits most web needs, such as advertising, social media, and websites. However, it does not allow you to sell products where the image is the main feature.
You may need an Extended License to reproduce the images widely or use them in items for sale, such as physical products or templates. Always check the license terms for each image to ensure you follow brand guidelines.
Please remember that you can edit the images to suit your needs, but should not use them for harmful or illegal purposes. Follow the brand’s ethical guidelines. These guidelines will help you use images to enhance your website and attract your audience.
What format are Shutterstock images?
When downloading images, you can choose different formats depending on your needs. Photos and illustrations are available in JPEG format, a common format that works well with almost all programs and platforms, making it a good choice for projects, websites, and presentations.
The brand provides EPS files for vector graphics, ideal for high-quality printed materials or projects that require scaling. These files are also perfect for creating logos, detailed illustrations, and other designs that need resizing.
If you want a rasterized version of a vector image, you can download it as a JPEG by selecting the “Large” option from the “Image Size and Format” drop-down list in the download area.
Can I use Shutterstock for the logo?
You may not use the content directly as a logo or standalone trademark. This rule applies to all types of content on the platform, such as photographs, vector graphics, and illustrations. This restriction helps avoid copyright and trademark issues because images are accessible to many users and can cause legal issues if used as unique business identifiers.
Be careful if you plan to use these images as inspiration or incorporate them into a larger original design. Ensure your final design is distinct and does not infringe on the original artwork’s copyright. It’s best to use these images for concept ideas or as minor parts of a more complex logo design rather than as the main element of the logo.
Can a logo include an image?
A logo can include an image and text written in a custom font. Its main goal is to reflect the brand’s essence and make it easily recognizable. When designing a logo, whether you choose a graphic-only or text-only style, the most important thing is to choose an image that conveys the brand’s personality. Selecting the right image for your logo is vital for successful brand recognition and marketing.
Is the logo a stock?
Standard logos are pre-designed vector graphics available for purchase from various websites. While anyone can buy and use these logos, it is not recommended for your brand. Since they are available to everyone, other companies may already use the same or similar logos. This can make your brand less distinctive and weaken its ability to stand out. Designing your logo is better for a brand seeking to create a strong, unique identity.
What is Shutterstock’s image?
The platform offers a wide selection of stock photos, pictures, graphics, and illustrations. These images are ideal for editing and enhancing various media types, making them a valuable resource for designers, marketers, and content creators who require high-quality visuals.