Corporate Training and HR Licensing Guide

Corporate Training and HR: Licensing Cartoons for Internal Communications

(Part of our pillar guide: Industry-Specific Cartoon Licensing Guides: Navigating Legal Use Across Sectors – coming soon)

Introduction

Human Resources and corporate training teams constantly face the challenge of keeping employees engaged while delivering serious information. Humor helps—but it must be handled carefully. Using cartoons can transform dull internal materials into something employees actually read, remember, and discuss.

However, internal use doesn’t mean free use. In this article, we’ll explain how corporate training and HR licensing works, how to use cartoons effectively in internal communications, and how to ensure your materials stay both compliant and cost-efficient.

How HR and Training Teams Use Cartoons Effectively

Cartoons are a powerful communication tool in corporate settings, helping to illustrate key ideas and lighten heavy topics like compliance, ethics, or workplace culture.

Onboarding Materials – Cartoons can make policy introductions and orientation documents more approachable. For instance, a cartoon about “first-day confusion” helps new hires feel at ease. These uses fall under corporate training and HR licensing for internal, non-commercial use.

Compliance and Ethics Training – Cartoons can safely highlight common dilemmas or missteps without naming names. A lighthearted image about “reply all” emails can make a data protection point more memorable.

HR Newsletters and Intranets – Including a cartoon in a company newsletter or intranet announcement boosts engagement rates significantly. Internal communications like these typically require personal-use licensing rather than commercial rights.

Internal Presentations and Workshops – Visuals help trainers reinforce points and maintain attention. In this case, ensure your corporate training and HR licensing covers presentation slides distributed to employees or stored on a shared server.

Choosing the Right Cartoons for Workplace Communication

Cartoons used in internal materials should reflect the organization’s tone and values—professional, inclusive, and relevant.

Keep Humor Universal – Choose cartoons based on shared workplace experiences rather than jokes that depend on cultural or gendered references.

Stay Neutral on Sensitive Topics – Avoid cartoons that could be interpreted as commentary on politics, religion, or personal identity. Humor in HR should unite, not divide.

Support Your Learning Goals – Cartoons shouldn’t just entertain. Select ones that reinforce a training message—such as teamwork, communication, or leadership development.

Platforms like CartoonStock.com make it easy to search for cartoons by theme, from compliance and corporate culture to leadership and performance reviews.

How Corporate Training and HR Licensing Works

Licensing for HR and training contexts is typically simple and affordable—but knowing your rights ensures compliance and avoids confusion later.

Match License Type to Use –

Internal Use: Covers staff newsletters, onboarding packs, training decks, and intranet posts.
Commercial Use: Needed only if materials will be shared externally (e.g., a training firm’s public webinars).

Keep Usage Records – HR departments often use the same cartoons repeatedly. Maintain a small database of licensed content to avoid accidental reuse beyond license terms.

Understand Cost and Scope – On CartoonStock.com, corporate training and HR licensing typically ranges from $2–$5 per cartoon for internal materials. Volume packs offer reduced per-image rates and make it easy to build an approved image library.

Credit and Attribution – While internal content rarely requires attribution, maintaining credit in your records supports ethical use and helps track artists for future commissions.

Building a Library of Licensed HR and Training Cartoons

Creating a library of licensed cartoons allows HR and training professionals to respond quickly to new communication needs.

Organize by Topic – Categories like leadership, teamwork, compliance, communication, or wellness.
Create Template Files – Pre-approved layouts for newsletters or slides with licensed cartoon placeholders.

Best Practices for Using Humor in HR

Humor in the workplace can build culture, improve retention, and support learning—but only when it aligns with company values.

Keep Tone Inclusive and Positive – Avoid humor at anyone’s expense.
Test with a Small Group First – If a cartoon could be misunderstood, seek feedback before publishing it company-wide.
Integrate with Broader Culture Initiatives – Use cartoons alongside other engagement tools like surveys or recognition programs to reinforce key messages.

Q&A: Corporate Training and HR Licensing

Q: Do we need a commercial license for employee newsletters?
A: No, not if the newsletter is internal. A personal or internal corporate training and HR licensing agreement is sufficient.

Q: Can we reuse cartoons from a training deck in future sessions?
A: Yes, as long as the reuse is within the same organization and remains internal.

Q: What if we later want to post the same cartoon on LinkedIn?
A: That counts as commercial use. You’ll need to upgrade your license to include external or promotional distribution.

Keep Reading

Want to see how licensing applies to external media and publication use?
Read: Publishing and Media: Understanding Syndication and Reproduction Rights (coming soon)