cliparts

Clipart refers to ready-made images used to illustrate documents, presentations, webpages, and other media. Clipart is typically non-photographic and created to be reused across projects. Most clipart images are designed to be easily inserted, scaled, and colored, and they are produced in both vector and raster formats to suit different design needs.

Historically, the term clip art comes from the practice of physically clipping pictures from books and magazines. Digital clip art emerged with desktop publishing in the 1980s and 1990s, expanding as image libraries and software editors added built‑in galleries. Early collections were bundled with word processors and drawing programs; later, the internet enabled large online libraries and free or paid stock illustrations.

Clipart is produced in vector formats such as SVG, EPS, and WMF, which scale without loss of quality, and raster formats such as PNG, JPEG, and GIF. Licensing varies widely: some clipart is in the public domain, some is released under Creative Commons licenses, and much is offered under commercial licenses. Users should verify permissions before reuse and attribute where required.

Common uses include slides, handouts, teaching materials, newsletters, and web graphics. When selecting clipart, considerations include style consistency, image resolution, color harmony, and accessibility, such as providing descriptive alt text for screen readers. Clipart remains a popular resource for adding visual interest, though many designers now favor flat icons and customized illustrations for consistency.