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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3652195" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="60" keywordseo="vector-graphics">Vector graphics</keyword> are infinitely scalable <keyword id="39862" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Images">images</keyword> created using mathematically defined elements. </li><li>In simpler terms, you can make a vector graphic as large or small as you want without losing any quality.</li><li>Vector <keyword id="617078" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Graphics">graphics</keyword> are made from points, lines, curves, and color fills, making them different from regular "raster" images.</li></ul><p>If you have an interest in computer graphics or design, it doesn't take long to realize there are two different kinds of graphics: vectors and rasters.</p><p>Although you might not be able to tell the difference between the two at first glance, they're fundamentally different in how they're created and used.</p><h2>What to know about vector graphics</h2><p>Vector graphics are images created using elements that are independent of the size of the image, and common vector file formats include EPS and SVG.</p><p>In contrast, <keyword id="10918195" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="raster-graphics">raster graphics</keyword> are made from pixels - think of a raster image like a grid of tiles, in which each tile is designated a specific color. Stand sufficiently far back, and the raster image becomes obvious. Common raster file formats include JPG and PNG. They're more popular for general use.</p><p>The concept behind raster images is fairly easy to understand, especially since you probably have some experience with pixels on a computer screen.</p><div type="image" title="What are vector graphics 3" height="1673" width="2744" msid="81474517" hostid="261"></div><p>Vector graphics aren't as intuitive, though. Vector images are made from "vector primitives," which are mathematically defined elements like points, lines and curves, as well as colors that fill in-between. By combining primitives, you can draw sophisticated and complex images. We'll break down exactly what that means in a bit.</p><p>The differences between vector and raster images is even apparent in the tools that professionals use to create and edit them. <keyword id="612508" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adobe-Photoshop">Adobe Photoshop</keyword>, for example, is a raster editing program that lets you change the color of pixels within the image. In other words, Photoshop is a sophisticated paint program, because everything the program does relies on manipulating the color of pixels. </p><p>But Adobe Illustrator is a vector design program where there's no pixel-level color control. Instead, you work by drawing using a library of lines, points, and other shapes. These shapes aren't defined by the pixels on screen, but instead by a mathematical algorithm. </p><div type="image" title="What are vector graphics 2" height="500" width="900" msid="81474519" hostid="261"></div><h2>The differences between vector and raster graphics</h2><p>So rasters use pixels, and vectors use math. But what does that really mean for the user? Why aren't they interchangeable?</p><p>In a nutshell, vector graphics' mathematical nature makes them "<keyword id="6359987" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Resolution">resolution</keyword> independent," or able to keep the same quality at any size. You can increase a vector image's size by 1000 percent, and it would look exactly the same - no blurriness or washed out colors. This means that artists and designers don't need to worry about what size their image will be printed at, because it'll always look good.</p><p>A raster image, on the other hand, is purpose-made for a certain resolution, and the image is literally defined as a grid. If you could inspect the code contained in a raster image file, you would see that it tells the computer exactly which color to place in each pixel. </p><p>This means that a raster image will lose sharpness if you display or print it larger than it was intended - you've no doubt seen this when zooming in on a detail in a JPG image. </p><div type="image" title="vector vs raster" height="1407" width="2814" msid="81474520" hostid="261"></div><p>It's also worth noting that while a vector graphic can be easily converted to a raster - the raster image is "locked in" at the resolution specified when it was converted - a raster image can't generally be converted to vector, though some tools can convert simple raster images to vector in a limited way. </p><h2>Pros and cons of vector and raster images</h2><p>The bottom line is that the two kinds of graphics have their own advantages and disadvantages. </p><br /><h3>Vector graphics</h3><ul><li>Infinitely scalable with no loss of sharpness.</li><li>Easily convertible to a raster image at a given resolution for importing into other projects.</li><li>Excellent for use in illustrations on the web and in print because the files can scale to any size, and illustrations are easy to represent with lines, curves, and color fills. </li></ul><br /><h3>Raster graphics</h3><ul><li>The best choice for photographs because raster images allow for precise and detailed color control on a pixel-by-pixel basis. </li><li>Not scalable, so it loses quality when enlarged.</li><li>Usually can't be converted to vector graphics.</li></ul><a data-type="6014606de1cc5c38d3387d79">How to install a graphics card into your Windows PC and upgrade its performance</a><a data-type="604029ba09e96f13df24a585">What is a CPU? 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What are vector graphics? A guide to the infinitely scalable images, and how they differ from other images

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="6534049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vector">vector</keyword> graphics file is an image that can be made infinitely large or small without losing quality.</li><li>Common vector file types include .AI (<keyword id="99699" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adobe">Adobe</keyword> Illustrator), .EPS (Encapsulated Postscript), and .SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).</li><li>You'll need a compatible app to edit a vector file, but you can view them with most image programs or web browsers.</li></ul><p>In general, you see two types of <keyword id="39862" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Images">images</keyword> on your computer: Raster graphics and vector graphics. Rasters are most common, but vectors play a critical role in graphic design and website building.</p><p>But what is a vector? And how can you quickly identify a vector file?</p><p>Here's what you should know.</p><h2>What is a vector file?</h2><p>Again, there are generally two types of images you'll see online and in apps, rasters (also known as bitmaps) and vectors.</p><p>The distinction between them can seem complicated, but is actually quite simple. Raster graphics are made of a grid of pixels, each one of which is assigned a precise color. Vectors, on the other hand, are built from mathematically defined shapes like lines and curves. </p><p>This means that vector graphics can be infinitely resized without losing any sharpness or color quality, which is great for projects that need high quality images.</p><div type="image" title="vector vs raster" height="1407" width="2814" msid="81521086" hostid="261"></div><p>But how can you quickly identify a vector file? Most vectors come in just a few different file types, making them easy to pick out.</p><h2><strong>Common types of vector <keyword id="6448233" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="files">files</keyword></strong></h2><p>In the same way that there are a variety of raster file types (.JPG, .PNG, etc.), there are a number of vector file formats, each used for a different application. Here are the most common vector files in use today:</p><h2><strong>The most popular vector file types</strong></h2><ul><li><p><strong>AI:</strong> This is Adobe Illustrator's native file format. Adobe Illustrator is a popular vector graphics editing program used for designing magazines, apps, logos, and illustrations.</p><div type="image" title="What are vector graphics 2" height="500" width="900" msid="81521087" hostid="261"></div></li><li><p><strong>EPS:</strong> This file format stands for Encapsulated Postscript. It's one of the oldest vector graphic formats around. Its most significant disadvantage is that it doesn't support transparency, but is still commonly used because it can easily contain a page that combines both vector and raster images.</p></li><li><p><strong>PDF</strong>: The Portable Document Format is another very old file format, and probably the one most people are familiar with. PDFs are cross-platform documents that look the same no matter where they're viewed. They were originally created in Adobe systems and displayed in Adobe Reader, but now there are dozens of programs which can work with PDF files. </p></li><li><p><strong>SVG</strong>: The Scalable Vector Graphics format is a relatively modern format that's easier to work with than many others. These files are commonly used online, because they're easy to place on websites and look great on any display or device.</p><div type="image" title="What are they types of vector files 1" height="1168" width="2077" msid="81521088" hostid="261"></div></li></ul><h2><strong>How to open a vector file</strong></h2><p>What you need to open a vector graphics file depends on your goal. Here are your options:</p><ul><li><strong>If you want to view or print a vector graphics file</strong>, you can probably open it in most graphics programs, even if they're designed mainly for raster images. Adobe Photoshop, for example, can open AI, EPS, PDF and SVG files, though the image is opened as a raster at a fixed resolution. You just can't edit the vector and keep it as a vector.</li><li><strong>You can also view and print (but not edit)</strong> most vector graphics files in a web browser - just drag and drop the file into your browser to see it.</li><li><strong>If you want to edit a vector graphics file</strong> while maintaining its scalable, resolution-independent vector characteristics, you need to open it in a suitable vector graphics application, like Adobe Illustrator. If you don't want to use Illustrator, <a href="https://www.coreldraw.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can also check out <strong>CorelDRAW</strong></a> (the second most popular application after Illustrator), or <a href="https://inkscape.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the free and open-source app <strong>Inkscape</strong></a>.</li></ul><a data-type="603d5fa440f5aa211c76f96c">What is aspect ratio? 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What is a vector file? How to identify a vector file, and which apps you can use to view or edit them

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What are vector graphics? A guide to the infinitely scalable images, and how they differ from other images

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What is a vector file? How to identify a vector file, and which apps you can use to view or edit them

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