Since there are literally hundreds if not thousands of places to get free clip art on the internet, why would you buy it?

This is what all of my friends and relatives asked me when I started my business. They also asked “if you can buy 600,000 images for $60, why would someone pay $20 for only 600 images?”

Most people who have already bought clip art from a place like Art Explosion already know the answer. Packages like Art Explosion cater to those who are dabbling in the internet and only need small images. They probably don’t know exactly what images they need or want and will simply find them by browsing through the collection and decide that an image, border or button might be nice to add to their site. So if you don’t have any theme in mind, and all the graphics will be small graphics for the web, then either surfing the web for clip art, or using a collection like an Art Explosion package can be a good buy.

For others however, endlessly searching the internet for just the right clip art image, or buying large un-themed clipart collections may not be very helpful when you know exactly what you’re looking for. For instance, if you want to design a series of t-shirts with cat graphics, the Art Explosion package may only have 50 cat images to choose from, and even at that, they won’t be a high enough resolution and/or a large enough image for using as a t-shirt graphic.

Easy clipart tips to get you started with clipart and some simple tricks the professionals use to make the kind of art they want. Here are some tips:

• What you need to know to have fun with clip art.

Windows comes with a simple word processor and a paint program for the new computer user. Graphics can be used with these programs, but to really have fun with graphics a publisher program is a must have. Most any publisher will do.
A word processor is a program that lets you write letters. The more expensive word processors have all kinds of things that make writing easier, but they still have their limitations when it comes to graphics, clipart or pictures of any kind.
A paint program is for drawing, coloring and editing bitmap graphics or clip art. You can easily change the spots on a horse or even erase the rider if you like. That is what a paint program is for.
A publisher program is where it all comes together. The words from the word processor and the graphics or clip art from the paint programs can all be imported into a publisher program. Here is the fun part. You can place a graphic over top of text and watch the text flow around it or you can place a text box over top of a graphic border leaving the border to show around the outer edge. Import text from your friend’s word processor or your own. After all why should you retype text that was already typed into a computer once. A publisher program will make publishing all your documents easier. You will be back on your horse having fun while your city slicker friends are still slaving away with a word processor.
I have talked to people who have spent more then two years trying to use a word processor to do all of their publishing. No one should have to work that hard on a computer.

• Fooling a color printer into printing black & white graphics.

We first noticed this happening with one of the Print Shop Deluxe programs then later on in Quark Express or Pagemaker don’t remember which. We put our technical support team on it and here is what we found. There was a conflict between the these programs and some of the new color printers. The printer was asking for a color graphic and the program is sending a black and white graphic. The printer runs out of memory looking for something that isn’t there.
Here is how to fix the problem. Simply change the graphic to a 256 color graphic. Now there doesn’t have to be any color in the picture. You are just fooling the printer so it can print the graphics. See instructions below.

• Changing black & white graphics to 256 Color graphics for coloring.

In Windows 95 or 98 Paint program you load the graphic and then choose [File] then choose [Save as], when the [Save as] screen comes up change the name of the graphic and look close in the lower left corner you will find the [Save as file type] box it has a small triangle down button [v] click on it and then an elevator bar find the color choices. Windows bitmap BMP 256 color is normally the best one to choose, then [Save] the file giving it the new name. If you are unsure of the color choice you can choose [Image] then choose [Attributes] then choose [Color]. The computer will choose the correct color set for you to use.
In Windows 95 or 98 Paint you will see the color palette. Remember that you renamed the graphic so look for the new name when you want to use the graphic later. This should make it much easier to color the graphic now. Have fun with your new graphics.

Clip art is used in many different ways, including newsletters, websites and flyers. Commonly found on a CD collection, clip art is often distributed by the hundreds or even thousands. These small images are more than capable of making a big statement, but you have to know their proper uses. Clip art is all about customization. It helps to distinguish one business from another and is largely used in the design of logos.
Newsletters. Many of today’s businesses realize the importance of a newsletter and keeping their customers informed of the latest happenings. A crucial part of any newsletter is color and style, which is made easier with the use of clip art. For instance, a jewelry designer may use a clip art featuring some type of jewelry in order to make his/her newsletter more customized.
Flyers. Whether you are posting flyers about a lost pet, an upcoming yard sale or other announcement, you will want your design to stand out. The best way to do that is with colorful clip art. A yard sale flyer may depict a large ‘Sale’ banner or perhaps another image that conveys the excitement of finding a bargain.
Websites. These days, websites are all about competition and design. The best way to make sure that any website is unique and fresh is through the use of strategically-placed clip art. Remember, clip art is just a small image and they do not take up a lot of space. This is why they are perfect for websites, especially those concerned with a page’s load time.
Newspapers. In almost every newspaper, there is a comic section or a cartoon that has been provided by a local artist. This is the perfect place to display some fun pieces of clip art that will provide readers with a smile. Clip art, even though it is small in size, can feature more than one image of an activity or an individual. In fact, some clip art actually features a small scene with more than one character. A good example would be an individual setting at a desk and drinking coffee, which many can relate to, and a small caption that notes a humorous saying.
Magazines. Much for the same reason as newspapers often use clip art, magazines also commonly place it throughout their pages. It’s fun, whimsy and can often fill a small space that was otherwise bare and boring.

Advertisements & Logo Design. When a company sets out to produce a new advertisement or logo design, they need to be looking at the use of clip art. Why? Because ads cost money and the larger the size, the bigger the price tag. Because clip art is small, it can provide some style to the advertisement or logo without overpowering the ad itself or causing it to be larger in size.
Resale. Many artists are taking their talent to the digital world. Clip art CDs are very popular and can be quite profitable in the world of retail. It is important to own all rights to any image before you sell it, however, so keep this in mind.
Stationary. Everyone loves stationary with a cute little cottage or a puppy dog. That’s what makes stationary so fun, but many people make their own stationary with their computer and the use of clip art. Books. Readers will often find that a book’s cover, both front and back, and even the internal pages often feature clip art. In between chapters or even in the table of contents, clip art is everywhere.
Sales Letters & Business Cards. Have you ever gotten a letter from a local car dealership? What stands out the most? Is it the black and white typeface? Probably not, but it may very well be the images on either the sales letter or business card that draws your eye to the actual letter. Clip art is widely used on business cards due to the fact that these cards are small in design and require small, but clear, images.