As we do custom printing orders often, we are always sent various formats of logos. Many times they are in the incorrect format needed for screen printing. Our friends at Sticker Mule have allowed us to reprint their blog covering all that relates to vector images. Hope this helps in your printing journey.
What is a vector image?
To better understand what a vector file is, it is important to learn the two basic categories of a digital image: raster graphics and vector graphics.
You may already be familiar with a flat or raster graphic. These graphics are .jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group), or .png (Portable Network Graphics) file types. Notice that when you zoom in a .jpg or .png image, you’ll see that the image becomes blurry and you start seeing little square dots. These dots are called pixels. This is the basic foundation of a raster graphic: flat little dots that form the full picture.
On the other hand, a vector graphic is made up of mathematical formulas rather than flat, fixed, and solid colored pixels. The formulas create the points, paths, lines, curves, shapes, and colors that you see in a vector image.
The most important attribute of a vector image is that it is infinitely scalable without compromising the quality of the image. No matter how close you zoom in, or how big you scale a vector image, it will remain smooth. The resolution will also remain high! Some common file formats of vector files are .ai (Adobe Illustrator), .eps (Encapsulated PostScript), and .svg (Scalable Vector Graphic).
Where are vector images used?
Vector images are used in branding and printing. Most logos, icons, and other graphics that you see displayed on websites online are vector images. Most print jobs you have seen might also have been vector images before printing.
What can you do with vector images?
Because vector files are resolution independent, they are great for large scale printing like banners, signs, and other large format jobs. Vector files are also great for smaller prints like business cards, packaging, and stickers because even the tiniest details are guaranteed to be sharp and clear.
It is generally a good idea to keep graphic assets as vector files because of its smaller file size compared to a raster image. You can also update and edit vector files with ease as well as export it into any other file type you need anytime.
What are tools that can convert an image to a vector?
There is a variety of software, both offline and online, that have the ability to export vectors. Some popular professional software are Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. There are also open source and free software like Inkscape and Vectr.
Alternatively, there are a lot of free vector conversion websites where you can upload your image and convert them to a vector image. The downside of using free and automatic conversion tools like them is that you will not get an accurate image. Some include watermarks, while some simply do not produce high resolution vectors.
Here’s our pro tip: Redraw from Sticker Mule converts and upgrades any image to a high resolution, vector graphic. Redraw eliminates the hassle of tracing, coloring, finetuning, and exporting. Though you may need to shell out a few bucks, Redraw guarantees that it will convert any image into a high-quality vector image that is infinitely scalable! And after that, your new poster, sticker or image for screen print will be ready in no time!
How do you convert images to vector for free?
There are a lot of websites that convert flat images to vectors for free. Some of them go as far as giving the user the ability to input the number of color output, as well as designating a color palette. One of the best examples is pngtosvg.com.
The downside to this is that aside from the webpage being heavy because of numerous ads that pop up all over the site, the output creates imperfect and crooked lines. (And be careful with clicking on those ads too! Sometimes, they may lead you to malicious, virus-ridden websites! Yikes!)
The converted vector also creates unnecessary extra shapes. You would still need to download and edit the vector image using software to finetune and clean up the vector.
Converting images to vector: Tips from a designer
Here are some tips on converting a flat image into a vector:
Converting images into vectors works well for images that are simple, clear, and have minimal colors.
When manually tracing, zoom in as close as possible so that you are able to follow the lines with better accuracy.
Use the color picker tool when filling in paths and shapes.
If the software that you are using has advanced automatic tracing tools, take advantage of it! You will only spend time fine tuning the result
If you’re not a pro designer, then doing this process manually may not yield the best results. It’s better to take advantage of online tools like Sticker Mule’s Redraw to get that perfect finish!
These are all great tips from Sticker Mule. Be sure and check out their custom stickers for all of your projects!