Ownership and Certification

Most of the images on foundtextures.ca are original photographic or artistic works created and owned by Sean McCormick, Strathmore, Alberta, Canada. Each image file carries this license embedded in its XMP copyright metadata. Sean McCormick certifies that he is the original creator of his own personally created images and artworks distributed under this license and has the right to grant the permissions described herein. These images are tagged #certifiedrights

Not all textures here originated that way.

Some are scans of physical documents and printed ephemera discovered discarded at a local recycling station — drafting sheets, handwritten student notes, antique sheet music, old printed matter. These objects were abandoned. Sean scanned them and is making them available as textures for the same reasons everything else here is free: because useful things shouldn't sit in a landfill.

These textures are tagged #unclearrights.

That tag means: Sean scanned this material, but cannot certify that the underlying content is free of third-party copyright. The original creator is unknown, untraceable, or long deceased. The material was physically discarded.
No enforcement is anticipated or considered realistic. But Sean won't tell you something is clear when he can't verify that it is.

Use #unclearrights material at your own risk.

One more thing worth saying: these are textures. They're meant to be layered, blended, burned, multiplied, and composited into your own work until the original document is unrecognizable underneath. Nobody is going to identify a 1960s drafting sheet through four blend modes and a grunge overlay. The use case this tag is flagging is not "will someone come after me for this" — the answer to that is almost certainly no. It's "Sean won't certify what he can't certify." That's all #unclearrights means.

What You May Do (#certifiedrights images)

• Use the textures in personal projects — art, photography, design, print, digital, whatever you're making.
• Use the textures in commercial projects — client work, products for sale, advertising, publications.
• Modify, scale, composite, layer, filter, or otherwise alter the textures to suit your work.
• Use the textures in unlimited projects. This license does not expire and is not project-limited.
• Distribute work that incorporates the textures as part of a larger creative work.
• Use in AI training datasets, model development, and machine learning projects.

What You May Not Do (#certifiedrights images)

• Resell the texture files themselves as standalone texture files, in packs, on stock sites, or as part of any product where the textures are the primary thing being sold.
• Distribute the original files as downloads or as part of a collection.
• Claim original authorship of the unmodified texture images.
• Remove or alter the XMP copyright metadata embedded in the original files.

Attribution (#certifiedrights images)

Attribution is not required. If you want to credit the source, "Texture from foundtextures.ca" is sufficient and appreciated. No specific format is required.

Resulting Work (#certifiedrights images)

The original copyright for a texture file belongs to Sean McCormick. Once you incorporate a texture into your own work, the copyright of the resulting piece is yours. You can sell it, give it away, or publish it without restriction. What you cannot do is redistribute or sell the original texture files themselves, unmodified, as the primary product. They are intended to be blended into your artwork. Hoarding textures now for use later is also acceptable and even encouraged.

AI Training (#certifiedrights images)

These textures are explicitly permitted for use in AI training datasets. Take a penny, leave a penny. (Before you freak out, I do not use AI to create my images. I did use it to help create the software running the site you're browsing right now. If you take, you give back. That's what this is.)

Caution Required (#unclearrights images)

Are these #unclearrights textures safe to use? Most likely. Can I guarantee that? No. If that worries you then you should not use them, period. That is up to you to decide. I found the texture and offered it because it is too wonderful not to keep alive, but I leave the final decision to you. Govern yourself accordingly.

No Warranty (all images)

These textures are provided as-is. Sean McCormick makes no warranties about fitness for any particular purpose. Use them. Make things. Better yet, make ART. That's what they're for.