Images
What is Vector graphics?
Also called vector image or vector file.
Vector graphics describe images as shapes, lines and curves defined by coordinates, so they can be scaled to any size without losing sharpness.
How it works
A vector file stores instructions rather than pixels: start here, draw a curve to there, fill it with this color. Because nothing is fixed to a grid, the image is recalculated at whatever size it is displayed or printed.
That makes vectors ideal for logos, icons, fonts, maps and technical drawings. Files are often small, colors can be changed precisely and every size is equally sharp. Screens still show pixels in the end: the vector is rasterized at the moment it is displayed, at exactly the resolution needed.
Photographs don’t suit vectors, because real scenes contain continuous variation. Designers therefore use both: a vector logo and vector text laid out over raster photographs, as in most PDFs and web pages.
A practical example
A print shop asks for a logo as a vector file because the same artwork will appear on a business card and a 10-foot banner, and both need clean edges.
What to watch out for
Placing a raster image inside a vector file, such as a JPEG in an SVG or PDF, doesn’t make it vector. It will still blur when enlarged.
Tools you can use
- Image Converter · Change an image from one format to another
- Favicon Generator · The whole icon set, plus the HTML to paste
- QR Code Generator · Static codes that never expire, checked before download
Go a little deeper
- Do QR codes expire?
- How to make a favicon for your website
- How to make a QR code for a link
- How to put a QR code on a business card
Common questions
What file types are vector?
SVG, EPS, AI and PDF drawings are common vector formats. Fonts are vectors too. JPEG, PNG, GIF and WebP are always raster.
How do I know if my logo is a vector file?
Zoom in a long way. A vector logo stays perfectly sharp at any magnification, while a raster one breaks into visible square pixels.
Can photos be vector graphics?
Not in a practical sense. Photos contain continuous variation that shapes can only approximate, so they are always stored as raster images.