Vector graphics are often used for product artwork because they’re scalable, meaning they can be easily resized for use on everything from matchbooks to billboards. Vector programs can also take longer to render objects with more complexity, such as a photograph or landscape. A vector image’s formulaic makeup keeps file sizes to a minimum in comparison to its raster counterparts.
Scaling down these images is easy but enlarging a bitmap makes it pixelated or simply blurred. Hence for images that need to scale to different sizes, we use vector graphics. Most often they are vector files, but it depends on what program was used to create it. For example, if the PDF was created in Photoshop, it will be saved as a raster file. And sometimes, a PDF can contain raster images, like JPEGs and PNGs as well as vector images. If you are dealing with photos and require extremely intricate editing, raster is the most suitable choice.
Raster vs. Vector: What’s the Difference?
It would be a pain to edit vector images with pixel-point precision, and the result won’t be as impressive as a raster anyway. Similarly, if you wish to create a very nuanced image that features complexity in terms of color, tone, depth, and content, go for raster graphics. Pixels have the ability to offer the kind of detail that vectors simply can’t. Choosing the wrong format can result in a loss of quality—a degradation of individual pixels that lowers image resolution. That’s why it’s essential for graphic designers to be comfortable with both formats and understand how they translate when exported. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about working with raster and vector files.
Since their building blocks are pixels, raster images do not feature the kind of scalability that vector images do. Being significantly different in nature, the two kinds of graphics have different uses, strengths, and weaknesses. Raster files are made up of pixels, are best to use when working with photographs, and typically larger files. Unlike raster graphics, vector files are smaller and best for logos, type, and geometric design. Raster images are used in photography and digital applications. When you take a picture with a phone or camera, the image is recorded as pixel data.
Vector vs. Raster – File Size:
If you look closely at a scalar image you will see many equally sized squares. Vector images are infinitely scalable as the mathematical formulas change when you resize the image. They retain their clarity and sharpness even when you enlarge the image. If you look closely at a Vector image you will see seamless curves and well-defined lines.
Since businesses need to store a large number of files on their devices, saving on space is just one more reason to opt for vector images over rasters. Raster graphics are made up of pixels, which are tiny dots that carry certain color information, and, combined together, they form an entire image. Vectors, meanwhile, have math as their building blocks and, consequently, do not offer the type of nuance that rasters do.
Flexibility of vector and raster
However, they are unsuitable for projects involving different software. When creating high-resolution graphics, you do want the best files for your project. Use this simple guide to help you choose the right files to send. Vector graphics are graphics in which the image is represented in a mathematical fashion. What this allows one to do is to zoom in an image to infinite precision.
So, while vectors are ideal for scalable logos, typography, and design, they’re not the best choice for photographic images. In the example image above, the raster version of the photograph (on the left) looks best. The vector version of the image (on the right) is oversimplified, as vector programs visualize difference between raster and vector graphics in groups of solid colors. Other popular programs include CorelDraw and Affinity Designer, and vector images can be both created and edited using these programs. The most common file formats for vector graphics are AI, CDR, and SVG, depending on which software you’re using to design vector images.
What is the difference between raster and vector?
You probably see raster files every day, even if you’re not aware of it. Digital photographs are rasters, as are most images that you see online. The resolution of the raster graphics is formed by millions of square pixels, dots per inch (DPI), or pixels per inch (PPI), so their size is always a fixed value. If you don’t want a bitmap image to lose its quality, you can only scale it down.
This comes in handy when there are restrictions to file sizes or image storage. While a vector image file has many advantages, there are compatibility issues when shared. You must have access to vector-based programs in order to edit the native files. The main difference between vector and raster graphics is that raster graphics are composed of pixels, while vector graphics are composed of paths. A raster graphic, such as a gif or jpeg, is an array of pixels of various colors, which together form an image.
How Do I Know Which Image Type Is Best to Use?
A rasterized image will no longer be composed of vector paths and curves, but will be made up of pixels, and you won’t be able to edit it using vector editing software. Vector images are slower the more complex they are, so it takes longer for the computer to render them. However, once a vector image is loaded, it can be manipulated more quickly than a raster image. Raster images are best for displaying digital photography and graphics that have a lot of detailed and subtle gradations in color.
Take a look at the image of the black panther illustration below. Technically, they are both raster images now, but for demonstrative purposes, the native file of the one on the left was a raster JPG and the one on the right was a vector EPS. As you can see from the zoomed-in views below, you can begin to see the individual pixels that make up the picture on the left, giving it a blurry – or pixelated – appearance. Meanwhile, no matter how much you zoom in on the panther on the right, you will always see smooth lines. They’re made of paths and curves dictated by mathematical formulas.
Vector vs raster: Which is better for logos and brochures?
When these images are uploaded online, the end result is a raster image. To edit these images, you need access to raster-based programs like Adobe Photoshop or Shutterstock Editor. For design work, it’s best to use these programs for photography and imagery only.
- Being significantly different in nature, the two kinds of graphics have different uses, strengths, and weaknesses.
- By understanding the difference between these two image types, you’ll be able to create better-quality graphics for your projects.
- Raster images are best for displaying digital photography and graphics that have a lot of detailed and subtle gradations in color.
- Meanwhile, no matter how much you zoom in on the panther on the right, you will always see smooth lines.
- If you look closely at a Vector image you will see seamless curves and well-defined lines.
