The term clip art is a technique of graphic arts where
visual images are copied or cut from existing works. Clip
art is used in Graphics to transport images through any
branch in media. In contemporary times clip art is widely
used in commercial and individual assignments like home-made
craft, greeting cards, printed- stationary etc. Besides the
printed form Clip art can also be manifested through the
electronic media.
Development of technology has enabled generation of clip art
through the electronic channel in a variety of ways. This
form of art has grown and developed to include a huge
variety in terms of content, illustrating styles and
formats. It is also used to express restrictions in the
genre of licenses. Clip art, primarily a composition of hand
made or computer generated illustrations excludes the use of
stock photography completely.The history of this art can be traced back to the
practice of cutting out prints form existing material and
pasting it manually for fresh publishing assignments. This
process was popular by the name of paste-ups. Works created
via the technique of clip art were presented as line art in
many places. Images of clip art were meticulously cut and
fixed with glue on a board that aligned it with the size of
printed work. Text attachments and artwork made through
photo setting produced mechanicals of pages which were ready
to be photographed.
Desktop publishing replaced the paste-up process in the
1990s. It was widely accepted by publishers all over. This
started a new wave in print evolution with the advent of
more and more sophisticated computers and technological
advances. New programmes like Microsoft Paint, PageMaker,
etc have completely overtaken the world of print and
publishing in the modern world.
Commercial clip art is marketed with a royalty that is
limited via free licenses which enables clients to use it
for personal, educative and non commercial purposes also.
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