Finding interesting images for backgrounds can become difficult for designers, especially with the high saturation of stock images. In addition, the reliance on visual media is increasing as users do not prefer to read long text. Rather they would want the same message to be communicated in a creative visual format. Owing to this, designers now need to put in extra effort to find the perfect image that goes well with what they want to communicate.

The use of monochromatic images as a background is a rising trend. These images offer a good visual background for designers to add text, graphics, or other branding elements to design visually appealing creatives. Monochrome images are basically images that have one dominant color in them. Designers try to match this particular color to that of the brand or its overall branding style. Unfortunately, finding good quality monochromatic images that can be used for backgrounds is not easy. Hence we have compiled a good list of free monochromatic images that you can use as backgrounds.

1. Yellow Wall

A beautiful image that showcases a wall in the yellow shade for the most part of the image. This image is available in a high-resolution version for free. The lady in the image adds the human elements and also shows the scale of the wall. The yellow colors bring a feeling of happiness and optimism. Smart designers will be able to alter the color of the wall in Photoshop and change it to the color they want to use. This image is good to use as it offers a lot of blank space on which designers can add text, graphics, or brand logos as per need.

2. By The Sea

A black and white image has its own beauty. This image showcases a calm sea and a road leading to it but in black and white. This effect makes the image calmer and makes it serene. The image has been perfectly edited, taking care of the light and shadows. You can use the high-resolution version of this image for free. The empty sky space on the top provides a perfect opportunity to add text or other design elements. One of the best uses of this image would be to put a nice motivational quote on the top.

3. Turquoise Color Gym Girl

It is only through well-planned photoshoots that you can get images like this that have humans in monochrome. The background of the image is set to match the turquoise-colored clothes of the girl. The image can be extended, and design elements, including typography, can be added to it to convey the right message. This image is perfect to use for social media posts or website images for the gym sector. One added use of the image is that you can easily cut the girl and use it on varied backgrounds, given its single-color background.

4. Fence in Green Background

They say that an image can say a thousand words, and this image is a good example of it. Visually it is a very simple image as we see a barbed wire clicked from an angle. The background sky has been edited to give it a green shade. From the messaging point of view, it very loudly represents oppression or lack of freedom. The fence becomes a symbol of things or people who are detrimental to the freedom of people. This image can be widely used for designing creatives that celebrate freedom or such causes. A good crisp message put an overlay on this image would be highly inspirational.

5. Birds on Wire

Nature can be highly inspirational if we can observe the amazing natural patterns that it forms. This image is one such example of nature’s pattern. Over a hundred birds are sitting calmly on transmission lines forming an irregular pattern. The photograph has been converted into black and white so as to take the focus away from the birds and emphasize the scene created by them. The good part about the image is ample dead space on the top and the bottom that can add text and design elements.

6. The Red Metal Bench

This image is a classic example of a monochromatic image. The red bench in front of the red wall gives the image a strong feeling of passion and energy. The bench seems to have been painted in the same color as the wall to get the perfect monochrome effect. You can try to alter the color to different shades of red so as to meet your requirement. There is a good amount of blank space on the wall that can be used for messaging. Such types of images are widely used in social media for marketing posts.

7. Happy Customer

A happy woman in yellow clothes and a yellow background is the perfect monochrome image that all designers should have in their collection. The image has been shot in a studio and is nicely edited to augment the features of the lady. Her emotions and hand gestures suggest that she is really excited and happy. Hence this free high-resolution image can be used to suggest good aspects about your products or services or can be used in the happy customer’s section of your website. Furthermore, smart designers would be able to easily extend the image on any of the sides in case they want to add other content to the image.

8. Railway Track

Just like nature, even man-made constructions can look beautiful if they follow a set pattern. A classic example is the railway track. This image is a fine capture of a bending railway track in black and white. The pattern is unmissable. The image gives an undertone messaging or journey, travel, going on in life, etc. It can be easily used by giving an overlay layer above it and text or other elements on it. A good application of the image would be for the header images of the website.

9. Natural Mountains

A good photograph of the natural landscape of mountains has been edited with detail to give it a monochromatic feel. The skies are turned into a shade of light blue to represent early morning. The mountains are muted in terms of colors and given a black shade. Overall the image is divided into two parts – black and blue. Both the sections can be used as dead space, and content can be added to it. The image shade can be altered, and it can be used for travel or life-related content, be it a website or social media posts.

10. Zoomed Table Cloth

Any object, when viewed on a macrosocial level, can look very different and represent a pattern. This is true for a daily life object like a simple tablecloth. The weaving pattern comes out strongly and looks beautiful in this shade of blue. The image is a perfect blue monochrome image. It can be used as it is or can be used as a background image supporting the main messaging that can be overlaid across the image. You can use the color balance tool in Photoshop to alter the blue shade.

11. Pink Ribbons

Baby pink ribbons are set up in a light pink background to create this monochrome image. The pink shade of the image makes it visually appealing and evokes the emotions of love, affection, and harmony. The pink ribbon has become a universal symbol of breast cancer, and this image can be used for that messaging. Even otherwise, the image can be used as it is to communicate something about love or health. Designers will be easily able to extend the image on the left side to add content like text, brand logo, or any form of typography.

12. Wall Paint

Who would know that a wall can look this beautiful when painted with a bright set of colors? The color combination of mustard yellow and taffy pink provides a visually strong image. There is a water pipe running on the side of the image that has been painted yellow. The designer has kept the image as real as possible by not editing out the dirt or cracks of the wall. Thanks to the ample empty space, you can add text, graphics, branding elements, and other designs on the wall. It can also be used for showcasing mockups.

13. Rescue Worker

A good monochromatic image with a human in it is hard to find, but this high-resolution image is free to download and edit. The image shows a person working in hard conditions. The dark ocean blue shade of the man’s outfit is highlighted, and the background is converted to black and whites. You can extend the right side of the image to create empty space. One of the best use of this image would be to use as website sliders or section images especially in about us sections with the right text message besides the image. This will invoke the feeling that your brand is working in harsh conditions to meet client requirements.

14. Present in Pastel Blue

Another good monochrome image that has a single object in it, this high-resolution image is free to use. The ribbon the present and the background are of light teal blue color, making the image look visually pleasing. There is a very fine texture in the background which makes the image more real. There is ample dead space on the left side, but you can still extend to create more. This image can be easily used for designing seasonal creatives for social media.

15. The Lion King

Living objects are hard to convert into monochromes, given how complex their colors can be. But the designer has done a fine job converting this stunning lion photo into a monochrome image. The lion is looking right into the camera, giving it a more fierce look. Such types of images can be used to convey strong messaging. Gyms or men’s fashion magazine blogs can pick up this image to deliver the message of becoming fierce like the lion.

16. Miniature Items in Maroon Red

A top shot of routine objects on the flat surface is quite a trend. This image showcase a pencil and a miniature ice cream cone on a dark maroon background. The light and texture of the background make it look real. The image has good empty space on all sides where you can set up your typography or branding part. Such types of images are being used for social media to render a creative feel to the brand.

17. Pink Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is cut in half and served on a hot pink plate that is placed on a rogue pink background. The photography is very accurate in capturing the lights and shadows, and the detailing of the dragon fruit makes it very alluring. The image can be used as it is for food-related applications or can be extended to accommodate other design elements. Smart designers will be able to even remove the dragon fruit and place other food items as per need.

18. Clothes Hanging in Yellow

Moving from food to apparel, next on the list is this monochrome image that is a must-have for designers who work in the fashion industry. The high-resolution image is free to download. It showcases clothes hanging on a suspended tree branch. The strong yellow shade evokes the emotion of happiness. This image can be used for website hero images by extending the image on either side or can be used for social media posts for fashion brands.

19. The Blue Orange

One of the most iconic monochrome images, this sliced orange image is a fine example of how to convert normal images into monochrome. The detailing of the image is so accurate that you will feel the orange is colored Cerulean Blue and sliced before photographing. In addition, the ample empty space on the sides makes the image easy to use for websites or digital media.

20. Interior of Restaurant

Some time everyday setups, when looked at from a different perspective, can give a totally different experience. This is what happens in this image that is a simple photograph of an empty restaurant. The photograph has done a very fine job in capturing the image beautifully as we can see the sunlight piercing in from the doors and windows. This image can be widely used in the food industry. One of the best applications of the image would be hero images for food or restaurant websites.

Monochromatic images are hard to find but can be powerful to use for backgrounds. The good part about such images is that they are easy to handle. The single-color background offers the designers the creative bandwidth to extend the images and apply branding and other design elements. With the right messaging the choice of fonts and colors, such images can boost the overall creative appeal of the design they are used in.