Purchase images
The National Archives' image library offers a bespoke supply service of high resolution digital images taken from the original records, at £25.00 per image.
Uncompressed tiff files are delivered on CD. Files up to 3MB may be delivered via email.
How to purchase images
To purchase images, contact the image library (tel: +44 (0)20 8392 5225) with your requirements.
Our fees for commercial use and direct reproduction are based upon a variety of criteria - you can read more below. Please provide us with as much detail as possible about your required image sizes and usage, so that we can estimate the cost.
Fees for publication, display and broadcast
For the direct reproduction of images of document pages, photographs, maps, and plans from The National Archives, a fee is payable. This is based on a scale of fees according to the criteria below.
Books, magazines, newspapers, subscription journals
Price dependent on:
- the estimated print run of the publication
- the size of each image as a proportion of the page
- the rights required (single or multi-language, one country or world rights, etc.)
A discount, typically 20%, applies in the case of:
- an academic or educational work
- a print run under 4000 copies
- print-on-demand publications
Publications at a print run of 200 copies or less are classed as non-commercial, and are exempt from fees.
Club and society journals
Provided the journal is distributed primarily to members of a society, club or institution, and is not commercially sold, images of documents may be published without charge.
TV and film
Price dependent on:
- number of transmissions
- rights territories required
The fee may be paid on the basis of the number of transmissions required, or via a buyout for unlimited transmissions in perpetuity in all media and all territories (except websites – see below).
Exhibition
Price dependent on:
- size of each image as displayed
- duration of display
Internet and web use
Copies of documents from The National Archives may not be sold on internet selling sites, except under licence (see ‘Merchandising rights’, below).
The reproduction of images of documents from The National Archives on an open non-commercial website commands a one-off fee of £40.00 + £8.00 VAT. This fee covers up to twenty items. The fee reflects the fact that website use constitutes worldwide publication.
The fee payable for commercial websites is based on the nature of the site and the duration of display.
Fees are usually waived for material used on password-protected websites, and educational and learning websites.
Images must be protected from download at high resolution by a third party. This can be done by watermarking at high resolution, or by keeping the resolution to a level whereby the documents are legible for information and research, but are not of sufficient quality for commercial publication.
Product and brand licensing
This applies to image use on products including gifts, digital products such as apps, CDs, DVDs, home and house wares, apparel and accessories, stationery and toys.
Our brand licensing programme incorporates use of our logo and we welcome development of product lines and collections to create a successful brand fit with your company.
We work on an average royalty rate of 10% of net sales depending on the product category. A signing advance helps us cover our initial costs to develop business solutions and products concepts. For smaller production runs, an equivalent one-off fee is calculated and payable upon licence signature.
Email licensing@nationalarchives.gov.uk with your proposal. If you can, please include details of product(s), expected number of units or production run, wholesale prices and territory rights required.
We can also suggest images for inspiration, or arrange for you to visit at Kew to view our unique collection of images.
Exemptions from fees
Transcriptions and quotes from written documents held at The National Archives may be published, displayed or broadcast without charge.
No further fee is payable for the purchase of a high-resolution image if required for personal use, research or study.
Colour prints
- Size Price per print (incl. delivery)
- 10" x 8" £25.00
- 12" x 10" £32.00
- 16" x 12" £44.00
- 20" x 16" £60.00
- 24" x 20" £72.00
- 30" x 20" £84.00
- 36" x 24" £114.00
- 40" x 30" £132.00
- 48" x 36" £175.00
- 60" x 40" £220.00
Payment and publication
Payment methods
- VISA or MC, Switch, Maestro or Amex online (an email link to our secure online credit card payment site is supplied)
- VISA or MC, Switch, Maestro or Amex in person
- Sterling cheque drawn on a UK bank (payable to 'The National Archives')
- Invoice (payments of £50.00 and over)
Permission to publish
Once payment is made, permission to publish is automatically granted under the terms stated. All permissions are for one-time use, and are non-exclusive.
Image credits
Example for credit style:
The National Archives: ref.ADM22/436 or: The National Archives of the UK: ref.ADM22/436
Publicity uses
In circumstances where an article, broadcast or exhibition is created by, or instigated by, persons within The National Archives or persons employed by The National Archives for the purpose, and/or if the work directly promotes the Office and its activities, material will be supplied via the Press Office, and no usage fee will be payable.
Press releases
In circumstances where The National Archives releases new documents and invites the press to view, no fee will be payable on any material copied and used in newspapers, magazines and for television, for a period of four weeks from the date of the press release. After this time, standard fees will apply for any use.
