Clip Art

Ratings and Reviews of Clip Art

Clip Art

Everyone needs and loves "clip art". They spice up your documents, web site, presentations and more. They save you time

(just drop them into your graphics or web site development software - and you're off!) and give your documents, web site and presentations that professional look. However, as always, there are things to watch out for when you purchase "clip art", even if most of it is available for less than $50!

What is actually in the package: "clip art" is a funny thing. You may purchase a boxed package, with a CD, and then find that many of the "8 kagillion" images advertised on the packaging are NOT on the CD, but available only via the Web - and even requires an additional "subscription" price. Make sure you read the "fine print" before you buy.
Quality and format: What is the format of the images you are purchasing? JPEG, GIF, TIFF? JPEG is especially important if you're purchasing photos (minimum 800x600 resolution). Vector graphics are important if you plan to make the graphic bigger (for full screen adaptations signs or presentations). If the graphic you want to use is NOT a vector graphic, when you make it bigger, there could be distortions and/or lack of definition.
Compatibility: Are the graphics in a format that your presentation, graphics or web development software can import?
Royalties: Are the images royalty free? If they aren't and you publish them to the web, you could end up liable for additional charges.
Image Search: How easy is it to find the image or images you require? Does the "clip art" software include a good search engine and thumbnail viewing capability? If you've ever had to search through images by opening them one at a time (with wonderfully descriptive file names like pp3330002.gif), you know exactly what we mean. What a time waster!

Ready to choose "clip art" packages that will save you time and make your business look professional? Let's get going!

Some vendors offer more than one package in this category. We'll review them in table format within that vendor's detailed review.

Clip Art Review

Clip Art Packages*

(Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)

Company	Best For*	Simple Start-Up	Cost	Time Savings	Ease of Use	Works With	Support	Features	Overall Rating
Broderbund	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY	pp1/2	iii	%%1/2
Cosmi	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY	pp1/2	iii	%%1/2
Crystal Graphics	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$1/2	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY	ppp1/2	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Encore	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYYY	ppp+	iii1/2	%%%1/2
Greenstreet Software	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY1/2	ppp	iii	%%%1/2
IMSI	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY	pppp	iii1/2	%%%1/2+
Jupiter Images	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYYY	ppp1/2	iiii1/2	%%%%+
Nova Development	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYYY	ppp	iii	%%%1/2
Serif	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹¹	@@@@@	YYY	ppp+	iii+	%%%1/2

* A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro

Broderbund

$15 OFF Purchase of $49 or more! Save on all items at Broderbund.com, plus FREE shipping!

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Broderbund offers a variety of clip art packages (they own the ClickArt name after all!). Viewing and selecting images is simple and straight forward (thank goodness because the file names are arcane!). You can edit the images in most of the packages as well and export them as Windows Metafiles.

Cost - $$

Make sure you read the "fine print" on the Broderbund offerings and understand how many of the images are on the CD versus online or available through a yearly membership. We've outlined all the "particulars" below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*ClickArt 1.2 Million*	$49.99	Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP	1.2 Million Images	850,000 images and graphics 350,000 web images 1,000 True Type fonts Photo editing tools Hot Shots Viewer The Print Shop Lite CD-ROM with 400 graphics and 50 project templates 35 Microsoft Office templates including letterhead, fax cover sheets, PowerPoint presentations Max & Lucy and Getty-brand images No subscriptions - all images included	Compatible with The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator and Family Tree Maker as well as other popular desktop publishing applications
*ClickArt 400,000 Images v2*	$9.99	Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP	400,000 Images	400,000 premium images (images on CD - 155,000+, images online - 245,000, registration required to access online images) Enhance greeting cards, banners, calendars, signs, labels, newsletters !,000 TrueType fonts Keyword search Image editor Includes Christie's Images, Master Art, Vintage Images and Photography Portfolio	Compatible with The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator and Family Tree Maker as well as other popular desktop publishing applications
*ClickArt 750,000 Images*	$19.99	Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP	750,000 Images	557,000 high quality graphics (images on CD - 195,957, images online - 553,043 including 345,521 images accessible through online subscription to Million image Club. Registration expires 9/30/2006) 100,000 web images 92,000 photos and fine art images 1,000 TrueType fonts Keyword search Integrated photo and image editing	Compatible with The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator and Family Tree Maker as well as other popular desktop publishing applications
*ClickArt 950,000*	$29.99	Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP	950,000 images	550,000 high quality images and graphics (CD has 241,217 images, 720,272 are online) 100,000 photos and fine art images 100,000 web images 1,000 TrueType fonts (all on CD) Search by keyword, category, file type, tone Image editing	The Print Shop, PrintMaster, popular desktop publishing applications
The Print Shop 21 & ClickArt 750,000 CD Bundle	$39.00	Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP	Publishing Software	The Print Shop 21: 200,000 images, 15,000 project templates, 2,600 sentiments, photo-editing tools ClickArt 750,000: 560,000 images, 100,000 web images, 90,000 photos and fine art images, 1,000 TrueType fonts, keyword search

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹¹

Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words, and you don't want to have to painstakingly draw every one! That's where clip art will help you save a ton of time and energy - and make your business communications more professional as well.

Ease of Use - @@@@@

Using the simple "keyword search" capabilities embedded in the clip art software, you'll be able to find the "right" images quickly and easily.

Works With - YYY

Although Broderbund does make Macintosh software, they do not produce clip art for anything but the Windows environment.

Support - pp1/2

When you purchase inexpensive software you shouldn't expect much in the way of technical support. Broderbund's implementation is a great example of this methodology. If you need help - the web is your only option. And, when we went there and attempted to find help for a couple of the software packages, one of them wasn't even listed! You'd better hope that the software works on your system, or you've just thrown your money away.

Features - iii

Basic images, basic quality. Don't expect too much when you're purchasing images by the thousands that go for $19.99.

Overall Rating - %%1/2

If you are looking for some simple images to "spice up" your documents, presentations and web site, you'll probably find some images you can use in the Broderbund packages. What is really hard about all of the packages, is that you really can't see what you're buying in advance (types, quantities of various packages) so it is very difficult to predict which package will have the specific images that are "right" for your business. Finally, we really abhor Broderbund's mislabeling of the product - 750,000 images with hundreds of thousands of them NOT on the CD! PLEASE! We'd rather pay a software "upgrade" fee than deal with this sneaky approach! Especially one that leads to extra cost a year down the road!

Cosmi

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Cosmi's Clip Art software is easy to install. Viewing and selecting images is simple and straight forward (thank goodness because the file names are arcane!). You can edit most of the images and export them as Windows Metafiles.

Cost - $$$$

Pricing for Cosmi products is outlined in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Print Perfect Clip Art Deluxe	$19.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Clip Art	150,000 images 40,000 clip art 20,000 illustrations 15,000 photos 6,500 photo objects 75,000 web graphics, borders, symbols Photo editing tools Media gallery for searching
Print Perfect Clip Art	$9.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Clip Art	15,000 images 8,000 clip art images 5,500 illustrations 1,900 photos 450 photo objects Media gallery for searching
Print Perfect Holiday Art	$9.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Clip Art	15,000 holiday-specific clip art images and photos Raster and vector art Category and keyword searches
Print Perfect Christian Art	$9.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Clip Art	15,000 clip art images, photos, illustrations and photo objects Raster and vector art Keyword and category searches
Print Perfect Clip Art 50,000 DVD	$9.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Clip Art	50,000 clip art images, photos, illustrations, photo objects Raster and vector art Media browser for searching

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹¹

Ease of Use - @@@@@

Using the simple "Graphic Explorer" capabilities embedded in the clip art software, you'll be able to find the "right" images quickly and easily.

Works With - YYY

Cosmi's Clip Art packages are designed for the Windows environment.

Support - ppp

Cosmi's tech support area on their web site includes a FAQ, manuals and software downloads. We were unable to find the package listed above on the FAQ. We guess they never have problems with this software! Telephone support is available Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM Pacific and Fridays 8:30 AM to 12 PM. There is no toll free number, so you are responsible for all long distance charges. Email support is also available.

Features - iii

Basic images, basic quality. Don't expect too much when you're purchasing images by the thousands that go for $9.99 to $19.99.

Overall Rating - %%%

If you are looking for some simple images to "spice up" your documents, presentations and web site, you'll probably find some images you can use in the Cosmi packages. What is really hard about the packages, is that you really can't see what you're buying in advance so it is very difficult to predict if the package will have the specific images that are "right" for your business. Best of luck, but they're only $3.99 or $19.99!

Crystal Graphics

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Crystal Graphics' PowerPictures packages are filled with high quality photos and art that are royalty free. You pick the "right" photo or theme and "pop" them into your documents, presentations, videos or web site.

Cost - $$1/2

The PowerPictures photos and packages are priced based on the collection and photo resolution - see table below.

Software

Price

O/S Supported

Overview

Features

Compatibility

PowerPictures

$7.95 per image 640x480, $69.00 per image 72 dpi 7x10", $99.00 per image 300 dpi 3x5", $199.00 per image 300dpi 6x9", $269.00 per image 8.5x13"; collections average $49.00 for 640x480, and $349.99 for 300 dpi 8.5x13", 100 pictures for $99.00

Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP

Business Photos and Photo Collections

All photos royalty-free
Various formats - 800KB RGP, JPG 640x480, 1.1MB RGB JPG 72 dpi 7"x10", 4.5 MB - RGB JPG - 300 dpi 3x5", 12-14MB RGB JPG 300 dpi 6x9", 30MB 4GB JPG 300 dpi 8.5x13"
Packages include: Abstract, Animals, Art, Background, Beach, Beauty, Blue, Buildings, Business, Competition, Computer, Construction, Currency, Digital, Dog, Earth, Education, Family, Finance, Fitness, Food, Future, France, Globe, Golf, Group, Handshake, Health, Holidays, Illustration, Industrial, Internet, Interior, Investment, Leadership, Man, Map, Meeting, Medical, Money, Nature, Newspaper, Objects, Outdoor, People, Puzzle, Pressure, Religion, Science, Security, Symbols, Sports, Sunset, Team, Technology, Time, Transportation, Woman

JPEG file format

Microsoft Office 97, 2000, XP, 2003

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹¹

Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words, and you don't want to have to take out your digital camera and "snap" every business photo you'll need. That's where PowerPictures will help you save a ton of time and energy - and make your business communications more professional as well.

Ease of Use - @@@@@

Select the photo you need and pop it into your PowerPoint presentation, other document, video or web site. What could be more "usable".

Works With - YYY

PowerPictures is designed for the Windows environment only.

Support - ppp1/2

The Crystal Graphics support site is well organized and they have a number of FAQs and "tips and tricks" to help you use PowerPictures effectively. Customer support is also available via email and telephone (9 AM to 5:30 PM Pacific).

Features - iii1/2

You're getting quality photos with the Crystal Graphics packages - not just simple graphics as in some of the other packages.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2

Although we continue to believe the price is a bit high, the Crystal Graphics PowerPictures package deliver high quality photos that will make any business document, presentation, video or your web site a more professional looking communication.

Enhance Microsoft Office with Plugins, Templates and Photos for PowerPoint, FrontPage, Outlook and Excel
CrystalGraphics is the leading provider of add-on products and services designed to enhance your Microsoft Office projects. CrystalGraphics' PowerPlugs add-ons for Microsoft Office are award-winning products that will add a more professional look to your presentations, emails, websites, spreadsheets and other documents! For more information, please visit www.CrystalGraphics.com.

Encore

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Encore's images are simple to integrated into your existing presentation, web, word processing or other application.

Cost - $$$$

Pricing for Encore clip art is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
The Big Box of Art 1 Million	$69.99	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP	One Million Images	One million royalty free images All images on CD Image browser 230,000 vector clip art images 50,000 professional photographs 15,000 photo clip art images 1,500 animations 700,000 web graphics
Photo Clip Art 100,000	$29.99	Macintosh OS 9, OS X	100,000 Photo Images	100,000 photos of people, animals and objects Keyword search Royalty-free
Photo Clip Art 150,000	$19.99	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP	150,000 Photo Images	150,000 photos of people, animals and objects Images have solid, changeable backgrounds Keyword search engine 100 Themes including - Agriculture, animals, anniversary, appliances, archeology, art, athletes, audio/visual, awards, backgrounds, balls, baskets, birds, birthday, bottles, boxes, bags, buildings and streets, business accessories, butterflies and moths, camping, cars, children, Christmas, comm., computers, dancing, dentistry, dolls, drinks, Easter, education, family, fantasy, figurines, fish, reptiles and amphibians, flags, flowers, food, furniture, games, gardening, Halloween, hands, health and beauty, home, insects, jewelry, kitchenware, letter and numbers, lighting, locks and keys, love, machinery, maps masks, medicine, money, music, natural sciences, nautical, office supplies, people, pets, photography, plants, professionals, religion, rocks and minerals, safety, scenery, school, science, sculptures, seating, signs, special occasions, sports and leisure, sports equipment, St. Patrick's Day, students, symbols, tableware, technology, Thanksgiving, time pieces, tools, toys, transport. , treats and sweets, trucks, Valentine's day, vegetables, weddings, work
The Big Box of Art 410,000	$19.99	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000,XP	Photo and Graphic Images	410,000 royalty-free images Image browser 100,000 vector clip art images (WMF) 34,500 professional photographs (JPG) 10,000 photo clip art images (HPI) 500 animations (GIF) 260,000 web graphics (GIF)
ClickArt 1.2 Million (2006) DVD-ROM	$49.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Photos and Graphic Images	880,000 graphics 2,400 Getty Images 550,000 vector images 200,000 photos 300,000 web images 1,000 True Type fonts Designs from Max & Lucy Hot Shots Viewer Edit photos or clip art - adjust size, color brightness, focus, crop and add special effects	JPEG, GIF
ClickArt 400K DVD	$9.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Photos and Graphic Images	206,000 images 100,000 web images 94,000 photos including Christie's Images, MasterArt, Photo Portfolio 1,000 True Type fonts Keyword search Image editor Photo editing 155,000 images on CD, 245,000 images online	The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator
ClickArt 950K (2006) DVD-ROM	$29.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Photos and Graphic Images	750,000 images and graphics 200,000 vector images 2,000,000 web images 150,000 photos and fine art 1,000 True Type fonts Christie's images Vintage illustrations Hot Shots Viewer Photo editing - adjust size, color brightness and focus, crop, add special effects, remove red-eye Drawing tools	Tiff, JPEG
ClickArt 250,000	$9.99	Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP	Photos and Graphic Images	250,000 images 1,000 True Type fonts Keyword search Image Editor	The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator
ClickArt 750K (2005)	$29.99	Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP	Photos and Graphic Images	100,000 web images 92,000 photos and fine art images 1,000 True Type fonts Keyword search	The Print Shop, PrintMaster, American Greetings CreataCard, Calendar Creator
ClickArt Photo	$19.99	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Macintosh OS X 10.1.5	Photos and Graphic Images	50,000 color 30,000 black and white 30,000 business and sports 30,000 travel and nature 30,000 photo objects

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹¹

Lots of images to choose from - much easier and faster than trying to develop your own.

Ease of Use - @@@@@

The images are simple to import and use in your documents.

Works With - YYYY

Encore has images for both the Macintosh and Windows environments.

Support - ppp+

The tech support area of Encore's web site includes a searchable knowledge base and user forum. If you need more help, email is your only option.

Features - iii1/2

A solid selection of images and photos for Mac and PC.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2+

A good selection of images and photos. Well priced too.

Greenstreet Software

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Greenstreet Software delivers a variety of image packages to improve the visual aspects of your documents, presentations and websites. They are all easy to use and import into your applications.

Cost - $$$$

Inexpensive is the word for Greenstreet Software's image offerings. Their packages are all priced at $9.95, with the exception of the 500 Animated Gif Images and the 1,000 Clipart Christmas which are priced at $4.95.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
100,000 Webart Mac	$9.95	Mac OS 8.1 or higher	100,000 Images for the Web	Ready to use GIF images Animated GIFs Image browser Navigation symbols including arrows, bullets, icons, buttons.	GIF
10,000 Photos Mac	$9.95	Mac OS 7.5.3 or higher	10,000 Photographs	Animals Entertainment Travel Our World	JPEG
10,000 Essential Clipart	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	10,000 Images	Animals Architecture Asia Birthdays Cars and Space Cartoons Circus Clothes Clowns Country Fashion Hobbies Humor Image Browser	Export in JPEG Bitmap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, PhotoShop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can also be exported as CGM and GEM formats.
10,000 Business Clipart	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	10,000 Business Images	Artists Business & Finance Industry Civil servants Commuters Computer hackers Construction Craftsmen Fire fighters Media Accessories Equipment Stationary Tools Furniture Internet Safety Currency Wall Street Police Trades Image Browser	Export in JPEG Bitmap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, PhotoShop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can also be exported as CGM and GEM formats.
10,000 People Clipart	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	10,000 Images of People	Anatomy Babies Cultures Children Angels Families Grandparents Faces Couples Mothers Fathers Females Historical Males Mobsters Entertainment National Costume Recreation Teenagers Occupations Travelers Image browser	Export in JPEG Bitmap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, PhotoShop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can also be exported as CGM and GEM formats.
10,000 Nature Clipart	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	10,000 Nature Related Images	Cactus Borders Flowers Forests Seasons Fruit Gardens Fields Hills Lakes Seas Leaves Mountains Valleys Sunsets Trees Seven wonders Volcanoes Weather Parks Countryside Image browser	Export in JPEG Bitmap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, PhotoShop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can also be exported as CGM and GEM formats.
10,000 Animal Clipart	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	10,000 Animal Images	Dinosaurs Birds Dogs Cats Elephants Sea Life Insects Monkeys Giraffes Horses Lions Rabbits Frogs Crocodiles Bulls Hedgehogs Kangaroos Raccoons Reindeer Moose Camels Picture Browser included	Export in JPEG Bitmap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, PhotoShop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can also be exported as CGM and GEM formats
500 Animated Gif Images	$4.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	Clip Art	Categories - ancient, animals, birds, children, Christmas, fantasy, fish, flowers, food, holidays, insects, business, jokers, kids, landscapes, monsters, music, objects, people, plants, religion, sports, transportation
1,000 Clipart Christmas	$4.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	Clip Art	Content - dolls, elves, Father Christmas, reindeer, snow scenes, toys, accessories, cards, decorations Picture browser	JPEG Bimap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, Photoshop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can be exported as CGM and GEM formats
5,000 Sniparts	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	Clip Art	Content - clipart, textures, fonts, borders, funny faces, shields, photos, photo clipart Picture browser	JPEG Bimap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, Photoshop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can be exported as CGM and GEM formats
10,000 Photos Volume 1	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	Clip Art	Content - air shows, animals, balloons, business, cityscapes, holidays, industry, people, scenic, sports, textures, travel, waterfalls Picture browser	JPEG Bimap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, Photoshop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can be exported as CGM and GEM formats
10,000 Photos Volume 2	$9.95	Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000	Clip Art	Content - buildings, close-ups, food, industrial landscapes, landmarks, landscapes, monuments, nature, people, rural, skylines, textures, transport Picture browser	JPEG Bimap, PCX Bitmap, PNG Bitmap, Tiff Bitmap, Targa Bitmap, Photoshop Bitmap, Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Metafiles can be exported as CGM and GEM formats
100,000 Webart	$9.95	Any OS with Web browser and CD drive	Clip Art	Content - bullets, buttons, icons, arrows, lines

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹¹

Greenstreet Software's image collections can speed integration of images and photos into your documents, presentations and web site.

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