Clipart
Definition
Clip art, in the graphic arts, refers to pre-made images used to illustrate any medium. Clip art is divided into two different data types represented by many different graphics file formats: bitmap and vector art. Clip art vendors may provide images of just one type or both. (Wikipedia)
Formats used in repositories
The most common bitmap formats for clipart distributed on the web is *.jpg, *.png, and *.fig. But one may also find *.bmp (for smaller things), or TIFF and TGA.
Most common vector formats are:
- Adobe's EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), also the related PDF format.
- Microsoft WMF (Windows Metafile) and its variants
- EMF - Enhanced Metafile)
- WMZ - Compressed Windows Metafile
- EMZ - Compressed Windows Enhanced Metafile
- SVG (in the open source community)
- Illustrator *.ai file (rarely)
Clipart repositories
We are mostly interested in vector formats. Alternatively, you may also search through other applications you installed on your computer, e.g. Office products like Word and Powerpoint and the Open Office equivalent.
In SVG Format
SVG became the most standard format in the open source community. Many commercial programs can import SVG, but some like Flash can not. In this case use a tool like Inkscape to export to *.ai, then import to Illustrator, then paste to Flash.
- Open Clip Art Library (SVG and PNG).
- Files from the Openclipart library
Windows Meta File
- Free
- Commercial
Bitmaps only
- School Clip Art (only bitmaps)
Other Links
File formats
- Fileformat.Info
- File format (Overview Wikipedia)
- List of file formats(Wikipedia). This is quite complete.
- Alphabetical list of file extensions (Wikipedia). This is quite complete.
General
- Clip art (Wikipedia article)
- Open Clip Art Library (Wikipedia entry)
Software
Most graphics vector graphics editors can import/export various formats.
- Comparison of vector graphics editors (Wikipedia).
- List of vector graphics editors (Wikipedia)
- Free online tools
- [1] SVG to JPEG/PNG/TIFF at fileformat.info
- Free Vector editors