Return to site

How do vector graphics work and why are they used for branding?

When you design a logo , you will come across the term "vector", with or without the use of our logo maker. In the simplest language, vector graphics can be described as paths defined by a beginning and an end, with other points, curves, and angles included. A path can be a line, a triangle, a curved shape, or a square. Vector graphics can be as simple or complex as you like.
... and to go one step further, vectors are made up of formulative curves. Vector graphics and objects are based on a coordinate system called Cartesian coordinates, where points in three dimensions are a triplet of numbers.
A third additional coordinate (z) would be the point that would create a 3D model. Although this might be a bit off topic in terms of logo design, it is important to understand this in order to get the basic idea of ​​vector dots. Each path, line, curve or shape is of the highest quality in whatever size you want to share or print the design because it is aimed directly at a precise equation. 

broken image

Vector files are widely used in the printing industry, with applications including logos on billboards, business cards, brochures, catalogs, calendars, and other physical promotional products. In the world of web design, logos are seen anywhere from digital ad space to social media platforms.
A few years ago, we introduced the world of vector files. Now we go back to explaining and digging into the subject to underscore the importance of working with a vector file , especially when it comes to your wonderful new logo(business logo design agency in USA). We will also share some recommendations along the way.

Vector graphic file types

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) are designed for two-dimensional vector graphics and are commonly used in web page applications. SVGs are based on XML, which stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format, including both human and machine readable. SVGs include images, text, and animation. The files open in both the image and text editors.
The graphic elements are perfectly scalable and retain their high quality even during editing, making it ideal for creating web-based illustrations and editing files.
Adobe Illustrator (AI, "artificial intelligence") files were developed specifically for Adobe Illustrator. The AI ​​has some limitations but is still compatible with all major image editors. These files provide acceptable image quality even when the image is scaled. AI files can be easily converted to .pdf files, where Adobe Acrobat is the best tool for editing. The work you do on an Illustrator file is non-destructive, which means that a conversion to a PDF file format should be the last step.
Portable Document Files (PDFs) are a surprising vector file type to many because they are widely used outside of this context. PDFs are a popular format developed by Adobe and display printed materials (vector logos), presentations, and documents. PostScript tools allow you to add links, animations, and sounds to your file. PDFs are useful for saving files that contain both graphics and text. Graphic elements in PDFs take up little space, display correctly on different devices and systems, and allow a wide range of printing options, making this type of file quite practical. Many printers use .pdf as the printing standard.
Encapsulated Postscript (EPS) was developed by Adobe and is compatible with all popular editors, such as Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDraw, and GIMP - to name a few. EPS files support a wide range of tools to edit and process vector logos and other images without loss of quality. They are widely used in the professional printing industry.

Working with a vector graphics file

broken image

Before opening a vector file, it is important to have both the correct software and downloaded fonts based on the needs of your project.
You can download fonts from your preferred font websites, or you can move a font file from an existing "Font" folder on your computer. Right-click to unzip the font file if it is in ZIP file format, then right-click (or jump to) the font file to select "Install" in the drop-down menu. You will have a new window confirming the installation and your new font should be visible in your software's font drop-down menu.
It is important to have the appropriate software available for working with vector files. The programs listed below allow users to use specific commands to design, edit, export, and share.

- Adobe Illustrator is the most widely used vector editor and many other tools have emulated its user interface.
- CorelDRAW is a vector editor that reads and writes EPS, AI, PDF, SVG among other formats. It is the second most used vector editor on the market, just after Adobe Illustrator.
- Affinity Designer is professional graphic design software made specifically for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design ... and a cheaper alternative to Illustrator.

Free and Recommended Vector Graphics Software

The programs below are free, open source, and recommended for ease of use, especially for beginners.

- Vectr is a simple, but powerful cross-platform graphics software used to create vector graphics easily and intuitively.
- Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor compatible with Linux, Windows and MacOS. The software promises an easy to use interface with many features followed by easy to apply instructions.
- Gravit Designer is a graphic design application that offers all the features for drawing vectors. Although the interface may seem intimidating, its user guide is quite friendly and consistent.
- Skencil is an interactive vector drawing application, especially useful for users familiar with the Python language.

Why use a vector graphics file?

broken image

Vector graphic files are flexible with resizing. Users can increase or decrease as much as they want without losing the quality of the file. Therefore, vector files have higher image quality because they are not dependent on image resolution. Vector files provide real points rather than an approximation that a raster plot would provide. This brings us to our next important topic: raster files.
Vector graphic files are flexible with export. These files can be exported to any type of graphic you may need for your design, including any raster format (bitmap image or pixel image), such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF files.
Vector files take up very little disk space because there is no fixed intrinsic resolution. They take into account the resolution of the device on which they are displayed (for example, monitors, printers, etc.).

An introduction to raster graphics files

When you understand the idea behind raster files it is a bit easy to relate it to pointillism. Pointillism is a painting technique in which small dots of color are applied in patterns to form a larger, more complex image. Take Georges Seurat's most famous painting from 1884, "A Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte," for example. Seurat uses just the right amount of points to trick the eye into perceiving certain colors and isolates specific characters as if they were his own islands. Painting is better understood from further afield. To link this artwork with raster images, the basic idea is the same. Raster files create an illusion of color through refractions, reflections - ambiguous points. They give the illusion of form,
Raster files were first used for television technology, and the term refers to the region of a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal monitor (LCD) capable of reproducing images. Too much information? Basically, the essence of raster files is that their complexity is made up of the complexity or the number of blocks of color, also known as pixels. These files are constructed using a fixed number of pixels, which cannot be significantly resized without compromising their resolution.

broken image

Using raster graphics files

Raster files are considered the most ideal to use when you prefer to show the subtleties of color gradients and shading. For example, while editing photos or painting photorealistic illustrations, but not to work on your logo design or share it with a collaborator.
Raster files use thousands of pixels to build an image. Some important terms to keep in mind are PPI (pixels per square inch), which is used for digital technology, and DPI (dots per inch), which is used for printing rather than digital technology. 
Once a raster image has been generated, it cannot be resized. This can seriously limit the application of your logo and is important to keep in mind. 
Ultimately, the decision you make about what type of file to work with comes down to how it will be used. Adobe said it best: 
"Since vectors are based on formulas, a vector image can be scaled in high resolution to virtually unlimited sizes."