Open Clip Art Library
An online repository of freely reusable vector clip art created and shared by an international open-content community.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Open Clip Art Library, commonly known as Openclipart, is an online repository for free-content clip art, with a particular emphasis on vector graphics and the SVG format. The project was created to make contributed artwork broadly available for reuse, modification, and redistribution, and has historically operated as a community-centered resource rather than as a conventional commercial image-licensing business. Its collection is used by designers, educators, software developers, publishers, presenters, hobbyists, and users of open-source operating systems and creative applications. The project emerged from the open-source graphics community surrounding Sodipodi and Inkscape. In October 2003, Christian Schaller proposed a challenge for Sodipodi users to create a collection of flags in SVG. More than 90 flags were produced, and the initiative subsequently expanded from flags into a general-purpose clip-art library. As the volume of artwork grew, maintaining the collection inside Inkscape's main repository became impractical, leading to the creation of a separate project and website. Jon Phillips and Bryce Harrington established the Open Clip Art Library in 2004, with the stated objective that contributed images should be made available in the public domain. In its early years, the site was difficult to browse because it lacked effective thumbnails and search tools. The project therefore distributed downloadable packages containing much of the collection, including packages for Linux distributions and a Windows installer. These releases helped users access the library offline and allowed Linux communities to integrate the artwork into software repositories. Around 2008–2010, developer Bassel Khartabil became an important contributor and introduced the Aiki Framework as the basis for a major technical rebuild. Openclipart 2.0, announced in February 2010 and released in March, replaced the earlier ccHost-based system with an Aiki-based platform, adding thumbnails, improved search, and easier contribution workflows. Openclipart also developed relationships with the wider open-source ecosystem. Collection packages were distributed through Linux distributions including Ubuntu and Mandriva, and the library appeared on Linux Format cover discs. In 2014, the open-source iPad drawing application Inkpad added integration that made the collection available to its users. The project refreshed its visual identity and website in 2013 with a scissors logo. The service experienced a serious disruption in 2019 when its website went offline amid reports of a distributed-denial-of-service attack and related identity-theft concerns involving founder Jon Phillips. A restoration plan was announced in May, and in December 2019 the project stated that it was being transferred or gifted to the community for hosting by the Fabricatorz Foundation. Uploading subsequently resumed, while search functionality was restored in 2020. Later improvements focused on infrastructure and collection management. In 2024, Openclipart reported performance work, added PDF support, and introduced librarian tools for editing and maintaining the collection. The project has continued to describe itself as a community resource whose value lies in the breadth of its reusable artwork, open contribution model, and compatibility with common design workflows. Its principal challenge is balancing an extensive historical archive with modern discovery, moderation, metadata, and platform-maintenance requirements.
History
Openclipart began within the open-source graphics community associated with Sodipodi and Inkscape. On October 26, 2003, Christian Schaller proposed a challenge for Sodipodi users to create an SVG flag collection. The effort produced more than 90 flags and demonstrated that a distributed community could create a useful body of reusable vector artwork. The project's scope then widened to general clip art. By December 2003, the growing volume of artwork in Inkscape's primary repository encouraged contributors to establish a separate site and collection. Jon Phillips and Bryce Harrington founded the Open Clip Art Library in 2004. The project's central principle was that contributed images should be freely available in the public domain, enabling reuse without the restrictions associated with conventional commercial stock-art libraries. During its early period, the website had limited browsing functionality and did not provide effective thumbnails. To make the collection more practical, the project released downloadable packages containing most of the artwork available at the time. Packages were made available for Linux distributions, including Fedora-related systems, and as a Windows NSIS installer. Linux distributions such as Mandriva and Ubuntu also distributed collection packages in SVG, PNG, or OpenDocument-related formats. The archive grew through community contributions and outside distribution. Openclipart packages were featured on Linux Format cover discs in 2009 and 2010, expanding awareness among Linux users. On June 23, 2008, Bassel Khartabil joined the project as a professional developer and helped bring the Aiki Framework into the project. In February 2010, Openclipart announced a major platform transition, and Openclipart 2.0 was released in March. The new system replaced ccHost with an Aiki-based content-management platform. It improved thumbnails, search, browsing, and contribution workflows, making the collection substantially easier to use. The project refreshed its public identity on April 15, 2013, introducing a new website design and scissors logo. In March 2014, the open-source iPad drawing application Inkpad added integration with the Openclipart collection, allowing users to access the library from within that creative workflow. Openclipart faced a major operational crisis in April 2019, when its website was taken offline amid reports of a distributed-denial-of-service attack. The incident was also associated with identity-theft concerns involving founder Jon Phillips. In May, project representatives described a plan to restore the service with a new codebase. On December 25, 2019, Openclipart announced that the project was being gifted to the community and hosted with the Fabricatorz Foundation. New uploads were enabled again, and search functionality was restored in May 2020. The later phase of the project has emphasized platform maintenance and curation. In August 2024, Openclipart announced performance improvements. In September 2024, it added PDF support and librarian tools for editing and managing the archive. Openclipart remains an online community repository rather than a conventional commercial brand, with its identity tied to free reuse, open contribution, vector-first artwork, and integration with open-source creative software.
- 2024
Performance, PDF, and librarian-tool updates
[2]Openclipart reported performance improvements and added PDF support and tools for collection librarians.
- 2020
Search restored
[1]The site's search feature was restored after the 2019 disruption and platform transition.
- 2019
Website lockdown and recovery planning
[1]The site was taken offline after a reported DDoS incident, followed by a plan to rebuild and restore the service.
- 2019
Community hosting transition
[1]Openclipart announced that it had been gifted to the community and would be hosted with the Fabricatorz Foundation.
- 2014
Inkpad integration announced
[1]The open-source iPad drawing application Inkpad added access to the Openclipart collection.
- 2013
New visual identity introduced
[1]Openclipart launched a redesigned website and a scissors-based logo.
- 2010
Openclipart 2.0 launches
[1]The project moved from ccHost to an Aiki-based platform, improving thumbnails, search, browsing, and contribution workflows.
- 2008
Bassel Khartabil joins the project
[1]Bassel Khartabil joined as a developer and helped introduce the Aiki Framework to the project.
- 2004
Open Clip Art Library established
[1]Jon Phillips and Bryce Harrington formally established the project, with the aim of making contributed images freely available in the public domain.
- 2003
SVG flag challenge begins
[1]Christian Schaller initiated a community challenge that produced a collection of more than 90 SVG flags and later expanded into a general clip-art project.
Products and positioning
A community-governed, open-content alternative to proprietary stock-art libraries, emphasizing free reuse, editable vector artwork, and compatibility with open-source design tools.
Digital content repository · 2004
Openclipart online repository
The core Openclipart service is a web-accessible archive of community-contributed clip art. It is centered on freely reusable graphics and historically emphasizes vector artwork, especially SVG files. Users can browse, search, download, and contribute artwork through the platform. The repository serves both individual users and software communities that need editable illustrations without commercial stock-art licensing fees.
Offline software and media package
Downloadable Openclipart packages
During the project's early development, Openclipart distributed packages containing much of the collection available at the time. These packages supported offline use and were adapted for Linux distributions and Windows installation. They helped propagate the archive beyond the website and made the artwork available to users with limited or intermittent web access.
Vector graphics · 2004
SVG clip-art collection
SVG is the collection's principal format and supports resizing, editing, and reuse in illustration, publishing, education, presentation, and software-design workflows. The open vector format also aligns the project with applications such as Inkscape and other open-source graphics tools.
Document and vector graphics format · 2024
PDF-supported artwork
PDF support was added as part of the project's 2024 platform improvements. It broadens the ways users can access and distribute artwork and provides an additional format for print-oriented or document-based workflows.
Controversies
2019
Website lockdown and reported DDoS incident
Openclipart's website went offline in April 2019 amid reports of a distributed-denial-of-service attack. The incident was also connected in public reporting to identity-theft concerns involving founder Jon Phillips. The project subsequently planned a rebuilt codebase and a community-oriented hosting arrangement.
Brand decisions
2024
Addition of PDF support and librarian toolsProduct launchBackground
The long-running archive required broader format support and better tools for maintaining and editing collection content.
Action taken
Openclipart added PDF support and introduced librarian tools as part of its platform improvements.
Aftermath
The updates expanded format compatibility and strengthened collection-management capabilities.
2019
Community hosting transitionStrategyBackground
The project needed a path to recover from the 2019 website disruption and resume uploads and collection access.
Action taken
Openclipart announced that the project was being gifted to the community and hosted with the Fabricatorz Foundation.
Aftermath
New uploads resumed, and search functionality was restored in 2020.
2010
Migration to the Aiki FrameworkStrategyBackground
The older site had limited browsing and discovery capabilities, while the growing archive required better search, thumbnails, and contribution tools.
Action taken
Openclipart replaced its ccHost-based platform with an Aiki Framework implementation and released the resulting service as Openclipart 2.0.
Aftermath
The redesigned service made the collection easier to browse and contribute to and was reported to receive substantial daily visitor and page-view traffic.
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