Object 

Description 

Picture  

Used to hold any graphic image. To add additional graphic file formats, use the Picture Register method. Use this to handle arbitrary files such as displaying images in an image control.  

Bitmap  

A powerful graphics object used to create, manipulate (scale, scroll, rotate, and paint), and store images as files on a disk. Creating copies of a bitmap is fast since the handle is copied, not the image.  

Clipboard  

Represents the container for any text or graphics that are cut, copied, or pasted from or to an application. With the clipboard, you can get and retrieve data according to the appropriate format; handle reference counting, and opening and closing the clipboard; manage and manipulate formats for objects in the clipboard.  

Icon  

Represents the value loaded from an icon file (::ICO file).  

Metafile (VCL applications only)  

Contains a file that records the operations required to construct an image, rather than contain the actual bitmap pixels of the image. Metafiles or drawings are extremely scalable without the loss of image detail and often require much less memory than bitmaps, particularly for high-resolution devices, such as printers. However, metafiles and drawings do not display as fast as bitmaps. Use a metafile or drawing when versatility or precision is more important than performance.