Press Release Images and Multimedia: A Complete Guide to Visual Assets

Images and video can double the impact of your press release. Learn the technical requirements, best practices, and creative strategies for press release multimedia.

Why Multimedia Matters in Press Releases

A press release with images generates significantly more engagement than a text-only release. Media outlets are more likely to feature releases that include visual assets because images make articles more appealing to readers and increase time on page. News aggregators prioritize multimedia releases in their feeds. And social media sharing increases dramatically when articles include compelling visuals.

Despite these clear benefits, many businesses either skip multimedia entirely or include low-quality images that hurt rather than help their announcement. This guide covers everything you need to know about selecting, formatting, and including visual assets in your press releases.

Technical Requirements

Before discussing strategy, let us cover the technical specifications that your images must meet for professional distribution.

Resolution. Images should be at least 400 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall. Higher resolution is better—we recommend 1200 by 800 pixels or larger when possible. Low-resolution images appear pixelated on high-density displays and make your press release look unprofessional.

File format. JPG and PNG are the universally accepted formats. Use JPG for photographs and PNG for graphics, logos, or images with text overlays. Avoid BMP, TIFF, GIF, and other formats that may not be supported by all distribution platforms.

File size. Keep individual image files under 5 MB. Larger files may be rejected by distribution platforms or may load slowly on media websites, frustrating readers and reducing engagement.

Aspect ratio. Landscape orientation (wider than tall) works best for press releases because it matches the layout of most news websites. Portrait orientation images often get cropped awkwardly in article layouts. A 16:9 or 3:2 aspect ratio is ideal.

Color profile. Use sRGB color profile for web display. Images in CMYK (designed for print) may display with incorrect colors on screens.

How Many Images to Include

Most press release distribution packages, including UtahPressWire's, support up to two embedded images plus one YouTube video embed. Here is how to make the most of those slots.

Image 1: The primary visual. This should be the strongest, most visually compelling image related to your announcement. For a grand opening, this might be your storefront or interior. For a new hire, this is a professional headshot. For a product launch, this is a product photo. This image will typically appear at the top of the published article and serves as the visual first impression.

Image 2: The supporting visual. This image provides additional context or a different angle on your announcement. For a grand opening, the supporting image might be the owner at work or a signature product. For a new hire, it might be the company team or office. For a community event, it might show participants or the venue.

Video embed. If you have a YouTube video that supports your announcement—a product demo, facility tour, event highlight reel, or founder message—include the URL for embedding. Video significantly increases engagement and time on page.

Types of Images That Work

Professional Headshots

For personnel announcements, leadership profiles, and any press release that features specific individuals, professional headshots are essential. These should be high-resolution, well-lit, and taken against a clean background. Casual selfies, cropped group photos, and social media profile pictures are not appropriate for press releases.

If your team does not have professional headshots, invest in a session before distributing your press release. A single headshot session for your leadership team provides assets you will use across press releases, website bios, LinkedIn profiles, and marketing materials for years.

Location and Facility Photos

For grand openings, expansions, and location-based announcements, include photos of your physical space. Exterior shots show the location in context. Interior shots showcase the environment your customers will experience. Both should be taken during optimal lighting conditions and with the space clean and well-organized.

If your space is under construction or not yet photogenic, consider using architectural renderings or professional mockups instead of construction site photos. You want your press release to generate excitement about the finished product, not concern about the work in progress.

Product and Service Photos

For product launches and service announcements, include images that clearly show what you are offering. Product photos should be well-lit, properly styled, and shot from angles that highlight key features. Service-related images might show the service in action—a technician performing an installation, a chef preparing a signature dish, or a therapist working with a client (with consent, of course).

Avoid stock photos for product and service images. Editors and readers can spot stock photography immediately, and it undermines the authenticity of your announcement. If you do not have professional photos of your product or service, hire a photographer for a brief session. The investment is minimal compared to the distribution cost and the images will serve you well beyond a single press release.

Event Photos

For event announcements, you may not have photos of the event itself (since it has not happened yet). In this case, use photos from previous similar events, images of the venue, headshots of keynote speakers, or branded event graphics. After the event, you can distribute a follow-up press release with actual event photos showcasing attendance, activities, and key moments.

Infographics and Data Visualizations

For research-based press releases, survey results, or data-driven announcements, infographics and data visualizations can be highly effective. They communicate complex information quickly, are highly shareable on social media, and give journalists a visual asset they can use directly in their coverage.

Keep infographics simple and focused. Include your brand colors and logo, but make sure the data is the star. Overly designed infographics with excessive branding can feel more like advertisements than informational graphics.

Image Optimization for SEO

The images in your press release contribute to SEO performance in ways many businesses overlook.

File names matter. Name your image files descriptively: "salt-lake-city-law-firm-new-partner-sarah-johnson.jpg" is far better for SEO than "IMG_4582.jpg." Search engines use file names as signals for image relevance.

Alt text descriptions. While you may not control the alt text on every outlet that publishes your release, providing descriptive alt text with your submission helps platforms that do use it. Describe the image content and include relevant keywords naturally.

Captions. Include brief, informative captions for each image. Captions are among the most-read elements on any web page—studies show that readers often read captions before reading the body text. Use this prime real estate to reinforce your key message.

Common Image Mistakes

Using your logo as your only image. Your logo is important for brand recognition, but it is not compelling visual content. A logo alone does not give editors or readers a reason to engage with your release. Use your logo in the boilerplate section and save your image slots for photos that tell a story.

Including low-quality or blurry images. Nothing undermines a professional press release faster than a pixelated, poorly lit, or blurry image. If you do not have high-quality images, it is better to distribute without multimedia than to include substandard visuals.

Overly branded or promotional images. Press releases are news, not advertisements. Images that look like ads—heavy branding, promotional text overlays, call-to-action buttons—signal to editors that your release is marketing rather than news. Keep images clean and journalistic.

Not having proper rights. Ensure you have the legal right to distribute every image included in your press release. This means you own the photo, have a license to use it, or have explicit permission from the photographer or rights holder. Stock photos require commercial licenses that permit distribution through news services.

Video Best Practices

If you are including a YouTube video embed, keep these best practices in mind.

The video should be directly relevant to your announcement. A general company overview video is less effective than a video specifically about the news you are announcing.

Keep the video under three minutes. Most viewers decide within the first 15 seconds whether to continue watching, so front-load the most important content.

Ensure the video is professional quality. Shaky handheld footage, poor audio, and amateur editing undermine the credibility that your press release is designed to build.

Include a clear title and description on the YouTube video itself, since these elements influence both YouTube search and general web search visibility.

Planning Your Visual Strategy

Before your next press release, take time to plan your visual assets alongside your written content. Identify what images you already have, what needs to be created, and what would make the strongest visual impression for your specific announcement.

If you regularly distribute press releases, consider building a library of brand assets—professional headshots, facility photos, product images, and branded graphics—that you can draw from for each release. This library reduces the time and cost of preparing multimedia for each distribution and ensures consistency across your announcements.

The businesses that consistently include strong visual assets in their press releases see measurably better results in terms of media pickup, reader engagement, and social media sharing. Investing in quality multimedia is not optional—it is a competitive advantage.