Clip are refers to graphics which are generally based on vector graphics and represent general ideas or concepts. Examples of clip art are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Examples of clip art.

While clip art may have been popular in the 1990s, today with the ubiquitous of digital photography, the use of clip art should be restricted. In general, such graphics which do not convey technical information are not appropriate for technical presentations.

Consider the clip art shown in a slide in Figure 2. The slide contains an appropriate amount of information, message is brief and succinct, and the image is related; however, it is quickly apparent that the image is generic. A much better image would have been to have a clock showing 1:05—the implication being that it is five minutes after the start of a 1:00 presentation.

Figure 2. A slide from a talk by Dolan Hefei.