Printing Terminology
What the difference between vector and raster artwork?
Meet Vector & Raster. These cute guys quickly demonstrate the difference between vector and raster images and the impact on the artwork when enlarged.
For those interested in additional knowledge, here are more specific details on both file formats.
Vector
Vector graphics or artwork uses a mathematical formula (vector) to draw shapes using points, lines and curves. The biggest advantage of using vector artwork is it is infinitely scalable: Through the wonders of math, vector files can be scaled up or down as much as you want without losing any image quality. Vector files simply uses the original mathematic equation to create a consistent, crisp, clean shape every time.
The most common types of vector images are graphics, logos, and fonts. The designer’s preferred program for creating and editing vector files is Adobe Illustrator. Popular vector file format extensions include: eps, ai, and pdf.
Raster
A raster graphic or artwork is an image made of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of tiny squares of color information, referred to as either pixels or dots. The biggest downfall to raster images in the printing process is that they become pixelated (grainy and blurry) when enlarged. This is because there are a finite number of pixels in all raster images. When you enlarge a photo, the computer takes its best guess as to what specific colors should fill in the gaps. This extrapolation of data causes the image to appear blurry since the computer has no way of knowing the exact shade of colors that should be inserted.
The most common type of raster graphic is a photograph. The preferred program for creating and editing raster files is Adobe Photoshop, and the popular raster file format extensions include: jpg/jpeg, psd, png, tiff, bmp, and gif.
The main information to remember for your printing needs: Vector is the best file format for perfect image quality. Raster files are not so good because of the high potential for poor image quality.
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