Clipart Guide: Where to Find Clipart
Where to Find Clipart
Great news; there are sooooo many places to find clipart! Bad news, they are not all equal.
Individual Artists
Purchasing clipart and graphics directly from individual artists with a storefront (like me!) is a fantastic option and often provides more benefits than an impersonal marketplace.
Pros
- Drives - Some clipart artists offer monthly or yearly drive access which means any clipart they create is added to a drive and you have access to all of it.
- Exclusives - Many clipart artists offer semi-exclusive bundles which means the graphic set is sold a limited number of times.
- Memberships & subscriptions - Monthly memberships can be found on some artist's websites allowing you access to some or all of the artist's products.
- License terms & add-ons - Individual artists have more flexibility with licensing terms and may be willing to offer an add-on that you really need.
- Custom illustration work - Need an exclusive clipart set? Many of us do custom illustrations!
Cons
- Harder to find individual clipart artists outside of a marketplace
- Sometimes more expensive to purchase a clipart bundle on an artist's website
- Not as big of a selection of styles and themes as a marketplace
Online Marketplaces
If you prefer a graphics marketplace, there are many but they are not all equal. Some are a bit of a free for all, others are absolutely professional. See my favorites list below for my recommendations.
Pros
- Easy to find what you need
- Usually generous licensing terms with extended options
- Hundreds of themes and styles to choose from
- Some offer subscription services for a low monthly fee
Cons
- Many buyers using the same clipart and graphics
- Need to be mindful of stolen art on some sites or low quality art
- Some marketplaces have TM or copyright available images for purchase which is not great
My favorite clipart and graphics marketplaces are, in order:
- CreativeMarket
- DesignCuts
- DesignBundles
There are many others of course, like Etsy and CreativeFabrica.
What about using clipart from Google images?
Yeah, this is a big NO. It's absolutely not allowed. Even for personal use! The vast majority of images in Google image search are going to be copyright which means you can't use them without permission from the copyright holder. Google is just a search engine, not a clipart provider. But you can surf your way through the images to possibly find a clipart provider to buy from! Or just use one of the marketplaces listed above.
The Complete Clipart Guide
- Part 1 - What is Clipart? All of the Basics!
- Part 2 - All About Clipart Licensing
- Part 3 - Where to Find Clipart
- Part 4 - Coming Soon!