What is a .CIL file?
The file extension .CIL refers to a Clip Gallery Packaged File. This type of file is primarily associated with Microsoft Clip Gallery, which is a tool designed to organize and manage clip art images for use in Microsoft Office applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
A .CIL file is essentially a compressed archive that contains clip art in various formats, most notably .WMF (Windows Metafile Format). This compression allows for easier storage and sharing of multiple clip art images in a single package. In addition to the images themselves, a .CIL file also includes important metadata such as keywords, which help in categorizing and searching for specific clip art within the Microsoft Clip Gallery program.
To open a .CIL file, you would typically use Microsoft Clip Gallery. However, it's important to note that newer versions of Microsoft Office might not include this program, as it has been phased out in favor of newer technologies and online resources for obtaining clip art.
.CIL files were commonly used to distribute and share clip art on the internet, especially through Microsoft's Clip Art & Media website, where users could download various clip art files to use in their documents and presentations. Although this service has been discontinued, .CIL files can still be found and used from other sources or existing collections.
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