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What Is Clip Art?

What Is Clip Art?

There was a time when the term “clip art” had a bad rap, bringing to mind goofy, low-quality images from the earliest days of mass computing. But, what is clip art really? And, is it relevant today?

The short answer is a definitive yes! Read on to learn more about clip art, what it’s used for in modern day, and where to find lots of free clip art for your creative or business projects.


Clip Art Basics

So . . . exactly what is clip art

Simply put, clip art is a type of graphic design element based on illustrations rather than photos. Clip art can be as basic as a black-and-white line drawing or as complex as a realistic-looking, fully shaded, vector file.

What really distinguishes clip art from a typical illustration is the fact that clip art is pre-made and purposely designed to be somewhat generic.

But, don’t confuse generic for boring. The creator of the clip art doesn’t know how their art will be used in the end, so they create versatile images that can be repurposed for lots of different scenarios and use cases.

To make it more usable and searchable, clip art often comes in categorized sets (often called “packs”), such as technologyanimals, or business.


Where Does the Word “Clip Art” Come From?

The word “clip art” (which is sometimes spelled “clipart” or “clip-art”) originates from the analog days of graphic design. 

Before computers made it so easy to grab and insert images, graphic designers and desktop publishers had to physically cut out images from printed media. Because these images were “clipped” out, the term “clip art” evolved and is still used today.

The earliest types of clip art came from printed material but, today, the word “clip art” almost universally refers to electronic or digital illustrations.


What Is Clip Art Used For?

Today, clip art is used for many of the same design applications as when the term was first invented decades ago.

For example, clip art can be found in:


5 Quick Things to Know About Clip Art

Before you jump into the world of clip art, here are a few items to keep in mind. Knowing these facts upfront can definitely save you some headache down the road!

1. Paid vs. Free Clip Art

Once you’ve successfully answered, “What is a clip art?”, the next question that often comes up is, “How much does it cost?” And, the answer varies.

The cost of clip art ranges the entire spectrum—from completely free to fairly affordable to custom-made (and thus much more expensive). It just depends on your budget and design goals.

2. Usage and Licensing

Whether you go for paid or free clip art, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: Licensing. Free clip art especially may come with very specific licensing restrictions.

For example, you may need to attribute the designer or you might be limited to using the clip art on personal (not commercial) projects.

However, even paid clip art will have licensing rules, so always check what you’re agreeing to!

3. Clip Art Styles

OG clip art from the early ’90s was often very cartoonish, almost like a children’s TV show. (Remember Clippy from Microsoft Office?) 

As trends have changed and computer graphics have improved, this exaggeratedly cartoonish style has thankfully fallen out of favor. In its place today, you’ll find a variety of sophisticated artistic styles.

Such as:

  • Hand-drawn
  • Pencil sketch
  • Monoline
  • Watercolor
  • Flat
  • Skeuomorphic
  • 3D

Pro tip: When choosing clip art for a project (whether it’s a websitebusiness flyer, or something else), it’s important to stick with a consistent style. If you mix vastly different looks, the end result will clash and feel amateurish.

4. File Formats

Generally speaking, clip art is available in two formats: raster and vector. Here’s the basic difference:

  • Raster files are often more shareable across platforms, but they’re made of pixels and cannot be scaled up beyond their original size without losing quality.
  • Vector files are infinitely scalable but aren’t always accepted across platforms. (Many website content management systems, for example, cannot upload vector files.)

Make sure you’re getting the file type you need or at least have the means of converting files, if required.

5. Other Words for Clip Art

Today, what would once be called clip art is rarely called “clip art.” (The term feels pretty dated.) So, if you’re looking for imagery to use in some kind of graphic design, you’ll probably have better luck searching keywords like these:

  • Graphics
  • Icons
  • Illustrations
  • Drawings
  • Vectors

8 Diverse Clip Art Examples

Still wondering, “What is clip art?” Here are eight examples to show you just how diverse the general term “clip art” can be.

1. Clip Art for YouTube

This YouTube banner is a nice example of clip art in action! Here, we’ve got some clip art in the form of hand-drawn arrows plus other clip art in the form of social media icons.

2. Birthday Balloons

Done in a flat illustration style, clip art birthday balloons create a strong focal point for this birthday party invitation.

3. Elevated Invoice

Even something as “boring” as a business invoice can be easily spiced up with a few pieces of clip art!

4. Floral Framing

Elegant floral clip art creates a stylish frame for this monthly calendar. With its hand-drawn feel and monochrome color palette, these flowers feel anything but cartoonish.

5. Instagram Attitude

This Instagram post really only uses one piece of clip art, but by repeating the element and adjusting its color, the end result is full of personality.

6. Lovely Details

Three pieces of clip art take an otherwise text-heavy schedule and give it some life! Notice how all three graphics share the same color palette and style, making the design feel polished and cohesive.

7. Stylish Pattern

While clip art is often displayed on its own, it can also be used to create a background pattern! This template repeats some abstract graphic elements to create a funky, retro vibe.

8. Infographic Art

By adding some simple clip art and arranging the text nicely, a plain word document can be transformed into a much more eye-catching infographic or flowchart.


Find Free Clip Art from Shutterstock

If you’re looking for clip art to use in your designs, you’ve come to the right place! For licensed/paid clip art, check out Shutterstock’s massive stock library — especially the millions of assets under the Illustration and Vector categories.

You can also download some professionally designed clip art for free here:

Want even more totally free clip art? Then customize any design template in Shutterstock Create! Under the Graphics menu, you’ll find loads of clip art that you can insert, customize, and download for free. 

Give Create a try for yourself.


License this cover image mockup via SpicyTruffel and brgfx.

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